On august 22, 2017, my husband and I were traveling northbound on I-55 near litchfield, illinois. A semi truck owned by arnold james knaggs of carsonville, michigan, was traveling southbound. At approximately noon on that date, two wheels detached from that truck. One wheel came to rest in the wide grassy median; the other wheel barreled across the median and struck the minivan in which my husband and I were traveling. All windows on the driver's side shattered and the sliding passenger door was ripped off the vehicle. He van was totaled. If my husband had not taken evasive action at the last second, he would have been severely injured or killed. The illinois traffic crash report cites problems with the truck tires and notes that vehicle condition was the primary contributory cause of the crash. The driver was cited for driving with a suspended cdl and for driving a truck with loose or missing wheel bolts. The question 'did motor carrier safety regulations (mcs) violation contribute to the crash?' was answered 'yes' by the state trooper on the scene.
The worst 2000 Freightliner Business Class problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Wheels1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Wheels1
Recalls 9
Trailer hitches: fifth wheel assembly
- What is wrong
- On certain truck tractors equipped with jost international jsk 37u series fifth wheels, a fatigue crack can develop in the bracket pin weld under certain loading conditions.
- Risk
- If left undetected or corrected it could lead to the separation of the fifth wheel top plate from its mounting structure, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the bracket pins and repair instructions free of charge. Owner notification began november 12, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact jost international at 616‑846‑7700 or by email to [email protected] or freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.
Recall number 03V227000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: hub
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
- Risk
- Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both front hubs. Owner notification is expected to begin on or before september 20, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.
Recall number 03V112000 · Recall details
Parking brake: conventional: mechanical: linkage and cable
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with meritor brand 12" x 4" dcm drum parking brake, the bolts used to attach the parking brake assembly to the flange yoke are too large and can interfere with the proper engagement of the braking system and possibly disengage.
- Risk
- Improper engagement of the parking brake could result in the vehicle rolling away without prior warning possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the attaching bolts with the correct size bolts free of charge. Owner notification is expected to begin during october 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.
Recall number 02V108001 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: controls, pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with certain haldex brake system two and four port relay valves. The valve may stick open when a high-pressure application is released.
- Risk
- When the valve sticks open, it can result in a total loss of air from either the service or the park brake system. The driver may lose braking ability under a service application, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace these valves. Owner notification began october 17, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.
Recall number 01V189001 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: controls, pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The brake pedal push rod that activates the service brakes could fracture.
- Risk
- This could result in a loss of braking control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake pedal push rod.
Recall number 00V357000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks, shuttle buses, transit buses and step vans equipped with allison 1000 or 2400 series transmissions. These transmissions can experience park pawl to rear cover interference due to an out of flatness condition.
- Risk
- This could cause non-engagement of the park pawl when the transmission shift selector is moved to the park position, resulting in unintended vehicle movement and a vehicle crash without prior warning.
- Remedy
- Allison transmission is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Dealers will remove the transmission from the vehicle, replace the park pawl, and reinstall the transmission in the vehicle. Owner notification is expected to begin during september 2000. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact allison at 1‑800‑252‑5283 or freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.
Recall number 00V229001 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: antilock
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the ABS ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ABS ecu.
Recall number 00V232002 · Recall details
Wheels: rim
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with accuride 22.5 x 8.25 15 tubeless demountable rims, part no. 32051. Certain rims contain a non-fusion area in the butt-weld of the mounting ring. Under certain circumstances, the defect could develop into a crack on the mounting ring.
- Risk
- Over time, the crack could propagate and if not heeded, could result in mounting ring failure, potentially causing the rim to separate from the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Accuride will inspect and replace the defective or suspect wheel rims.
Recall number 00V190001 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: springs: air suspension system
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks built with dual leaf spring type air ride suspensions and vehicles built with single leaf spring type air ride suspensions. Rear suspension springs can fracture through the center bolt hole after vehicle assembly.
- Risk
- If undetected, the rear end of the spring could separate from the vehicle causing a hazardous road debris situation.
- Remedy
- For vehicles equipped with single leaf springs, dealers will remove and replace all springs. For vehicles equipped with dual leaf springs, dealers will inspect for cracked springs and replace if cracked.
Recall number 00V081000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2000 Freightliner Business Class 8
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Sb2028 Engine Coolant Changes
- Sb2032 Gates PowerGrip Hose Clamps, Replacement
- Sb2056 Transmission Oil Line Removal and Installation
- Sb2057 New Surge Tank Design
- Freightliner truck: steer axle maintenance, aac and meritor 6000LB and 8000LB axles: this bulletin is to...
- This campaign consists of installing the transmission modulation wire between the engine ECU and the cab...
- Subject regarding ICU3 warning light position and wiring correction
- Subject regarding meritor 16T midship driveline washer replacement on vehicles manufactured between...
What 2000 Freightliner Business Class owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Compare the 2000 Freightliner Business Class
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Questions about the 2000 Freightliner Business Class
Is the 2000 Freightliner Business Class reliable?
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2000 Freightliner Business Class, fewer than a typical Business Class model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Freightliner Business Class?
Wheels, with 1 complaint.
How many recalls does the 2000 Freightliner Business Class have?
9 recalls, covering trailer hitches, suspension and parking brake.
Was there a recall on the 2000 Freightliner Business Class wheels?
Yes, 1 recall: 00V190001. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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