2004 Freightliner Century ST problems

What is wrong

Certain freightliner school bus chassis, heavy trucks, and thomas built school buses manufactured between july 2002 and july 3, 2007, equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake control valves. The parker scv brass 90 degree single check valves (scv) which attach to the supply port of a bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valve can break apart. Pieces of the parker scv can become lodged inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valve, potentially causing either leakage out of the sr-7 valve or preventing air from properly exhausting from the sr-7 valve. Also, due to a manufacturing defect in the internal rubber check valve inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valves, the valves can become deformed and not seat properly.

Risk

These conditions could either result in leakage and cause a delay in the application of the spring brake without warning or possibly lead to unintended vehicle rollaway or brake drag which could result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or death.

Remedy

Freightliner will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 11, 2008 to freightliner, sterling, and freightliner custom chassis owners; to thomas built bus owners on february 1, 2008. Owners can contact freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.

Recall number 07V302000 · Recall details

What is wrong

On certain trucks equipped with 3rd generation conmet aluminum wheels, the drum mounting flange on the conmet truturn brake drum may have been manufactured with a taper from the pilot hole to the barrel of the drum.

Risk

This taper may cause cracking or fractures of the front hub. This could cause a crash without prior warning.

Remedy

After further investigation and testing, freightliner has revised the population and the remedy (december 22, 2005). Therefore, the recall began on march 15, 2006. Owners may contact freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.

Recall number 05V285000 · Recall details

Odi's investigation of the subject power steering pump has found that, with over five years of operational exposure, there have been no pump failures that resulted in loss of power steering assist while the vehicle was being driven on the road or any sudden drop off in the power steering assist at any time.there are no crashes or injuries.these reduction in assist events have only occurred during backing or parking maneuvers.freightliner and trw appear to have acted responsibly in providing information to customers and dealers regarding safe maintenance and repair procedures for power steering pumps that have experienced a reduction in speed of steer.freightliner's field service bulletin, fsb 46-38, is a diagnostic procedure for determining if the trw power steering pump is responsible for reduced power assist and describes corrective actions that should be taken once the determination is made.the corrective actions are:replace the spool valve assembly (vehicles built prior to 1/1/05) or, replace the power steering pump (vehicles built after 1/1/05).a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for more detailed information see document file.

PE08009

Early warning aggregate data submitted to the federal safety agency by freightliner suggests that a steering (ewr code 01) problem exists for the 2004 and 2005 century and columbia class vehicles.the count of field reports submitted for the first quarter of 2006 was significantly higher than the average of the previous 6 quarters for the aggregate steering data.further review of the ewr data foundfield reports that described steering column failures as a result of welds cracking or breaking.information received from freightliner details a number of steering columnfailures on the subject vehicles.these failures were the result of missing and cracked welds on the steering column assembly.an engineering analysis (ea) is warranted to determine if the weld failures in the steering column create a situation where the vehicle becomes difficult to steer or startles the driver presenting a safety risk.

PE06033