2001 Mitsubishi Fuso FH617 problems

Filed Jul 30, 2012 · Body, Brakes · 97,085 miles · MA

Driver returned to shop with an issue with the brake alarm sounding, found fluid leaking from underneath. We crawled under the truck and found a damaged brake line. Found damaged cross member which caused brake line to fail. We began to further inspect the vehicle and was horrified at what we found (pictures attached). Truck was immediately taken off the road and out of service. Frame showed signs of surface rust but rapidly decomposed over the past year to the point pieces are crumbling from the frame and sections of the frame and cross members are now missing. The frame, crossmembers, and rivets are heavily decomposed while brackets holding suspension, fuel tank, exhaust , drive shaft, rear end housing, and engine have mere surface rust that would commonly be seen on a vehicle of it's age. Attached also is a picture of the original muffler that is still on the truck, along with the brackets that hold it in place. One would think this would rust and rot away long before the frame of the vehicle. There appears to be a serious defect in the material used on these frame rails. A few of us have started to network together to tell our stories and they all appear to be the same. This truck is not used for plowing, sanding, or hauling any corrosive materials. This issue seems to be found in trucks ranging from 2000 to 2005 from the information I've been able to gather from various websites, blogs, and social networking sites. Many of these trucks may have run their course already due to high mileage and use, and may have been retired from service due to these same issues we are having, which were attributed to reasons other then defective materials. However some consumers, as in our case, have low miles on their vehicle, purchasing such a truck with reasonable expectations that it would last much longer then the life it has given us.