Steering column weld cracks

An NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation into Freightliner vehicles. Closed 30 January 2007.

Investigation
PE06033
Type
Preliminary Evaluation
Opened
30 August 2006
Closed
30 January 2007

What NHTSA investigated

Early warning aggregate data submitted to NHTSA 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.

Vehicles covered

MakeModelModel years
FreightlinerCENTURY2004
FreightlinerCENTURY CLASS2005
FreightlinerCENTURY ST2004–2005
FreightlinerCOLUMBIA2004–2005

Source

From NHTSA’s investigation file, rebuilt daily. To report a problem with your own vehicle, go to nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem. All open investigations.