- Vehicles
- 75,000
- Built between
- Jul 1999 – Jun 2000
- Models
- 8
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 8 November 2001
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between July 1999 and June 2000. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1999-2000 Freightliner ArgosyBuilt July 1999 to June 2000
- 1999-2000 Freightliner CenturyBuilt July 1999 to June 2000
- 1999-2000 Freightliner FLDBuilt July 1999 to June 2000
- 1999-2000 Freightliner FLNBuilt July 1999 to June 2000
- 2000 Freightliner MT-45Built April 2000 to June 2000
- 1999 Freightliner MT45Built July 1999 to December 1999
- 1999-2000 Freightliner MT55Built July 1999 to June 2000
- 1999-2000 Sterling ActerraBuilt July 1999 to June 2000
What the defect is
Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain meritor axles. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.
What could happen
This can lead to premature wear with possible separation of the ball stud from the socket, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE ALL AFFECTED TIE RODS AND DRAG LINKS WITH DIFFERENT DESIGNED ENDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER 8, 2001.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJuly 1999 to June 2000
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 September 2001
- Owners notified8 November 2001
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 17 September 2001.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
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.
Official source
- Recalling manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.