- Vehicles
- 818
- Built between
- Oct 1996 – Dec 1997
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 17 February 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between October 1996 and December 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1996-1998 Freightliner FS-65Built October 1996 to December 1997
What the defect is
On certain school bus chassis with cummins isb engines with mechanical throttle, the throttle cable can vibrate excessively and break near the end fitting that attaches to the engine linkage.
What could happen
This can result in a loss of throttle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE THROTTLE CABLE WITH A NEW DESIGN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtOctober 1996 to December 1997
- Recall reported to NHTSA16 September 2002
- Owners notified17 February 2003
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 16 September 2002.
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
- Manufacturer's recall number
- FL-398
- Recalling manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
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
Freightliner recall no. FL-398. 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.