- Vehicles
- 275
- Built between
- Nov 2003 – Jan 2004
- Models
- 3
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 21 May 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2003 and January 2004. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2003-2004 Western Star 4900EXBuilt November 2003 to January 2004
- 2003-2004 Western Star 4900FABuilt November 2003 to January 2004
- 2003-2004 Western Star 4900SABuilt November 2003 to January 2004
What the defect is
On certain trucks and truck-tractors equipped with trw drag link assemblies, the replacement clamp and drag link assemblies contain a potentially defective 5/8-11-GRADE b prevailing torque hex nut. If the final tightening is less than 65 lb.-ft., the clamp load would be unacceptably low and could compromise the integrity of the drag link.
What could happen
This could result in the ball socket separating and cause loss of steering control, increasing the risk of personal injury or a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED HEX NUT(S). OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2003 to January 2004
- Recall reported to NHTSA8 March 2004
- Owners notified21 May 2004
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 8 March 2004.
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
- FL422
- Recalling manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER LLC
- 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
Freightliner recall no. FL422.CUSTOMERS can 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.