- Vehicles
- 14,000
- Built between
- From May 2002
- Models
- 4
- 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 May 2002 and an unspecified date. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2002-2004 Freightliner Business Class M2Built May 2002 to unknown
- 2003-2004 Freightliner CenturyBuilt October 2003 to unknown
- 2003-2004 Freightliner ColumbiaBuilt October 2003 to unknown
- 2003-2004 Sterling HXBuilt November 2003 to unknown
What the defect is
On certain trucks equipped with manual transmission, the tapered joint that attaches the shifter to the transmission may become loose making it difficult to put the transmission into gear.
What could happen
If shift lever detachment occurs, tha ability ro accelerate ot maintain speed will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL RE-SECURE THE SHIFT LEVER TO THE TRANSMISSION USING THREADLOCK AND RE-TORQUING THE FASTENING BOLT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtMay 2002 to unknown
- Recall reported to NHTSA4 May 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 4 May 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 should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- FL-420
- 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. FL-420.CUSTOMERS can 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.