International Trailer Hitches: Fifth Wheel Assembly

International is recalling about 3,776 vehicles over a problem with the trailer hitches. If the fifth wheel and locking mechanism are sufficiently damaged, the locking mechanism may fail to operate as intended and the trailer may unexpectedly detach from the tractor, increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
15V607000
Manufacturer
Navistar, Inc.
Reported
29 September 2015
Vehicles
3,776
Built between
May 2010 – Apr 2013
Models
3
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
18 November 2015
Repaired
27%
Unrepaired
2,762

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between May 2010 and April 2013. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2012-2014 International LonestarBuilt September 2011 to March 2013
  • 2011-2014 International ProstarBuilt May 2010 to April 2013
  • 2011-2013 International TranstarBuilt October 2010 to February 2013

Repair progress

2,762 of 3,776 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2017.

27% repaired — 1,014 of 3,776 reported

Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.

What the defect is

Navistar, Inc. (Navistar) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 International ProStar trucks manufactured May 18, 2010, to April 5, 2013, 2012-2014 International LoneStar trucks manufactured September 7, 2011, to March 25, 2013, and 2011-2013 International TranStar trucks manufactured October 18, 2010, to February 20, 2013. The affected trucks are equipped with Fontaine Ultra LT Fifth Wheel connectors, which, due to cumulative damage to the fifth wheel and its locking mechanism, have a locking mechanism that may fail to operate or to properly engage.

What could happen

If the fifth wheel and locking mechanism are sufficiently damaged, the locking mechanism may fail to operate as intended and the trailer may unexpectedly detach from the tractor, increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

Navistar will notify owners, and Fontaine dealers will replace the fifth wheel with an Ultra NT model fifth wheel, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2015.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtMay 2010 to April 2013
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA29 September 2015
  3. Owners notified18 November 2015
  4. Latest repair reportQ1 2017 — 27% repaired

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 29 September 2015.

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 may contact Navistar customer service at 1-800-448-7825, or Fontaine customer service at 1-844-597-7393.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
None
Recalling manufacturer
Navistar, Inc.
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

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

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.

Same component

Same brand