Freightliner Power Train: Column Shift

Freightliner is recalling about 5,997 vehicles over a problem with the power train. The vehicle can move after being placed in park increasing the risk of a crash.

Campaign
97V052000
Manufacturer
FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION
Reported
8 April 1997
Vehicles
5,997
Built between
Aug 1995 – Mar 1997
Models
2
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
3 June 1997
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between August 1995 and March 1997. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 1995-1997 Freightliner FL-70Built August 1995 to March 1997
  • 1995-1997 Oshkosh MT45Built August 1995 to March 1997

What the defect is

Vehicle description: vans and trucks equipped with an optional automatic transmission shift lever that includes a park brake position. The transmission shifter/park brake lever can bind before fully engaging in the park brake position causing a false park condition.

What could happen

The vehicle can move after being placed in park increasing the risk of a crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPACER PLATE IN THE SHIFTER AND INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF AN "E" CLIP THAT DETAINS THE DETENT PIN.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtAugust 1995 to March 1997
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA8 April 1997
  3. Owners notified3 June 1997

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 April 1997.

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.

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

Owner notification:owner notification is expected to begin may 6, 1997.NOTE: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 1-503-735-8662.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

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