The defect
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MERITOR WABCO PNEUMATIC ANITLOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) VALVE PACKAGES, THE ASSEMBLY BOLTS ON THESE VALVE PACKAGES WERE NOT TIGHTENED CORRECTLY.
The risk
BOLTS TORQUED BELOW SPECIFICATION WILL NOT RELIABLY PREVENT AIR LEAKAGE AT THE AFFECTED ABS VALVE PACKAGE INTERFACE JOINTS ONCE THE COMPONENT BEGINS NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION. IF AIR LEAKS DEVELOP AT ANY OF THE ABS VALVE PACKAGE INTERFACE JOINTS, BRAKE SYSTEM PRESSURE REDUCTIONS COULD OCCUR DURING BRAKING OR NORMAL OPERATION WITH UNITS EQUIPPED WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL OPTION, POTENTIALLY EXTENDING STOPPING DISTANCES, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE FASTENERS TO THE PROPER SPECIFICATION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 4, 2002. 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.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Freightliner Business Class | 2001 |
| Freightliner Century | 2001 |
| Freightliner FLD | 2001 |
| Sterling Acterra | 2001 |
| Sterling | 2001 |
Components: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freightliner Business Class | 2001 | 0 | 6 |
| Freightliner Century | 2001 | 4 | 4 |
| Freightliner FLD | 2001 | 1 | 4 |
| Sterling Acterra | 2001 | 0 | 11 |
| Sterling | 2001 | 0 | 1 |
Other service brakes, air recalls in 2002
58 of the 434 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2002 concerned the service brakes, air; FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION filed 151 campaigns in all.
| 02V139027 31 Dec 2002 | VERMEER MANUFACTURING COMPANY |
| 02V321001 2 Dec 2002 | FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION |
| 02V321002 26 Nov 2002 | MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED |
| 02V139026 16 Oct 2002 | DRIVE LINE INC. |
| 02V210009 4 Oct 2002 | FEATHERLITE, INC. |
| 02V210008 23 Sept 2002 | TRIAD MACK SALES |
| 02V241002 20 Sept 2002 | INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE |
| 02V254000 11 Sept 2002 | EAST MANUFACTURING CORP. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2002