The defect
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2016 Western Star 4900 and Freightliner Cascadia vehicles, equipped with certain Spicer D-Series and E-Series steer axles. The castellated nut on the steer axles may not be properly torqued, allowing the tie rod to loosen.
The risk
If the tie rod loosens, it may disconnect from the steering knuckle, causing a complete loss of steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the torque of the castellated nut and tie rod, tightening it as necessary. If the tie rod stud and knuckle on units cannot be sufficiently torqued, the dealer will replace the knuckle and tie rod end assembly, free of charge. DTNA issued an interim to owners on December 4, 2017. The recall began on March 7, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-751.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Freightliner Cascadia | 2016 |
| Western Star 4900 | 2016 |
Components: STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | STEERING
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 Cascadia | 2016 | 12 | 12 |
| Western Star 4900 | 2016 | 0 | 10 |
Other steering recalls in 2017
47 of the 810 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2017 concerned the steering; Daimler Trucks North America LLC filed 213 campaigns in all.
| 17V791000 8 Dec 2017 | JH Global Services, Inc. |
| 17V714000 14 Nov 2017 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. |
| 17V642000 12 Oct 2017 | HME, Inc. |
| 17V641000 11 Oct 2017 | Caterpillar Inc. |
| 17V631000 9 Oct 2017 | E-One Incorporated |
| 17V629000 6 Oct 2017 | Daimler Trucks North America LLC |
| 17V608000 29 Sept 2017 | Kia Motors America |
| 17V594000 25 Sept 2017 | Ford Motor Company |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2017