The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MERITOR INTERAXLE DRIVELINE U-JOINTS. DEFLECTOR RINGS, A PART OF THE SYSTEM TO SEAL THE U-JOINTS FROM CONTAMINATES, ARE LOOSE. THIS ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE U-JOINT BEARING AREA RESULT IN DILUTION OF THE LUBRICANT, OXIDATION OF THE BEARING AND SEAL SURFACES, AND LOSS OF LUBRICANT.
The risk
IF THIS PROBLEM GOES UNDETECTED, THE INTERAXLE DRIVELINE CAN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE U-JOINTS WITH THE CURRENT DESIGN U-JOINTS.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Freightliner Century | 1996, 1997, 1998 |
Components: SUSPENSION:FRONT
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 Century | 1996 | 0 | 7 |
| Freightliner Century | 1997 | 4 | 4 |
| Freightliner Century | 1998 | 9 | 5 |
Other suspension recalls in 1998
20 of the 367 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1998 concerned the suspension; FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION filed 151 campaigns in all.
| 98V322000 16 Dec 1998 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
| 98V319000 15 Dec 1998 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 98V314000 11 Dec 1998 | NEWELL COACH CORP. |
| 98V286000 6 Nov 1998 | SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. |
| 98V255000 14 Oct 1998 | VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA INC |
| 98V245000 6 Oct 1998 | HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA |
| 98V239000 6 Oct 1998 | PREVOST CAR, INCORPORATED |
| 98V247000 5 Oct 1998 | WHEELED COACH INDUSTRIES |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1998