Daimler Trucks North America is currently recalling around 183,000 Freightliner Cascadia tractors from the model years between 2017 and 2021 throughout the United States and Canada.
This recall comes after findings of antilock brake component corrosion that causes the truck to pull to one side, which could result in uneven braking on the front axle, a sudden change in vehicle direction, and a potential crash.
The truck-maker said this brake modulator valve, which is supplied by Wabco USA, could often have chemical corrosion which would slow release timing. Because of this, DTNA recently notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of its intent to recall 164,317 of its best-selling models in America and 18,664 in Canada.
“Typically, the dealer is reimbursed [for replacing the component] and maintains the paper trail necessary for regulatory compliance,” said American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council technical director, Jack Legler.
In 2019, NHTSA administered 900 safety recalls that affected more than 39 million vehicles. As truck manufacturers more closely adhere to agency guidelines and focus on the agency’s efforts in safety improvements, more voluntary safety recalls occur.
This current recall is expected to begin on August 30th. Initial safety recall reports were released on July 2nd, with the NHTSA recall number listed as 20V-390 and Transport Canada’s as 2020305.
“A slow release of the brake on one side during an active brake request (automatic braking event) could lead to a brake pull resulting in a sudden change in vehicle direction due to uneven braking on the front axle, increasing the risk of a motor vehicle crash,” said DTNA.
The company also cited automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, and electronic stability control as aspects of the truck that could be affected by the defect. Dealers will be able to perform free repairs for owners of the affected models, and repairs will take place at DTNA-authorized service facilities.
Still, DTNA says this recall comes from “an abundance of caution” after eight different failure claims in the field since May of 2019. Additionally valves have been under review since early July, and DTNA said the issue “appeared to be” systemic.
These trucks were produced from March 9th, 2016 to June 25th, 2020, and DTNA first learned of the issue in May of 2019. Since then, it has been working with Wabco to find the cause–which was settled on being inlet solenoid blockage caused by magnesium chloride corrosion deforming the O-ring. After analysis of 34 valves, the companies found failed valves on the right side.
No crashes or injuries have been reported due to the defect, and DTNA estimates that only 1% of vehicles included in the recall will have any effects from the issue.
Additionally, Navistar initiated a safety recall on July 8th regarding worries that the engine-connecting rod’s wrist pin bushing could fail in some International LT trucks from between 2018 and 2020 and in some International RH trucks with A26 engines.
On September 13th of last year, Navistar was alerted of a report on some issues in the field with fleets noticing five different A26 engine-connecting rod failures over the course of two months. During an internal investigation, connecting rod failure was found to potentially lead to engine shutdown and dangerous crashes. Navistar reported to NHTSA that the number of possible affected trucks is 4,499.
“[The repair involves] programming the ECM [engine control model],” said Navistar. “This new engine calibration will provide an electronic detection system that will alert the driver if the engine is starting to have a connecting rod failure. The driver will be alerted by the illumination of the red stop lamp in the cluster and a fault code will be displayed.”
Navistar’s vice president of product marketing, Steve Gilligan, says that solving this issue as efficiently as possible is the company’s priority.
“For the fleets, they just want to avoid having the downtime,” he explained. “So, they want to know when we pull them off the road, especially if it is not a mission-disabling failure, that they will get in and out really quick.”
The recall began in early July and remedies are still in development. Navistar’s recall number for this issue is 20504.
Reader Interactions