2004 Freightliner Century
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Freightliner › Century › 2004
These records cover every 2004 Freightliner Century. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
3 recalls name the 2004 Freightliner Century. Newest first.
On certain truck and motor home chassis equipped with i-shafts supplied by zf heavy duty steering, there IS a potential for a failure of the fork/shaft connection.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If this occurs, the vehicle could suffer a loss of steering ability, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and attach a tension collar to the steering shaft to secure the connection to the yoke. the recall began on november 16, 2005. owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
On certain vehicles, there IS a defect in the interaxle driveline yokes. the bolt holes located on the earwork of the male shaft yokes were manufactured with an oversized minor thread diameter.
Risk and remedy
Risk
This condition allows the bolts used in the holes to become detached which could result in a driveline separation. driveline separation could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the suspect male shaft yokes. the recall began on april 4, 2005. owners should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
On certain trucks equipped with manual transmission, the tapered joint that attaches the shifter to the transmission may become loose making it difficult to put the transmission into gear.
Risk and remedy
Risk
If shift lever detachment occurs, tha ability ro accelerate ot maintain speed will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will re-secure the shift lever to the transmission using threadlock and re-torquing the fastening bolt. owner notification began on may 21, 2004. owners should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
Owner complaints
2 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
Fumes coming into cab, making me sick, headache, burning eyes, disoriented. Tired, fatigue, last eight days this started. *jb
- Unknown or other
My name IS [xxx]and I am a driver for arnold transportation. on 12/21/2005, at approx. 1500 hrs, I attempted to quit arnolds trucking because the company constantly put me in positions whereas I have to run illegally to make some of my deliveries on time. when I compliant about it, I am harassed…
My name IS [xxx]and I am a driver for arnold transportation. on 12/21/2005, at approx. 1500 hrs, I attempted to quit arnolds trucking because the company constantly put me in positions whereas I have to run illegally to make some of my deliveries on time. when I compliant about it, I am harassed, required to have my log book inspected and beeped during my 10 hour break. I was also told to log loading time as off duty so that it doesn't affect my 7 day hos. when I refused to run outside of dot regulations and tried to quit, I was told that I had two options and those options were "work or be terminated", I was never told what I would be terminated for, nor did I ask. when I tried to quit, I was in camp hill, pa, 700 miles from home. they offer me a bus ticket and I told them I had to much equipment in the truck and it could not be secured on a bus. I ask that I be routed home and I was willing to pick up a load that was going to atlanta. I don't know what to do, but I am being forced to work or be terminated and they know I will not risk being terminated because it would make it difficult to get another job. they won't even allow me to go thru atlanta to check my mail. they did say they would allow me some home time at the end of the month, but I want out now. in some cases I have run as much as 98 hours in 7 days, I log in my log book, but they just continue to run me and I don't want to do it any longer and as I said earlier, I really don't know what to do. *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(B)(6). *tr
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Power steering pump failures
Odi's investigation of the subject power steering pump has found that, with over five years of operational exposure, there have been no pump failures that resulted in loss of power steering assist while the vehicle was being driven on the road or any sudden drop off in the power steering assist at any time.there are…
Odi's investigation of the subject power steering pump has found that, with over five years of operational exposure, there have been no pump failures that resulted in loss of power steering assist while the vehicle was being driven on the road or any sudden drop off in the power steering assist at any time.there are no crashes or injuries.these reduction in assist events have only occurred during backing or parking maneuvers.freightliner and trw appear to have acted responsibly in providing information to customers and dealers regarding safe maintenance and repair procedures for power steering pumps that have experienced a reduction in speed of steer.freightliner's field service bulletin, fsb 46-38, IS a diagnostic procedure for determining if the trw power steering pump IS responsible for reduced power assist and describes corrective actions that should be taken once the determination IS made.the corrective actions are:replace the spool valve assembly (vehicles built prior to 1/1/05) or, replace the power steering pump (vehicles built after 1/1/05).a safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.for more detailed information see document file.
- Steering column weld cracks
Early warning aggregate data submitted to nhtsa by freightliner suggests that a steering (ewr code 01) problem exists for the 2004 and 2005 century and columbia class vehicles.the count of field reports submitted for the first quarter of 2006 was significantly higher than the average of the previous 6 quarters for the…
Early warning aggregate data submitted to nhtsa by freightliner suggests that a steering (ewr code 01) problem exists for the 2004 and 2005 century and columbia class vehicles.the count of field reports submitted for the first quarter of 2006 was significantly higher than the average of the previous 6 quarters for the aggregate steering data.further review of the ewr data foundfield reports that described steering column failures as a result of welds cracking or breaking.information received from freightliner details a number of steering columnfailures on the subject vehicles.these failures were the result of missing and cracked welds on the steering column assembly.an engineering analysis (ea) IS warranted to determine if the weld failures in the steering column create a situation where the vehicle becomes difficult to steer or startles the driver presenting a safety risk.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10141697sb2057 New Surge Tank Design
Every Freightliner Century model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.