Freightliner Columbia 1998

• Recall 55245 [USA]: Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
  On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
  dealers will replace both front hubs. Owner notification is expected to begin on or before september 20, 2003. 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.
  freightliner recall no. Fl-407.Customers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

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• Recall 7146 [USA]: This condition could cause the abs ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. this could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
  Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air abs with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted abs activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed abs wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
  dealers will replace the abs ecu.
  owner notification began august 29, 2000, to school buses and emergency vehicle customers. Owners of the remaining population were sent letters on september 9, 2000. 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.Also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

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• Recall 2003179 [Canada]: Suspension
  On certain vehicles, manufacturing defects in the front axle unitized hubs may cause premature spalling of the wheel bearings. This condition will lead to eventual breakdown of the bearing and potential loss of vehicle control amidst the presence of warning signals such as activation of abs warning light, steering wheel vibration, brake drag, noise and vehicle pull. Correction: dealer will replace both front wheel hubs.

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• Recall 2002197 [Canada]: Steering
  The trw tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness. This can lead to premature wear out and a possible separation of the ball stud from the socket and loss of steering control. Correction: all affected tie rods and drag links with different design ends will be replaced.

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To ensure accuracy and for your safety, it is recommended to do a free VIN recall check here or here [USA] - UK - Canada.

Bulletins are notices put out by manufacturers in conjunction with the NHTSA to notify the public of manufacturing issues or changes.

• Front brake air hose leaks investigation # PE03005

  Certain 1998-2001 freightliner century and columbia vehicles exhibit a higher rate of front brake air hose leaks than earlier vintage freightliner vehicles.The leaks have been frequently discovered at fmcsa roadside inspections since these inspections are conducted with the brakes applied (pressurizing the air hose) whereas driver pre-trip inspections may not always be performed with the brakes applied. After a thorough technical review of this matter,odi has concuded that while the subject vehicles exhibit a higher rate of front brake air hose leaks than earlier vintage and peer vehicles, these leaks appear to be minor. Freightliner has extended the warranty for this component to 5 years, 500,000 miles and will assist in alerting those vehicle owners whose vehicles are most susceptible to front brake air hose leakage by issuing a service bulletin alerting those owners to the potential for front brake air hose leakage to occur. See attached report for full technical details.
  

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• Integral hub and bearing assembly investigation # PE02088

  Freightliner submitted a defect report on march 21, 2003 in which they identified approximately 5000 trucks as possibly beingaffected by this problem.Arvinmeritor (front axle mfr) submitted a defect report onapril 16, 2003, which identifies 6098 freightliner trucks asbeing affected by this recall and 1191 axles sold to freightliner in the aftermarket. Odi notes that there are twointegral hub and bearing assemblies per front axle.Freightliner identified vehicles includingfreightliner,sterling, and western star brand name as beingaffected by this recall.See attached summary report for additional details.
  

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