RoadVitals

2004 Freightliner Business Class M2 Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Oct 1, 2016
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
0
Reports on file since Jul 1, 2004

What this page shows

Our database holds 8 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2004 Freightliner Business Class M2. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–8 of 8

Brakes
Filed Oct 1, 2016
Fire reported

JUST BOUGHT THIS TRUCK FROM HUBBARD TRAILERS, IN ARIZONA, WITH A RECEIPT FROM HAVING BOTH REAR BRAKES REDONE. DROVE IT HOME THEN TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FL DEALERSHIP (NAMPA, ID) TO GET AN OFFICIAL INSPECTION. ON INSPECTION THE ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON. WORK WAS DONE, AND I WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS FINE ON THE TRUCK RE:BRAKES. I DROVE IT HOME, ABOUT 30 MILES AND NO PROBLEM. FIRST TIME I TRIED TO TAKE IT OUT ON A TRIP, THE REAR CALIPER LOCKED UP. CALLED NAMPA FREIGHTLINER, MULTIPLE TIMES, WHILE STOPPED ON SIDE OF ROAD. THEY ADVISED TO BLEED THE BRAKES, WHICH I DID. STARTED OFF AGAIN, REAR CALIPER LOCKED UP, PULLED TRUCK OVER AND FOUND FIRE IN THE REAR UNDERCHASSIS.

NHTSA ID
10910910
Incident
Sep 30, 2016
Mileage
133,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 9, 2013

M2 106 MODEL STARTED PRESENTING MAJOR OIL LEAK ONE MONTH AGO. REPLACED OIL PAN GASKET, BUT DIDN'T CORRECT PROBLEM. AFTER MECHANIC VERIFICATION, IT TURNS OUT IT IS THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL. MECHANIC STATED HE HAS SEEN QUITE A FEW FREIGHT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE CAT3126 WITH OIL LEAK PROBLEMS FROM THE SAME CRANKSHAFT OIL SEAL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10511212
Incident
Apr 1, 2013
Mileage
190,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed May 9, 2013
Crash reported

DRIVING AT 60MPH HIGHWAY LIMIT. WITHOUT WARNING OR VIBRATION, FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL BEARING BROKE OFF, SENDING THE TIRE/WHEEL FLYING OFF THE HIGHWAY HILL, DOWN THE ACCESS ROAD, AND SMASHING AGAINST A BANK STONE WALL, AFTER IT BROKE THROUGH A 2ND STAND ALONE STONE WALL. LUCKY WE COULD STOP THE TRUCK WITHOUT FLIPPING OVER AND LUCKY FLYING WHEEL/TIRE DID NOT HIT ANY VEHICLES, AS IT HAPPENED DURING LUNCH TRAFFIC HOURS. BEARING COMPLETELY BROKE OFF. WAS MADE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECOND HAND COLLISION, PROPERTY DAMAGES, AND TXDOT $400 TOWING CHARGES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10511210
Incident
Dec 3, 2009
Mileage
98,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Oct 12, 2006

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FUEL LINE ASSEMBLY BURST WITHOUT WARNING SPRAYING DIESEL FUEL ONTO THE VEHICLE AND THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO PARK THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE FUEL LINES WERE FRACTURED INTO AND NEEDED REPLACED. A NHTSA RECALL, #05V469000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE FUEL SYSTEM HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

NHTSA ID
10170685
Incident
Oct 12, 2006
Mileage
217,167 mi
Suspension
Filed Jun 7, 2006

2004 FEIGHTLINER M2 .ON TUESDAY NOV. 1ST 2005 WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CAME OFF WITH LUG NUTS AND BRAKE DRUM STILL ATTACHED NEARLY LOST TRUCK BUT KEPT IT STEADY UNTIL I COULD STOP IT .WHEEL BEARING AND SPINDLE FAILURE WAS SAID TO BE THE CAUSE. REPLACED WHOLE FRONT AXLE AND BOTH SIDES WHEEL BEARINGS UNDER WARRANTY. KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS WAS INTERSTATE POSTED SPEED OF 65 MPH. NOW AT 112000 MILES 42K LATER I GO TO GET NEW TIRES AND BALANCE AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THE DRIVER SIDE HAS GIVEN WARNING AND IT IS 1/8 INCH FROM DISASTER WHEEL BEARING AND SPINDLE AGAIN. HAVE FOUND NOTHING ON ANY RECALLS ON THESE DEFECTS. P.S. 75% OF OUR NATIONS SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE RIDING AROUND ON THIS SAME CHASSIS. *JB

NHTSA ID
10159251
Incident
Nov 1, 2005
Mileage
70,000 mi
Suspension
Filed Oct 3, 2004

(1) POOR ENGINEERING. (2) FRONT AXEL RATED CAPACITY IS INADEQUATE FOR VEHICLE (3) FREIGHTLINER SPECIALITY VEHICLES ADVISED OF SAFTEY ISSUE 06/04/04, & FREIGHTLINER ON 09/08/04. THEY HAVE TAKEN NO ACTION TO DATE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10093525
Incident
Mar 6, 2004
Brakes
Filed Oct 2, 2004

(1) DESIGN (2) PARKING BRAKE ALLOWS VEHICLE TO MOVE AS MUCH AS 4 INCHES AFTER SETTING. UNABLE TO HOOK-UP TRAILER WITHOUT 2 PEOPLE. DAMAGED HITCH. (3) FREIGHTLINER CLAIMS IT CAN NOT BE FIXED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10093505
Incident
Mar 6, 2004
Brakes
Filed Jul 1, 2004

THE FREIGHTLINER TRACTORS WE ARE NOW USING AT YELLOW TRANSPORTATION, IN NATIONWIDE SERVICE, HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE FOOT BRAKES. THE BRAKES, WHEN APPLIED, ARE VERY SLOW TO RELEASE. I FEEL THIS COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON SLICK SURFACES. WE USUALLY PULL TWIN TRAILERS BEHIND THESE TRACTORS--AND THEY ARE SLEEPER CABS, TWO MAN OPERATION. THE BRAKES WILL OFTEN DRAG THE VEHICLE TO A STOP, EVEN WHEN NO PRESSURE IS BEING APPLIED.(AS WHEN COMING TO A RED LIGHT-THE LIGHT CHANGES,BRAKES ARE RELEASED, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO SLOW AND WILL COME TO A STOP). *JB

NHTSA ID
10079129
Incident
Jun 7, 2004

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .