RoadVitals

2016 Freightliner Cascadia 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.
12
Latest Aug 31, 2025
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.
4
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.
1
Reports on file since Jul 9, 2016

What this page shows

Our database holds 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Freightliner Cascadia. 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 1–12 of 12

Filed Aug 31, 2025

There is a defect on the Freightliner Cascadia Oil Pump Manifold aka Oil Pickup Tube which causes engine failure and will go out without warning

NHTSA ID
11684161
Incident
Aug 20, 2025
EngineFuel system
Filed Jan 7, 2025

Injector cup started leaking damaging injectors and causing cross contamination between fuel and coolant. This is a know problem for the isx and cummins should pay for the repair

NHTSA ID
11634584
Incident
Dec 30, 2024
BrakesOther / unspecified
Filed Oct 23, 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while a driver was attempting to exit parking lot, the S-Cam 2 and S-Cam support bracket independently detached. No warning light was illuminated. A local independent mechanic arrived on scene to inspect the vehicle and it was determined that the S-Cam bracket and S-Cam mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V338000 (Equipment) however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 700,000.

NHTSA ID
11621550
Incident
Oct 23, 2024
Mileage
700,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 12, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while her worker was driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine control module (ECM), engine, and an unknown fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 600,000.

NHTSA ID
11516788
Incident
Nov 12, 2022
Mileage
600,000 mi
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Jul 29, 2022

______________________________________________________________________________ Last October 2021 I bought truck Freightliner Cascadia 2016. Vin # [XXX]. Mileage: 477400. Last my trip I made in May 2022 from Nogales, AZ to Boise, ID When I approaching Ely, NV about 5-8 miles I drive down from the mountain hill . I used speed 25-30 MPH, suddenly my steering wheel was locked and did not made right turn. I used hardly brake because my truck was out of control and pulled forward shoulder out of highway. Only because I hardly used brake I save my lives. When I stopped before roll over from highway I lightly make right turn steering wheel and left turn steering wheel was unlocked. When I reach Loves truck Stop in Ely, NV it is repeated 3 times. I just lightly made right turn steering wheel and left turn wheel unlocked again. Now I want to inform You Freightliner Cascadia 2016 is very danger truck to use on road in the USA. Inventors from freightliner must recall this truck and fined out mistakes in steering Column Why steering Column? Because from 2004 I used Volvo 780. Now my Volvo truck pass 2 000 000. ( two million miles) About after 950 000 I fined out power steering pump not working correctly. When I used steering wheel on low RPM , steering wheel unable made right or left, but when I increase RPM it worked correctly. I install new steering pump and forgot for this problem. In my case on low RPM Freightliner steering Wheel working good, and it happened because something wrong with steering column. In Ely, NV I made exchanged steering oil. After exchanged steering Oil I safety reached Boise, ID. In my Volvo truck I exchanged steering oil about 11-12 times just when my steering wheel worked tight on low RPM I checked Steering Oil filter and Chengde Oil, and Volvo steering wheel never locked steering wheel like on Freightliner Cascadia. I send N INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID
11476588
Incident
May 20, 2022
Electrical
Filed Oct 2, 2021
Fire reported

Truck was parked for about 5-6 hours on yard and randomly catching fire and burns up , see similar year make and model had similar things happen and was recalled my truck was manufactured in the time period of the other recalls but I didn’t get a letter please advise

NHTSA ID
11435244
Incident
Oct 2, 2021
Body & structureElectricalEngine
Filed Jan 28, 2021
Fire reported

I AM A FIRE INVESTIGATOR WITH ONONDAGA COUNTY NY RECENTLY I HAD TWO SEPARATE FIRES IN SIMILAR VEHICLES (SEE NHTSA COMPLIANT # 11390543) BOTH ORIGIN AND CAUSE INVESTIGATIONS REVEALED A MALFUNCTION/FAILURE IN WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME AS A POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULAR (PDM) BOTH VEHICLES WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE RESULTING FIRE. BOTH VEHICLES WERE PARKED AND NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME OF EVENT.*DT*JB*JB*JB*JB CONSUMER BELIEVES THE MELTING SNOW WHICH ENTERED THE ELECTRIC COMPONENTS WAS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT CAUSED THE FIRE.*JB

NHTSA ID
11390547
Incident
Jan 27, 2021
Mileage
200,000 mi
Body & structureElectricalEngine
Filed Jan 28, 2021
Fire reported

I AM A FIRE INVESTIGATOR WITH ONONDAGA COUNTY FIRE INVESTIGATION UNIT. RECENTLY I HAD TWO FIRES WITH SIMILAR VEHICLES BOTH WERE 2016 FREIGHTLINERS CASCADIA 125 BOTH WERE PARKED AND NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE EVENTS. BOTH ORIGIN AND CAUSE INVESTIGATIONS APPEARED TO REVEAL A FAILURE/MALFUNCTION AT THE WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME AS BEING THE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULAR (PDM). BOTH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLES BEING DESTROYED BY FIRE.*DT*JB*JB*JB*JB*JB

NHTSA ID
11390543
Incident
Jan 22, 2021
Mileage
313,882 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 16, 2019

IN 01/2019 THE ARM FROM MOTOR TO WIPER LINKAGE FAILED AND WIPERS STOPPED DURING A SNOW STORM ON I-79, OUTSIDE OF PITTSBURG, PA. WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO AN EXIT OFF RAMP TO PARK AND INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE. REPLACED THE MOTOR AND LINKAGE AS RECOMMENDED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. NOW 11 MONTHS LATER, WIPERS STOP COMPLETELY FOR NO REASON AT ALL. WHEN I TURN THE WIPERS BACK OFF, THEN BACK ON, STILL NOTHING. IMMEDIATELY I PULL VEHICLE TO SHOULDER TO INVESTIGATE, BUT COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I RESTART VEHICLE AND TO MY SURPRISE THE WIPERS BEGIN TO WORK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN TWO WEEKS, BOTH TIMES IN HEAVY RAIN. ONCE ON NEW YORK THRUWAY HEADING SOUTH JUST NORTH OF THE MAHWAH REST AREA AND THEN ON I-87, NORTHWAY AT EXIT 4. BOTH TIMES I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY CORRECT THE ISSUE BY TURNING OFF THE TRUCK FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN RESTARTING. THE WIPERS BEGAN WORKING AGAIN AFTER THAT. VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE VEHICLE TO SHOULDER TO INVESTIGATE BOTH TIMES. WIPERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF A VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. THE MOTOR AND LINKAGE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A YEAR FROM THE TIME IT WAS INSTALLED. EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD ON LINKAGE, NOTHING BINDING OR CATCHING, ALSO FUSES ARE GOOD. ALL WIRING GOOD AS WELL. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID
11289226
Incident
Dec 13, 2019
Mileage
424,536 mi
AirbagsSteering
Filed Jul 7, 2017
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA. WHILE DRIVING, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BOOM NOISE BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF THE NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DRIFTED TO THE LEFT AND THEN INDEPENDENTLY DRIFTED TO THE RIGHT. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO A GUARDRAIL AND BOUNCED INTO A WALL, WHICH DAMAGED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A HEAD INJURY AND BODY ACHES, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V613000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 09/07/17*LJ *CN

NHTSA ID
11003726
Incident
Aug 16, 2016
Mileage
100,000 mi
Powertrain (other)Steering
Filed May 3, 2017

MULTIPLE VEHICLE RECALLS THAT HAVE COSTED ME THOUSANDS FROM EXCESSIVE OPERATING COST , AND HAVE BEEN ENDANGERING MY LIFE SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT MY TRACTOR:-(

NHTSA ID
10983250
Incident
Jan 15, 2016
Filed Jul 9, 2016

JAKE BRAKE HANDLE FALLS FROM OFF POSITION TO ON POSITION OVER BUMPS. ON RT 81 NORTH CRUISE SET AT 60 HIT BUMP MAKE WENT FULL ON THREW ME AGAINST SEATBELT. THANKFULLY DRY ROAD

NHTSA ID
10883788
Incident
Jul 6, 2016
Mileage
19,000 mi

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 .