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2002 Freightliner Columbia Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
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Latest Aug 22, 2006
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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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.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Freightliner Columbia, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Fuel system150.0%
  • Steering150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

2002 FREIGHTLINER LEAKED DIESEL FUEL DUE TO A BROKEN FUEL LINE. *TS *JB

NHTSA ID 10166921 · filed Aug 22, 2006

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED REPORT ON A TOTAL OF 5 FAILURES, ODI NUMBER 762991 ON 6/12/2002. SINCE THAT POINT WE HAVE HAD AN ADDITIONAL 14 FAILURES, AND 1 MORE ACCIDENT. TRW THE MANUFACTURER OF THE STEERING GEAR BOX HAS NOT MADE ANY EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE. PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, [XXX]. BILL OF TRIDENT ENGINEERING IN ANNAPOLIS, MD HAS ADVISED US WE SHOULD REPORT EACH FAILURE. HE FEELS THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM IS "LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS, USUALLY (BUT NOT ALWAYS) AT LOW SPEEDS". THE PROBLEMS SOUNDS JUST LIKE THE SUBJECT OF THE RECENT GM RECALL. OTHER FAILURES INCLUDE OUR UNIT 3612 - 2001 FREIGHT -[XXX] FAILED 07/24/02;OUR UNIT 3624-2001 FREIGHT-[XXX] FAILED 06/22/02; OUR UNIT 3728-2001 FREIGHT-[XXX] FAILED 07/25/02;OUR UNIT 3729-2001 FREIGHT-[XXX] FAILED 07/12/02;OUR UNIT 3956-2001 FREIGHT-[XXX] FAILED 08/18/02; OUR UNIT 3650-2001 FREIGHT-[XXX] FAILED 09/14/02; OUR UNIT 3568-2001 FREIGHT -[XXX] FAILED 09/21/02;OUR UNIT 3626-2001 FREIGHT -[XXX] FAILED10/05/02;OUR UNIT 3681-2001 FREIGHT-[XXX] FAILED10/06/02;OUR UNIT 3749-2001 FREIGHT -[XXX]-10/23/02;OUR UNIT 3776-2001 FREIGHT -[XXX]-10/25/02;OUR UNIT 3827-2001 FREIGHT -[XXX]-10/26/02. WE ARE ALSO AWARE OF APPROXIMATELY 15 ADDITIONAL FAILURES AT MISSISSIPPI FAST FREIGHT, ANOTHER MOTOR CARRIER. IN ALL 19 OF OUR FAILURES THE DRIVERS CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT TURN LEFT. IT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FAILURES AT THE OTHER CARRIER WERE THE SAME. DT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID 770204 · filed Nov 27, 2002

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .