2009 Freightliner Columbia Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 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
- Brakes150.0%
- Engine150.0%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
A COMMERCIAL TRUCK VEHICLE MAINTENANCE VIOLATION, WAS ISSUED DURING A ROAD SIDE INCEPTION BY A CERTIFIED DOT INSPECTOR, FOR EMERGENCY BRAKE HOSE CHAFFING. A VIOLATION OF 393.45B2. OUR INVESTIGATION PROVED BEYOND ANY QUESTIONS THAT THIS IS THE WAY FREIGHTLINERS BUILD IT'S TRUCK FOR THE PAST DECADE AND STILL DOES. WE HAVE OBTAINED EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT OUR CLAIM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY RISK, AS COMPROMISING THIS HOSE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIR PSI NEEDED FOR SEPARATING OF THE BRAKE SHOE FROM THE DRUMS WITHOUT ANY INDICATION TO THE DRIVER. ON A SEPARATE INCIDENT WHILE DRIVING IN WINNIPEG, M.B, THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY CAUGHT FIRE!. *JB FURTHER MORE, 393.45 SPECIFICALLY INSTRUCT AN EOM HOW TO BUILD SUCH LINE AND PROHIBITED THE CHAFFING @ TIME OF MANUFACTURING . WE KNOW THAT FREIGHTLINERS ARE AWARE OF THE FACT, AND KNOWINGLY SET IT'S COSTUMER TO FAIL @ A GREAT RISK TO OTHERS THAT SHARE THE ROADS. ALL OF OUR EVIDENCE CAN BE EMAILED. ANYONE CAN WALK INTO ANY FREIGHTLINER DEALERSHIP, LIKE WE DID, LOOK ON THAT HOSE, AND FIND IT TO BE IN VIOLATION OF 393.45. WE HAVE GONE A LONG WE TO OBTAINED OUR EVIDENCE, CONTACTED FREIGHTLINER, LEO'S, MANY DOT INSPECTORS, AND THE ONES THAT TRAINED THOSE INSPECTORS. WE ARE NOW CERTAIN THAT MOST OF ALL FREIGHTLINERS TRUCKS ON THE ROAD ARE IN FACT IN VIOLATION OF 393.45, @ GREAT RISK. ALL OF OUR EVIDENCE CAN BE E-MAILED. AND WE ARE WILLING TO HELP BY ANY MEANS TO HELP EXPLAIN OR SOLVE THIS RISK. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
2008 CATERPILLAR ACERT C13 CRANKCASE BREATHER FILTER CLOGGED BECAUSE OF DESIGN. CAUSED TRUCK TO SHUT DOWN IN TRAFFIC CREATING A SAFETY INCIDENT. *TR
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
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .