1998 Freightliner Fs-65 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 1998 Freightliner Fs-65, 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
- Electrical150.0%
- 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
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS LOCATED IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY WAS IN ROUTE WITH SIX CHILDREN AND A DRIVER WHEN THE DRIVER SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE AREA BELOW THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DRIVER STOPPED THE BUS IN A SAFE AREA AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED EVACUATION PROCEDURES AND SUCCESSFULLY UNLOADED THE CHILDREN TO A SAFE PLACE. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 MINUTES AFTER EVACUATION FIRE WAS SEEN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND PROCEEDED TO SPREAD THROUGH OUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AREA AND THEN TO THE REAR OF THE BUS BODY. THE BUS WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED WITH PRELIMINARY INDICATION THAT FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE REAR OF ENGINE WHERE WIRING HARNESS IS ROUTED AROUND METALLIC HEATER SHUTOFF VALVE. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHERE THE INTAKE HEATER WIRE CHAFFED THROUGH THE WIRE HOUSING AND CONVOLUTED TUBING FROM RUBBING THE HEATER VALVE CREATING A SHORT TO THE HEATER VALVE WHICH IS SPECULATED TO HAVE STARTED THE FIRE. THE FIRE THEN BREACHED THE FIRE WALL THROUGH THE ENGINE ACCESS COVER LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHERE THE SMOKE WAS SEEN BY THE DRIVER. MULTIPLE BUSES IN THE NORTH CAROLINA FLEET OF THE SAME YEAR RANGE HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND SIMILAR WIRE CHAFFING HAS BEEN DISCOVERED, HOWEVER AT THIS POINT NO ADDITIONAL FIRES HAVE OCCURRED. THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE FLEET IS CURRENTLY BEING INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL AGENCIES OPERATING THE BUSES TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT FURTHER CHAFFING UNTIL AN ACTUAL FIRE ORIGINATION IS CONFIRMED. UPDATED 02/27/12 *BF THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE RUBBING OF THE INTAKE HEATER WIRE AGAINST THE METALLIC HEATER SHUT OFF VALVE. OVERTIME, THE TUBING WAS DESTROYED AND THE WIRE COVERING WAS RUBBED THROUGH ITS CORE, POSSIBLY CAUSING A SHORT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. UPDATED 03/21/12 *TR
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
NORTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SCHOOL BUS LOCATED IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY WAS IN ROUTE WITH SIX CHILDREN AND A DRIVER WHEN THE DRIVER SMELLED SMOKE AND SAW THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE AREA BELOW THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DRIVER STOPPED THE BUS IN A SAFE AREA AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED EVACUATION PROCEDURES AND SUCCESSFULLY UNLOADED THE CHILDREN TO A SAFE PLACE. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 7 MINUTES AFTER EVACUATION FIRE WAS SEEN IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AND PROCEEDED TO SPREAD THROUGH OUT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AREA AND THEN TO THE REAR OF THE BUS BODY. THE BUS WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY THE FIRE. INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED WITH PRELIMINARY INDICATION THAT FIRE ORIGINATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE REAR OF ENGINE WHERE WIRING HARNESS IS ROUTED AROUND METALLIC HEATER SHUTOFF VALVE. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHERE THE INTAKE HEATER WIRE CHAFFED THROUGH THE WIRE HOUSING AND CONVOLUTED TUBING FROM RUBBING THE HEATER VALVE CREATING A SHORT TO THE HEATER VALVE WHICH IS SPECULATED TO HAVE STARTED THE FIRE. THE FIRE THEN BREACHED THE FIRE WALL THROUGH THE ENGINE ACCESS COVER LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHERE THE SMOKE WAS SEEN BY THE DRIVER. MULTIPLE BUSES IN THE NORTH CAROLINA FLEET OF THE SAME YEAR RANGE HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND SIMILAR WIRE CHAFFING HAS BEEN DISCOVERED, HOWEVER AT THIS POINT NO ADDITIONAL FIRES HAVE OCCURRED. THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE FLEET IS CURRENTLY BEING INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL AGENCIES OPERATING THE BUSES TO HOPEFULLY PREVENT FURTHER CHAFFING UNTIL AN ACTUAL FIRE ORIGINATION IS CONFIRMED. UPDATED 02/27/12 *BF THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE RUBBING OF THE INTAKE HEATER WIRE AGAINST THE METALLIC HEATER SHUT OFF VALVE. OVERTIME, THE TUBING WAS DESTROYED AND THE WIRE COVERING WAS RUBBED THROUGH ITS CORE, POSSIBLY CAUSING A SHORT AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE. UPDATED 03/21/12 *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 .