RoadVitals

2021 Freightliner M2 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 Feb 19, 2026
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 2021 Freightliner M2, 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

  • Electrical228.6%
  • Powertrain (other)228.6%
  • Driver assistance114.3%
  • Engine114.3%
  • Tires & wheels114.3%

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.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Freightliner XC Line Motorhome. The contact stated that the ICU on the coach had delaminated over time and made it difficult to read. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the ICU panel was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 17,800.

NHTSA ID 11672079 · filed Jul 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Freightliner M2. The contact stated that while a driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started decelerating unintendedly and then stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to coast to the side of the roadway. The driver was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that there was an excessive amount of oil in the engine. The dealer determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V466000 (Electrical System, Engine); but the VIN was not included in the recall, and the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,024.

NHTSA ID 11634557 · filed Jan 7, 2025

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

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Meritor Transfer case has failed due to the internal coating coming off and clogging the oil pump pick up tube screen which starves the oil pump and eventually leads to bearing failure. This is a safety concern because the T-Case is the central connecting point for the drive line. When the bearings fail or seize the torque from the input shaft can cause the connecting components (u-joints, drive shafts) to shake violently and potentially fail, leaving debris in the roadway for other motorists to deal with and also having the potential to damage the trucks brake air system. This could result in an unexpected loss of control by the operator and result in a vehicle crash.

NHTSA ID 11507018 · filed Feb 13, 2023

We have had close to 30 failures of the Meritor Transfer Case in both International and Freightliner chassis. This case specifically and of which I will add photos, is a 2021 Freightliner. The internal coating is flaking off and clogging the oil pump pick up screen which in turn starves the pump and eventually leads to bearing failure. This is a safety concern because the T-Case is the central connecting point for the drive line. When bearings fail or seize the torque from the input shaft can cause the connecting components (u-joints, Drive Shafts) to shake violently and potentially fail, leaving debris in the roadway for other motorists to deal with and also having the potential to damage the trucks brake air system. This could result in an unexpected loss of control by the operator and could result in a crash.

NHTSA ID 11506369 · filed Feb 9, 2023

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

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Freightliner M2. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and slightly depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal travelled down to the floorboard and was stuck, causing the vehicle to accelerate unintendedly. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted to neutral(N), pulled over to the side of the road, and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed temporarily. The contact stated that the failure had caused him to pull over to the side of the road several times in one drive. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the failure recurred, and the vehicle accelerated unintendedly to 70 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer test-drove the vehicle and informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ID 11650436 · filed Mar 25, 2025

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Freightliner M2. The contact stated that while a driver was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started decelerating unintendedly and then stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to coast to the side of the roadway. The driver was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that there was an excessive amount of oil in the engine. The dealer determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V466000 (Electrical System, Engine); but the VIN was not included in the recall, and the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 151,024.

NHTSA ID 11634557 · filed Jan 7, 2025

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

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2021 Freightliner XC-M. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V00H000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING) and 21V921000 (TIRES). The contact had not experienced a failure. The contact reached out to the manufacturer with questions about the recalls. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V00H000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING). However, the manufacturer informed the contact that the repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V921000 (TIRES) would not be completed because the recall had expired.

NHTSA ID 11719221 · filed Feb 19, 2026

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 .