2020 Mack Anthem (an) 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 2020 Mack Anthem (an), 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
- Airbags114.3%
- Brakes114.3%
- Exterior lighting114.3%
- Other / unspecified114.3%
- Powertrain (other)114.3%
- Steering114.3%
- Suspension114.3%
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
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving on the Interstate I apparently lost control and hit a guardrail at approx 40-45mph. The impact stopped the truck causing severe damage to the vehicle the front right 1/2 of the vehicle including bumper, quarter panel with enough impact to break the front axle. I was found unconsious and spent 6 days in the hospital. I have fractures in my back and believe that possibly the airbag should have deployed? The vehicle is available at this time for inspection. I have sent notification to the manufacturer. The day prior to this accident the check ECU light came on, however it did turn off later that day. I
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 MACK ANTHEM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE, THE WHEELS WOULD JUMP, AND THE HOOD ATTEMPTED TO OPEN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NEXTRAN TRUCK CENTERS (2200 W LANDSTREET RD, ORLANDO, FL 32809, (407) 855-1200) WHERE THE DRUM, BRAKE LINE, AND BRAKE ADJUSTMENTS WERE COMPLETED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS TO THE SAME DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 12139296. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 28,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
LED MARKER LAMPS ARE IN A SEALED UNIT WHICH ARE NOT SERVICEABLE ROADSIDE, LEADING TO LOW VISIBILITY UNDER CERTAIN LIGHTING AND APPROACH CONDITIONS TO OTHER VEHICLES. ALSO CREATES VIOLATIONS WHILE ON THE ROAD UNDER SECTION 393 AS THE DRIVER AND/ OR ROAD SERVICE VENDOR CANNOT SERVICE A PART WITHOUT RETURNING TO A DEALER OR STOCKING SUPPLIER. THIS IS DANGEROUS BOTH IN TRAVELING AND STATIONARY POSITIONS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
This vehicle was sold to me as a new truck by Mountain West Truck Center in Salt Lake City, UT, with Federal Excise Tax paid accordingly. Prior to sale, the truck had undergone structural frame repair at Tec Equipment, an authorized Mack/Volvo dealer and repair facility in Reno, Nevada. During that repair, Huck bolts — permanent, engineered structural fasteners used to secure the frame and axle assemblies to OEM specification — were removed and replaced with non-equivalent standard threaded bolts. Those substitute fasteners were not properly installed. This condition was not disclosed at the time of sale. Nature of the Safety Defect Huck bolts are permanent, high-clamp-load fasteners engineered for critical structural joints in heavy-duty commercial vehicles. They function through a swaging process — a permanent mechanical crimp creating an interference fit engineered to withstand heavy vibration and dynamic load. They are not interchangeable with standard threaded fasteners. When the failure manifested on Truck #35, the vehicle was unable to move and drive unless the axle lock was engaged. It exhibited clunking from the transmission and speedometer dropout — symptoms consistent with loss of driveline integrity. Teardown by Mountain West technicians revealed a broken left-side axle shaft and gear metal in the front differential fluid, indicating differential destruction caused by axle instability. The rear axle was essentially floating, unsecured from the frame. The axle was missing several bolts and many were finger tight or loose. This safety failure resulted in a serious highway breakdown incident endangering other motorists, This failure presents a clear and foreseeable risk of axle separation or driveline failure at highway speed with no warning. The truck was operated in normal commercial service prior to discovery of this condition.
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
This vehicle was sold to me as a new truck by Mountain West Truck Center in Salt Lake City, UT, with Federal Excise Tax paid accordingly. Prior to sale, the truck had undergone structural frame repair at Tec Equipment, an authorized Mack/Volvo dealer and repair facility in Reno, Nevada. During that repair, Huck bolts — permanent, engineered structural fasteners used to secure the frame and axle assemblies to OEM specification — were removed and replaced with non-equivalent standard threaded bolts. Those substitute fasteners were not properly installed. This condition was not disclosed at the time of sale. Nature of the Safety Defect Huck bolts are permanent, high-clamp-load fasteners engineered for critical structural joints in heavy-duty commercial vehicles. They function through a swaging process — a permanent mechanical crimp creating an interference fit engineered to withstand heavy vibration and dynamic load. They are not interchangeable with standard threaded fasteners. When the failure manifested on Truck #35, the vehicle was unable to move and drive unless the axle lock was engaged. It exhibited clunking from the transmission and speedometer dropout — symptoms consistent with loss of driveline integrity. Teardown by Mountain West technicians revealed a broken left-side axle shaft and gear metal in the front differential fluid, indicating differential destruction caused by axle instability. The rear axle was essentially floating, unsecured from the frame. The axle was missing several bolts and many were finger tight or loose. This safety failure resulted in a serious highway breakdown incident endangering other motorists, This failure presents a clear and foreseeable risk of axle separation or driveline failure at highway speed with no warning. The truck was operated in normal commercial service prior to discovery of this condition.
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.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving on the Interstate I apparently lost control and hit a guardrail at approx 40-45mph. The impact stopped the truck causing severe damage to the vehicle the front right 1/2 of the vehicle including bumper, quarter panel with enough impact to break the front axle. I was found unconsious and spent 6 days in the hospital. I have fractures in my back and believe that possibly the airbag should have deployed? The vehicle is available at this time for inspection. I have sent notification to the manufacturer. The day prior to this accident the check ECU light came on, however it did turn off later that day. I
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
This vehicle was sold to me as a new truck by Mountain West Truck Center in Salt Lake City, UT, with Federal Excise Tax paid accordingly. Prior to sale, the truck had undergone structural frame repair at Tec Equipment, an authorized Mack/Volvo dealer and repair facility in Reno, Nevada. During that repair, Huck bolts — permanent, engineered structural fasteners used to secure the frame and axle assemblies to OEM specification — were removed and replaced with non-equivalent standard threaded bolts. Those substitute fasteners were not properly installed. This condition was not disclosed at the time of sale. Nature of the Safety Defect Huck bolts are permanent, high-clamp-load fasteners engineered for critical structural joints in heavy-duty commercial vehicles. They function through a swaging process — a permanent mechanical crimp creating an interference fit engineered to withstand heavy vibration and dynamic load. They are not interchangeable with standard threaded fasteners. When the failure manifested on Truck #35, the vehicle was unable to move and drive unless the axle lock was engaged. It exhibited clunking from the transmission and speedometer dropout — symptoms consistent with loss of driveline integrity. Teardown by Mountain West technicians revealed a broken left-side axle shaft and gear metal in the front differential fluid, indicating differential destruction caused by axle instability. The rear axle was essentially floating, unsecured from the frame. The axle was missing several bolts and many were finger tight or loose. This safety failure resulted in a serious highway breakdown incident endangering other motorists, This failure presents a clear and foreseeable risk of axle separation or driveline failure at highway speed with no warning. The truck was operated in normal commercial service prior to discovery of this condition.
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 .