1998 Navistar 3800 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 Navistar 3800, 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
- Brakes266.7%
- Steering133.3%
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
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WAS RETURNING TO THE BUS COMPOUND WHEN THE BRAKE PRESSURE WARNING BUZZER CAME ON. SHE PULLED TO THE GAS PUMPS AND STOPPED HER BUS(SHE HAD BRAKES AT THIS TIME). THE DRIVER STOOD UP AND WAS ABOUT TO EXIT THE BUS WHEN SHE HEARD A "POP" THE ELECTRIC BRAKE ASSIST CAME ON. BRAKE PEDAL ROD CAME OUT OF THE POWER ASSIST HEAD. ROD WAS STILL CONNECTED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE OF THESE TO COME APART. THE OTHER WAS REPORTED TO NHTSA JUNE 2000. THE LOCAL DEALER CAN NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE ROD CAME APART. THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE UNIT AND SENT IT TO THE FACTORY? I HAVE (40) 1998 BUSES. I AM VERY CONCERNED THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. WE INSPECTED THE BUSES AND THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL WHEN/IF THE ROD WILL FALL OUT. WHEN THIS ROD FALLS OUT YOU HAVE NO BRAKES! THE PEDAL FALLS TO THE FLOOR.
STEERING LOCKS OR REQUIRES MORE EFFORT TO TURN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL IS FIRMLY DEPRESSED. THIS MAY ALSO BE THE REASON WE HAVE SO MANY BRAKE PRESSURE ALARMS GOING OFF. THE DRIVER OFTEN IGNORES THE ALARM OR TURNS THE BUS OFF AND RESTARTS IT TO RESET THE ALARM. ALL 40 OF OUR 1998 BUSES HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. VIN# PWH528774,P6WH528778,P8WH528779,P1WH528784,P9WH528788,P0WH528792,P4WHA528794,P3WH528799,P3WH528804,P7WH528806,P2WH528809,P2WH528812,P4WH528813,P2WH528776,P4WH528777,P6WH528781,P8WH528782,PXWH528783,P5WH528786,P7WH28787,P1WH528798,P8WH528801,PXWH528802,P1WH528803,P9WH528807,P0WH528775,P4WH528780,P3WH528785,P0WH528789,P7WH528790,P9WH528791,P2WH528793,P6WH528795,P8WH528796,PXWH528797,P6WH528800,P5WH528805,P0WH528808,P9WH528810,P0WH528811
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
STEERING LOCKS OR REQUIRES MORE EFFORT TO TURN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL IS FIRMLY DEPRESSED. THIS MAY ALSO BE THE REASON WE HAVE SO MANY BRAKE PRESSURE ALARMS GOING OFF. THE DRIVER OFTEN IGNORES THE ALARM OR TURNS THE BUS OFF AND RESTARTS IT TO RESET THE ALARM. ALL 40 OF OUR 1998 BUSES HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. VIN# PWH528774,P6WH528778,P8WH528779,P1WH528784,P9WH528788,P0WH528792,P4WHA528794,P3WH528799,P3WH528804,P7WH528806,P2WH528809,P2WH528812,P4WH528813,P2WH528776,P4WH528777,P6WH528781,P8WH528782,PXWH528783,P5WH528786,P7WH28787,P1WH528798,P8WH528801,PXWH528802,P1WH528803,P9WH528807,P0WH528775,P4WH528780,P3WH528785,P0WH528789,P7WH528790,P9WH528791,P2WH528793,P6WH528795,P8WH528796,PXWH528797,P6WH528800,P5WH528805,P0WH528808,P9WH528810,P0WH528811
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 .