Navistar recalls International CV trucks that may catch fire

Lisle, IL  – May 13, 2023 – Navistar is recalling  9,170 2017 – 2023 International CV heavy-duty pickup trucks because the electric components in their brake systems may short-circuit and catch fire. This increases the risk of a crash and injury. In addition, the vehicle may burst into flames even when parked, causing property damage.

Recall summary  

When the driver presses the brake pedal, the movement is transferred to a brake booster, which multiplies braking force, as reported. Listed trucks are also equipped with a brake pressure switch, which detects when the brake is applied. This is necessary for brake light activation and the operation of various driver assistance systems.   

The brake switch in the affected vehicles has a design flaw that could cause the seal between the brake booster and pressure switch to deteriorate. If this happens, the brake fluid could leak into the switch, which might short-circuit and overheat.    

Recall risks

All fire-related risks are described in this recent GM recall, which affected heavy-duty trucks that have the same brake pressure switch, as reported. The GM vehicles in question were made by Navistar.

Warning signs

A short-circuited brake pressure switch could trigger a “Service Brake System” warning on the vehicle’s display. 

Safety tips

As described in the said recent Chevy recall, you and all the passengers should quickly yet safely leave the vehicle if it catches fire while driving. This includes pulling over at a first safe spot and getting away from the vehicle while also being careful not to get hit by other cars.   

In addition, due to the nature of the defect, the truck may burst into flames even when it is parked with the engine off. Because of this, it’s strongly recommended to park it in the open and away from other cars and structures until the repair is done. 

Other Navistar recalls

In December 2022, Navistar recalled some of its trucks and buses, including International CVs, over a risk of steering loss and vehicle instability.

This was not the only problem with stability this manufacturer had recently, as some of its school buses were recalled in January 2023 over potential loss of control.

The repair

Dealers will replace the leaking brake pressure switch with an upgraded variant. In addition, the connecting wiring harness will also be replaced if the brake fluid is found in its connector. The repairs are free of charge. 

Owners should receive letters with more information starting on June 19, 2023.

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

More than 9,000 trucks are affected by this Navistar brake switch recall. To do a Navistar recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicNavistar recalls International CV trucks that may catch fire

Navistar recalls school buses over loss of control

Lisle, IL– January 14, 2023 – Navistar has issued a recall for 6,948 school buses over a problem that can cause “loss of handling.” This increases the risk of injury.

The recall covers the following school buses:

  • 2023 – 2024 IC CE 
  • 2023 IC EV 
  • 2023 IC RE

Recall summary

The axles are shafts that deliver power to the wheels and the whole system enables the car to move, as reported. In the recalled vehicles, the rear axle is not secured because of fasteners that were not tightened correctly.

This can result in the axle moving from side to side.

Recall risks

The defect reduces the vehicle’s handling, potentially leading to a higher risk of injuries to occupants. It could also become necessary for children on board to be transferred to another bus.    

Warning signs 

Users may notice a general “loose” feeling when driving the vehicle. A possible metallic clunking noise may also be observed. Visual inspection might show that the rear axle is not centered with the vehicle’s body. 

Other Navistar recalls

In June 2022, Navistar recalled 5,173 school buses over loose steering wheels that could detach, increasing the risk of an accident.

In September 2022, Navistar also issued a recall for 6,883 International trucks over an engine shutdown problem. This could cause the vehicles to stall while driving, bringing a higher potential for an accident.  

The repair

Dealers will tighten Navistar axle fasteners with new ones. Navistar will reimburse owners who availed of repairs prior to the recall announcement.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified on or around February 6, 2023.  

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 6,000 vehicles are affected by this Navistar school bus recall. To see if your vehicle is among them, or to check for more Navistar recalls, run a Navistar recall check using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Joseph EstabilloNavistar recalls school buses over loss of control

Navistar and GM recall buses and trucks over risk of steering loss, vehicle instability

Lisle, IL – December 11, 2022 – Navistar, which owns the International brand, and General Motors, the owner of the Chevrolet brand, are recalling thousands of vehicles because parts of their suspension and steering mechanisms may break apart. This would lead to a loss of vehicle stability, increasing the risk of a crash and injury. The Chevrolet vehicles in question were manufactured by Navistar.

In total, Navistar is recalling 31,467 buses and trucks, including the following models: 

  • 2023 IC Bus 1300FBC
  • 2023 IC Bus CE
  • 2023 IC Bus RE
  • 2023 IC Bus TC
  • 2021 – 2022 International CV 
  • 2021 – 2023 International HV
  • 2023 International HX
  • 2023 International Lonestar
  • 2023 International LT
  • 2023 International MV
  • 2023 International RH

General Motors is recalling 5,861 heavy-duty trucks, including: 

  • 2021 – 2022 Chevrolet 4500HD
  • 2021 – 2022 Chevrolet 4500XD
  • 2021 – 2022 Chevrolet 5500HD
  • 2021 – 2022 Chevrolet 5500XD
  • 2022 Chevrolet 6500XD

Recall summary  

Parts of suspension and steering of the recalled vehicles were made with nuts that were not properly heat-treated when made due to a supplier error. Heat-treating these components is an essential part of the manufacturing process to ensure they can withstand the test of time and hold the vehicles’ joints together.

Because of the error, these nuts – called Navistar hex flange lock nuts – may break. This can lead to the “loss of tension” in both steering and suspension and make the vehicle unstable, difficult to control and hard or impossible to steer.

Recall risks

The defect significantly ups the risk of a crash and injury. No injuries or warranty claims have been reported by either manufacturer.

Warning signs 

Should one or more affected nuts fall apart, the driver could notice the steering and overall vehicle handling become less sharp and responsive. 

Safety tips 

If you notice a “loose feeling” when driving, pull off the road to the nearest safe location. If you cannot identify any obvious causes, such as, for instance, a flat tire, get the vehicle towed. 

Other Navistar recalls

This is not the first time Navistar is having steering issues with their vehicles. Back in June 2022, there was a Navistar school bus recall, because their steering wheels could have detached

More recently, in September 2022, a batch of heavy-duty Navistar International trucks was recalled because they may stall while driving.  

While there are no recent or large recalls regarding GM vehicles in question, in the past six months, the manufacturer recalled over 1.7 million vehicles. Read more about these GM recalls here.

The repair

To fix this Navistar suspension issue, dealers will replace all suspected nuts with those that are made correctly free of charge. 

Notifications to vehicle owners will be sent on January 20, 2023. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 36,000 commercial vehicles are affected by this Navistar steering issues. To do a Navistar recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool

Bojan PopicNavistar and GM recall buses and trucks over risk of steering loss, vehicle instability

Navistar recalls heavy-duty trucks that may stall

Lisle, IL September 29, 2022 – Navistar, which owns the International brand, is recalling 6,883 heavy-duty trucks whose engines may shut down. This could cause them to stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash and injury.

This is the third recall for this issue. Trucks affected by this recall include: 

  • 2018 – 2021 Navistar International HV
  • 2018 – 2020 Navistar International HX
  • 2018 – 2019 Navistar International LT
  • 2018 – 2019 Navistar International RH

All affected trucks are equipped with International’s A26 engines.

Recall summary  

Internal combustion engines have many moving parts that work together to generate power output. These include pistons, which move up and down, and connecting rods that attach to them. In the affected vehicles, part of the connecting rod may crack or break apart. If this happens, the engine could shut down with little warning, causing the vehicle to stall. The defect is due to an improperly manufactured part (the connecting rod wrist pin).

The component causing this recall is the connecting rod, with part number 7096533C91. 

Background of the recall

The current recall follows one in May 2020 and another in April 2021 relating to the same issue. Navistar has expanded the scope and introduced a remedy since the initial recall.

Warning signs

The driver might notice a knocking noise or the truck could idle roughly. In addition, the driver may notice an illuminated engine warning light. 

Recall risks

For more on risks of this recall, please see this article about a RAM investigation.

Other Navistar recalls

Earlier this year, in June, Navistar recalled more than 5,000 of their buses because of steering wheels that could detach

In February 2021, Navistar recalled over 27,000 International trucks whose engines could shut down unexpectedly. 

Repair

Dealers will install new knock detection software, which should warn the driver before the engine connecting rod fails. A red warning light on the dashboard will alert drivers to the need to stop as soon as possible. Engines with suspect connecting rods will be repaired. Both the software update and the repair will be performed free of charge. 

Notifications to vehicle owners will be sent on November 14, 2022.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 5,000 trucks are being recalled because of this Navistar connecting rod wrist pin problem. To do a Navistar recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicNavistar recalls heavy-duty trucks that may stall

Daimler recalls trucks over a risk of loss of steering

Portland, OR – June 19, 2022 – Daimler (OTCMKTS:DMLRY), which owns Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), is recalling 6,492 heavy trucks who steering may stop to work. This increases the risk of a crash and injury. 

Trucks affected by this recall include: 

  • 2021 –2022 FCCC MT45
  • 2022 – 2023 Freightliner Cascadia
  • 2022 – 2023 Western Star 4900

Recall summary  

Trucks have steering gears, which connect their steering wheels to the front wheels and transfer movement between them. These components have recirculating steel balls inside it. Their job is to reduce friction between moving components. 

On affected trucks, the steering gear may have been assembled with fewer recirculating balls than needed. This increases the loads on the remaining ones while steering, which can cause them to fracture and fall apart, resulting in a loss of steering.

Recall risks

Not being able to steer greatly increases the risk of a crash and injury. You can find out more about risks caused by loss of steering in this Daimler article

Other Daimler recalls

Some big trucks were recalled over steering issues in October 2021, as reported.

There was a Navistar school bus recall earlier this month because of steering wheels that may potentially detach, as reported. The electric vehicle (EV) school bus – the 2023 Navistar IC EV – as well as the 2023 Navistar CE was part of this recall.

The repair

At this time, the manufacturer is still trying to figure out how to fix the issue. But once the repair becomes available, it will be free of charge.

Notifications to the owners will be sent on August 6, 2022. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

This Daimler truck steering recall is affecting more than 6,000 heavy trucks. To do a Navistar recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicDaimler recalls trucks over a risk of loss of steering

Navistar recalls buses whose steering wheels may detach, issues stop-drive notice

Lisle, IL – June 5, 2022 – Navistar is recalling 5,173 school buses whose steering wheels have not been tightened sufficiently and may detach. This increases the risk of a crash and injury. 

Buses affected by this recall include: 

  • 2022 – 2023 IC Bus CE
  • 2022 – 2023 IC Bus RE
  • 2023 IC Bus EV

Recall summary  

Like most other vehicles, these buses have a retaining nut inside a steering wheel, which holds it in place. This nut might have been tightened insufficiently during the assembly process and could become loose. If that happens, the steering wheel could separate from the column shaft.

Recall risks

Not being able to steer greatly increases the risk of a crash and injury. 

Warning signs

Before the steering wheel becomes loose, drivers may notice a rattle coming from it. 

Other Daimler recalls

Daimler commercial vehicles had several recent recalls, apart from this Navistar steering wheel recall. Among them, one caused by malfunctioning rearview cameras is the latest one. In addition, some of their big trucks also had steering issues, which resulted in a recall in October 2021

The repair

Dealers will remove the retaining nut and apply a specialized adhesive before fitting it back on. This repair is free of charge.

In addition, Daimler advises owners not to drive these buses until repairs are done. Notifications will be sent between May 23, 2022 and May 27, 2022. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

This Navistar school bus recall is affecting more than 5,000 buses. To do a Navistar recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicNavistar recalls buses whose steering wheels may detach, issues stop-drive notice

Navistar International recalls trucks for possible engine shutdown

Lisle, IL – February 26, 2021 – Navistar has recalled 27,457 International brand trucks that may stall. The recall includes:

  • 2018-2020 International LoneStar trucks
  • 2021 International LoneStar trucks
  • 2017-2021 International LT trucks

Recall summary  

The problem originates with a battery cable that may break, causing the truck to lose electrical power and the engine to shut down. This is caused by the cable not being able to withstand the “stresses” placed on it by the trucks’ movement due to a design error, according to the testing conducted by the manufacturer.

Warning signs

In some cases, drivers may be warned of the problem if the engine briefly or intermittently shuts down prior to a complete stall.

Other Navistar recalls

This is the second Navistar recall in February. Earlier in the month, the truck manufacturer recalled over 17,000 medium- and extreme-duty trucks that may move unexpectedly after overpowering the parking brake.

Safety risks

If the truck loses power on the road, it creates a hazard for the driver and other motorists and could lead to a crash.

The repair

Dealers will replace the battery ground cable “with a more flexible” one designed to not to break while the truck is moving. Navistar will send owners recall notifications with more information around April 16.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 27,000 vehicles are included in this Navistar recall. To see if your truck is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandNavistar International recalls trucks for possible engine shutdown

Navistar recalls trucks; engine rev may overcome parking brake

Lisle, IL – February 1, 2021 –Navistar International (NYSE:NAV) has recalled 17,213 medium- and extreme-duty trucks that may rev while parked and overcome the parking brake. The affected component is engine electronic control module (ECM) calibration software. ECM controls over 100 elements in the truck and is responsible for its smooth operation.

The  recall includes the following Navistar International models:

  • 2014-2020 International Durastar
  • 2020-2021 International HV
  • 2019-2021 International MV
  • 2015-2018 International Workstar

Recall summary  

The trucks in question are equipped with a Power Take Off (PTO) switch that transmits the power of the engine to truck’s accessories such as a dump truck’s bed, water pumps or a garbage truck compactor. PTO is in most cases directly connected to the ECM. 

Due to a programming error, the recalled Navistar International trucks’ may rev strongly enough to overpower the parking brake, while the truck is in drive or reverse. This may cause it to move unexpectedly.

Risks

The International truck, which can weigh up to 36.5 tons, could hit people or things in its path and poses a safety risk to the driver and people nearby.  This is especially dangerous if the truck in question has one of the accessories engaged. Imagine a dump truck moving away with its bed raised or a garbage compactor rolling with the compactor up!

In addition to physical damage to people and property, moving with the PTO switch engaged may harm the motor.

The repair

Navistar International will install an update on vehicles’ Cummins ECMs with a neutral interlock that will keep the vehicle in neutral as long as the PTO is switched on. Navistar plans to send recall notification letters to owners on February 19. More information about the recall and possible reimbursement for repairs will be included in the letter.

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 17,000 vehicles are included in this Navistar truck recall. To see if your truck is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Rebecca RandNavistar recalls trucks; engine rev may overcome parking brake