Irvine, CA – November 16, 2022 – Daimler (OTCMKTS:DMLRY), which owns Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), is recalling 218,147 heavy-duty trucks because they may pull to a side when braking. This increases the risk of a crash and injury.
This recall supersedes and expands one conducted in 2020 for the same reason. The affected vehicles will need a new repair.
The following trucks are included in the latest round:
- 2021 Freightliner 108SD
- 2022 Freightliner 114SD
- 2020 – 2022 Freightliner Business Class M2
- 2017 – 2023 Freightliner Cascadia
- 2021 – 2023 Western Star 47X
- 2020 – 2023 Western Star 49X
- 2021 – 2022 Western Star 57X
Recall summary
All listed trucks are equipped with a device called Adaptive Cruise Control, or ACC. This comfort and safety feature monitors the road ahead and slows down the vehicle if needed by traffic conditions. On affected vehicles, corrosion within a control module that operates this system may cause the brake force applied to the front wheels to be uneven. As a result, the truck may pull to one side when the ACC activates the brakes to slow it down. Regular brakes the driver applies by pressing the pedal are not affected.
The component causing this recall is the quick release pneumatic valve, with part numbers WAB472 196 037 0 and WAB472 196 025 0.
Recall risks
Uneven brake force may cause the vehicle to suddenly change its direction, increasing the risk of a crash and injury.
Background of the recall
Over 164,000 Freightliner Cascadia trucks were recalled for the same issue in July 2020. The manufacturer replaced the affected unpainted valves with painted ones to prevent corrosion. However, in September 2022, it received reports of repaired trucks pulling to the side while braking. On the back of the claims, Daimler decided to conduct another recall which affects both the U.S. and Canada.
Warning signs
The driver may notice the ABS light come on the dashboard,
Other DTNA recalls
A vehicle that pulls to the side while braking may be difficult to control, but so does one whose steering wheel falls off. And this is what happened to certain trucks made by DTNA, which were repaired in Freightliner recalls in June 2022 due to potential loss of steering.
Furthermore, the manufacturer recently recalled some of its buses because their roofs may detach in an event of a crash.
The repair
Dealers will fix the problem by replacing the modulator valve with an upgraded one, which should not be prone to corrosion. The repair is free of charge.
Owners will be notified on December 30, 2022.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
More than 200,000 trucks are being recalled over these DTNA brake issues. To do a DTNA recall check and see if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool. You can do the same to check all current Western Star recalls.
