Daimler recalls trucks over risk of electrical fire

Portland, OR – December 11, 2021 – Daimler (NASDAQ: DDAIF), which owns Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), is recalling 7,128 vehicles that may develop an electrical discharge inside the engine compartment. This may cause a fire, which increases the risk of an accident and injury. 

This recall supersedes a previous recall conducted for the same issue in 2018.

Trucks affected by this recall include:

  • 2017-2019 Western Star 4700
  • 2017-2019 Western Star 4900
  • 2017-2019 Western Star 5700
  • 2017-2019 Western Star 6900

Recall summary  

Vehicles affected by this recall have a power stud inside the engine bay, which looks like a bolt with an electrical cable attached to it. The stud can be used to jump-start the truck and is usually isolated from the so-called bulkhead, or a partition that separates the passenger space from the engine bay.

However, for reasons not explained by the manufacturer, the stud can come in contact with the bulkhead, creating an electrical arc. This may lead to a fire.

The component in question is the Pass-Thru Stud, with part numbers ranging from A23-14242-000 to A23-14242-003. 

Recall risks

A fire increases the risk of crash and injury, as the driver may not be able to stop the burning vehicle in a safe and timely fashion. 

Other Daimler recalls 

This recall supersedes one that was conducted in 2018 because of the same issue. After further analysis of unforeseen circumstances, Daimler has reconsidered the repair actions. 

In July 2021, 122,056 Daimler heavy-duty vehicles were  afflicted by electrical faults due to incompatible wiring materials which resulted in broken battery cables. 

The repair

Dealers will fix the issue by replacing the pass-through power studs with improved components. Notifications about the repair will be sent to vehicle owners around January 09, 2022.  

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

This Daimler Trucks North America recall includes more than 7,000 heavy-duty trucks. To check if yours is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicDaimler recalls trucks over risk of electrical fire