RecallRadar

HomeFreightlinerCentury → 1997

1997 Freightliner Century Recalls & Complaints

4

open safety recalls on record

Serious

5 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.80 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Serious00V232002

Service Brakes, Air:Antilock

THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE THE ABS ECU TO EXHAUST THE AIR AT THE AIR BRAKE MODULATORS FOR ONE OR MORE OF THE WHEELS.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ABS ECU.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS AND SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS BUILT WITH BENDIX AIR ABS WITH AN EC-17 1030R ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU), THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF UNWANTED ABS ACTIVATION AT LOW SPEEDS CAUSED BY 1) CHAFED ABS WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WIRES ON ROTATING PARTS OR 2) A DAMAGED COMPONENT AT THE WHEEL END THAT GENERATES A CERTAIN TYPE OF ERRATIC SENSOR SIGNAL.

Serious97V112000

Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

INCREASED STEERING EFFORT CAN RESULT raises the risk of A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT WITH A NEW DESIGN THAT IS INSTALLED IN AN INVERTED ORIENTATION SO NO WATER CAN ENTER THE SPLINES.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCK. LEAKS THROUGH THE FIREWALL OR STEERING SHAFT BOOTS ALLOWS WATER TO RUN DOWN THE STEERING SHAFT. THE STEERING SHAFT SLIP SPLINE CORRODES CAUSING IT TO SEIZE.

Serious98V085000

Suspension:Front

IF THIS PROBLEM GOES UNDETECTED, THE INTERAXLE DRIVELINE CAN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, raises the risk of A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE U-JOINTS WITH THE CURRENT DESIGN U-JOINTS.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MERITOR INTERAXLE DRIVELINE U-JOINTS. DEFLECTOR RINGS, A PART OF THE SYSTEM TO SEAL THE U-JOINTS FROM CONTAMINATES, ARE LOOSE. THIS ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THE U-JOINT BEARING AREA RESULT IN DILUTION OF THE LUBRICANT, OXIDATION OF THE BEARING AND SEAL SURFACES, AND LOSS OF LUBRICANT.

Moderate98V326000

Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Linkages

THIS CAN LEAD TO A SEPARATION OF THE LINKAGE AND LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION, IMPAIRING THE DRIVER'S VISIBILITY.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CONNECTING LINKAGES WITH NEW LINKS THAT ARE PROPERLY LUBRICATED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER CONNECTING LINKAGE SOCKETS CAN WEAR OUT PREMATURELY DUE TO INSUFFICIENT GREASING DURING ASSEMBLY.

Complaint volume

5 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

0Crashes
0Fires
1Injuries
0Deaths

Across 5 complaints. Severity Index 0.80.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Equipment2 · 40%Tires · Sidewall1 · 20%Suspension · Rear · Sprin…1 · 20%Engine And Engine Cooling…1 · 20%
  1. Equipment — 2 reports
  2. Tires:Sidewall — 1 reports
  3. Suspension:Rear:Springs:Leaf Spring Assembly — 1 reports
  4. Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe — 1 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1997 · 1998 (5) · 1999 (7) · 2000 (6) · 2001 (4) · 2003 (2) · 2004 (3) · 2005 (2) · 2006 (8) · 2008 (9)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.