1997 Freightliner Business Class Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Business Class years
- Not enough data 2nd of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Freightliner Business Class. That ranks 2nd out of 9 Business Class model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is parking brake (1 complaints, 50%), typically at around 65,000 miles. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 2owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Freightliner Business Class problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parking Brake | 1 | 50% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 50% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 50% | 14,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Freightliner Business Class recalls (6)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain trucks and buses equipped with cummins electronic control modules on the c8.3g and l10g engines, the ecm does not have the ability to detect a throttle fail-safe engine shutdown command. This could result in an unanticipated, uncommanded open throttle condition without warning.
Risk: If this event occurs, the vehicle operator will not have control of the engine speed, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Cummins will notify the customers and replace the ecm. Owners should contact cummins at 1-800-343-7357 or freightliner at 1-503-745-5219.
Parking brake:conventional:mechanical:linkage and cable
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with meritor brand 12" x 4" dcm drum parking brake, the bolts used to attach the parking brake assembly to the flange yoke are too large and can interfere with the proper engagement of the braking system and possibly disengage.
Risk: Improper engagement of the parking brake could result in the vehicle rolling away without prior warning possibly resulting in personal injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the attaching bolts with the correct size bolts free of charge. Owner notification is expected to begin during october 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
Service brakes, air:controls, pedals and linkages
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The brake pedal push rod that activates the service brakes could fracture.
Risk: This could result in a loss of braking control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake pedal push rod.
Service brakes, air:antilock
Problem: 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.
Risk: This condition could cause the abs ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the abs ecu.
Service brakes, air
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with a bendix anti-lock braking system (abs). The rear axle abs modulating valves may be plumbed incorrectly.
Risk: This can cause the rear axle service brakes, when in the abs mode, to not modulate as intended.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle abs modulating valve supply and outlet port for correct plumbing and re-plumb if necessary.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan
Problem: Vehicle description: truck-tractors equipped with 26" 8-blade metal engine cooling fans. The fan blades can fatigue crack and eventually separate from the fan.
Risk: If the fan blade breaks while a person was working in the engine, personal injury could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace these fans with fans which are more durable.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Abs corrosion extends stopping dist (EA02036) — opened Dec 11, 2002, closed Jan 26, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Rear passenger doors of freightliner "business class" truck come unlatched and open up during operation down the road. There are also incidents of the trucks parking at certain angles where the doors will not open up at alkl. This happens on both fl80 chassied fire trucks. Cracks in the roof…
Loss of hydraulic brake pads, locked up calipers, actual loss of wheel calipers when backing up, inconsistant brake wear, equalizer warning switch n/a for master cylinder, date listed is first occurance, almost went over steep 40 foot dropoff due to switch n/a in mountains on slick road. *nlm
Other Freightliner Business Class years
← 1996 Business Class · 1998 Business Class →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Business Class | 7 | 1 |
| 2002 Business Class | 0 | 5 |
| 2001 Business Class | 0 | 6 |
| 2000 Business Class | 1 | 9 |
| 1999 Business Class | 1 | 5 |
| 1998 Business Class | 0 | 5 |
| 1997 | 2 | 6 |
| 1996 Business Class | 0 | 5 |
| 1995 Business Class | 2 | 4 |
See all Freightliner Business Class problems by year, every Freightliner model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar Freightliner models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Freightliner Business Class?
Owners most often report parking brake, service brakes, hydraulic, structure problems. The top one, parking brake, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Freightliner Business Class?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Freightliner Business Class a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Business Class model years, the 1997 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.