1997 Freightliner Century Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Century years
- Not enough data 5th of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Freightliner Century. That ranks 5th out of 19 Century model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (1 complaints, 25%), typically at around 350,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 injury. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 4owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Freightliner Century 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 25% | 350,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 25% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 25% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Freightliner Century recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The windshield wiper connecting linkage sockets can wear out prematurely due to insufficient greasing during assembly.
Risk: This can lead to a separation of the linkage and loss of wiper function, impairing the driver's visibility.
Fix: Dealers will replace the connecting linkages with new links that are properly lubricated.
Suspension:front
Problem: 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.
Risk: If this problem goes undetected, the interaxle driveline can separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the u-joints with the current design u-joints.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Problem: 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.
Risk: Increased steering effort can result increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the steering shaft with a new design that is installed in an inverted orientation so no water can enter the splines.
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
- Integral hub and bearing assembly (PE02088) — opened Nov 22, 2002, closed May 1, 2003, led to recall 03E019000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 64 mph, the exhaust fume came into the cab through the air conditioning system intake. There was a smell of fume present within the vehicle. The problem occurred either while driving or when in an idle position. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer who…
While driving 50 mph and without warning rear left leaf separated from wheel frame, resulting in major damage to truck. Dealer has been notified; however unable to remedy the problem.*ak
Continual problem with the air guages being inaccurate, they will not drop to zero when air tanks are drained they still show 15-20 lbs of air pressure they are off 10-20% when air tanks are full, chp inspections at terminal have found all air guages including the guage that was replaced to be…
Tire blew out on sidewall resulting in vehicle rollover accident.(bridgestone 295/75r/225).
Other Freightliner Century years
← 1996 Century · 1998 Century →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Century | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 Century | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 Century | 0 | 9 |
| 2010 Century | 0 | 11 |
| 2009 Century | 0 | 12 |
| 2008 Century | 1 | 9 |
| 2007 Century | 0 | 9 |
| 2006 Century | 6 | 8 |
| 2005 Century | 2 | 2 |
| 2004 Century | 2 | 3 |
| 2003 Century | 4 | 2 |
| 2002 Century | 0 | 1 |
| 2001 Century | 4 | 4 |
| 2000 Century | 15 | 6 |
| 1999 Century | 6 | 7 |
| 1998 Century | 9 | 5 |
| 1997 | 4 | 4 |
| 1996 Century | 0 | 7 |
| 1995 Century | 0 | 2 |
See all Freightliner Century 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 Century?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, equipment, suspension problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Freightliner Century?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Freightliner Century a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Century model years, the 1997 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.