1998 Freightliner Century Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Century years
- Not enough data 2nd of 19 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998 Freightliner Century. That ranks 2nd out of 19 Century model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (3 complaints, 33%). There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 9owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1998 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 | 3 | 33% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 22% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 11% | 54,950 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1998 Freightliner Century recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:hub
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
Risk: Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace both front hubs. Owner notification is expected to begin on or before september 20, 2003. 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: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.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The tie rod ends can fracture due to low stress, high cycle, reversed bending fatigue resulting from a system resonance.
Risk: Loss of steering control could occur, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the tie rod ends and tube assembly.
Suspension:front:hub
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The outboard bearing on the steering axle hubs can fail due to water intrusion through a hubcap vent.
Risk: This condition can result in a separation of the wheel.
Fix: Dealers will remove the hubcap and inspect for water intrusion and corrosion. The hub and bearing assembly will be replaced if there is evidence of corrosion. A non-vented hubcap will be installed.
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.
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
- Front brake air hose leaks (PE03005) — opened Feb 7, 2003, closed Aug 22, 2003.
- 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.
The rear passenger seat belt retractor is jammed. The consumer made contact with the manufacture and the warranty has expired. This is the second occurrence for this belt jamming. *nm
1998 century class model trailer experiencing multiple problems.*mr the manufacturer informed the consumer that one of the u-joints had gone bad, the flex line had rotted away which connected to the exhaust manifold which caused a leak. The vehicle experienced a power steering leak, also the air…
Consumer applied brakes firmly and axle fell off. Vehicle is a century classic, 2000. Cosumer may not be aware of nhtsa recall 99v35 9000/ manufacturer's recall f l-251 concerning tie rod end. Will try and contact consumer to inform system was down. *ak
Consumer felt a vibration in the drivetrain, the driveshaft and connecting components came flying out from under the vehicle, the yoke on the back of the front drive axle was cracked and came apart causing all the parts to come off, the consumer feels that if there were grease fittings on these…
Driver side wiper arm fell off. Yh
Other Freightliner Century years
← 1997 Century · 1999 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 | 9 | 5 |
| 1997 Century | 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 1998 Freightliner Century?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline, power train problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Freightliner Century?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1998 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 1998 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.