2006 Freightliner M2 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated May 15, 2019 · 3 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other M2 years
Not enough data 2nd of 20 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Freightliner M2. That ranks 2nd out of 20 M2 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, air (2 complaints, 67%), typically at around 40,420 miles. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

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Most common 2006 Freightliner M2 problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Service Brakes, Air2 · ~40,420 mi
Exterior Lighting1 · ~64,498 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Service Brakes, Air267%40,420——
Exterior Lighting133%64,498——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2011, with 1 complaints
2011: 1201112015: 1201512017: 120171

n = 3 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Freightliner M2 recalls (5)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Service brakes, air:supply:reservoir/tankMay 14, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V370000 · 741 vehicles

Problem: Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2004-2019 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, 122SD, Cascadia, Columbia, Classic, FL80, FLD 120SD, Business Class M2, Western Star 4700, 4900, 6900, Sterling Acterra, L7500, LT7500, L8500, LT8500, L9500, and LT9500 vehicles. The vehicles may have an insufficient service brake air reservoir capacity. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."

Risk: An insufficient air reservoir volume may reduce brake effectiveness, increasing the risk of crash.

Fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will add air reservoir capacity to the affected vehicles. Owner letters were mailed on November 29, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-815.

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; service brakes, airApr 14, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V220000 · 3,571 vehicles

Problem: Fontaine Modification (Fontaine) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Freightliner M2 trucks manufactured January 2, 2006, to January 23, 2015 and modified by Fontaine to have dual steering. Brake lights of the affected vehicles will not illuminate if the primary brake air supply is depleted below 6 psi. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems."

Risk: If the primary brake air system fails causing the truck to rely on the secondary brake air system, the brakes lights may not illuminate when the brakes are applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Fontaine will notify owners, and dealers will install a repair kit to resolve the issue, free of charge. The recallbegan on June 12, 2015. Owners may contact Fontaine customer service at 1-800-366-8246.

Electronic stability control (esc)Sep 8, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V465000 · 4,444 vehicles

Problem: Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2006-2012 freightliner business class m2, cascadia, century, columbia, coronado and sterling a-line vehicles built with meritor wabco electronic stability control (esc) system manufactured from september 15, 2005 through september 1, 2011. Under certain road and driving conditions, vehicle body roll and road inclination characteristics may adversely affect the slip angle calculation of the electronic stability control (esc) system. This might cause the esc to perceive an over steering situation and therefore apply the outer wheel brake on the front axle until the vehicle is perceived to be stable.

Risk: If the driver is slow to react during this esc intervention, the vehicle may deviate from the intended line of travel increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Daimler trucks will notify owners, and dealers will replace the esc module with the appropriate software version as necessary, free of charge. An interim owner notification will be mailed on or about november 21, 2011. The date for availability of the final remedy is subject to validation testing and parts availability. The safety recall began on march 28, 2012. Owners may contact daimler trucks toll-free at 1-800-547-0712.

Engine and engine cooling:engineAug 31, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V455000 · 43 vehicles

Problem: Daimler trucks north america is recalling certain model year 2005 through 2012 freightliner m2, sterling acterra, 7500 & 8500, and thomas built hdx vehicles manufactured from june 23, 2004, through march 15, 2011, equipped with specific mbe900 epa04 and epa07 model engines. The intake air grid heater may short circuit and fail due to excessive internal temperatures.

Risk: A short circuited grid heater could result in a vehicle fire and injury to vehicle occupants.

Fix: Daimler trucks will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. Repairs will be performed by detroit diesel corporation authorized repair facilities. The safety recall began on september 12, 2011. Owners may contact daimler trucks toll-free at 1-800-547-0712. This recall is an expansion of a previous recall, campaign number 10v-341.

Engine and engine coolingMar 3, 2011 · NHTSA campaign 11V146000 · 2,073 vehicles

Problem: Daimler trucks (dtna) is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 freightliner, cascadia, century, columbia fld, and m2, sterling 9500, and western star 4900 heavy trucks manufactured from march 20, 2006, through june 30, 2010, equipped with specific mbe4000 epa07 model engines. The intake air grid heater may short circuit and fail due to excessive internal temperatures.

Risk: A short circuited grid heater could result in a vehicle fire and injury to vehicle occupants.

Fix: Dtna will notify owners of the recall during march 2011. Another notification will be issued once the remedy is released. Dtna expects the remedy to be available by december 1, 2011. Repairs will be performed by dtna dealers free of charge. Owners may contact dtna toll-free at 1-800-547-0712. This recall is asscociated with a previous recall, campaign number 10v-341.

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 freightliner m2 106. While attempting to release the air brake, it would not disengage. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who walked through the process of temporarily repairing the brake. An unknown dealer provided the contact with a repair estimate. The…

Service Brakes, Air · received Aug 3, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11012581

This freightliner m2 has been made into a motorhome by dynamax corp. The cruise control and brake system are freightliner. I noticed that the cruise control did not always disengage when the brakes were applied and i had to switch it off manually. Upon further checking, the brake lights were also…

Exterior Lighting · received May 5, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10714793

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 freightliner m2 light chassis. The contact stated that both front brake calipers locked, heated up and almost caught fire. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the front brakes were disabled as a temporary fix. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer…

Service Brakes, Air · received May 31, 2011 · NHTSA complaint 10403883

Other Freightliner M2 years

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See all Freightliner M2 problems by year, every Freightliner model, or the VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Freightliner M2?

Owners most often report service brakes, air, exterior lighting problems. The top one, service brakes, air, accounts for 2 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Freightliner M2?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 Freightliner M2 a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other M2 model years, the 2006 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.