1997 International Harvester 3800 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 3800 years
- Not enough data 5th of 7 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 International Harvester 3800. That ranks 5th out of 7 3800 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (3 complaints, 100%). There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 3owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 International Harvester 3800 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | 3 | 100% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 International Harvester 3800 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc
Problem: On certain school and transit buses built with bosch zero offset pin slide (zops) hydraulic disc brakes, the zops hydraulic disc brakes may experience calipers sticking in the applied position, which can result in excessive or abnormal heat generation at one or more of the brakes.
Risk: The combination of the following factors may collectively result in an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety: potential fire at a wheel end, high incident rates of stuck calipers, and evacuation and containment concerns relating to multiple passengers.
Fix: International will notify its customers and repair the buses free of charge. The recall began october 29, 2004.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Vehicle description: school buses equipped with the international i6 electronic engine and an extra thick bus body floor. The accelerator pedal to floor clearance is approximately 1.2 inches with a standard bus body floor. However, some customers ordered an additional 3/4 inch thick floor and extra thick floor mats to serve as insulation in cold climates. When this extra flooring is used, the bottom edge of the accelerator pedal, when depressed, can come in contact with the floor.
Risk: Should the accelerator pedal contact the floor, the pedal could get caught and not return to the idle position increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the flooring on these buses to insure there is a minimum of 1/4 inch clearance. On buses with less than 1/4 inch clearance, the dealer will remove the pedal and cut off the bottom of the pad to obtain the proper clearance.
Suspension:rear
Problem: Vehicle description: school buses and heavy duty trucks equipped with rear axle assemblies produced by dana spicer. Certain rear axle assemblies were improperly heat treated which could allow pinion breakage at the pinion threads.
Risk: Cracks can initiate and result in separation of the threaded end of the pinion resulting in separation of the yoke and drive line from the rear axle increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear axle carrier/pinion assembly.
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
- Overheating front and rear brakes (EA02034) — opened Dec 3, 2002, closed Feb 10, 2004, led to recall 03V062000.
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's company owns a 1997 international 3800. When the vehicle was inspected, the contact noticed that the vehicle's frame was cracked and rusted. The crack occurred where the cab mounts to the frame and was visible when the hood was lifted. The failure mileage, vin, engine size, and…
Tl*the contact's company owns a 1997 international 3800. During pm service, the contact noticed that the vehicle's frame was cracked and rusted. The crack occurred where the cab mounts to the frame and was visible when the hood was lifted. The failure mileage, vin, engine size, and purchase date…
Driver's foot well area gets very hot (overheated) in the floor area, and makes it very unbearable for the driver to operate the bus. Has a 466 e engine. Has 34 school buses in this series. *ak
Other International Harvester 3800 years
See all International Harvester 3800 problems by year, every International Harvester model, or the VIN decoder.
Similar International Harvester models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 International Harvester 3800?
Owners most often report structure problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 3 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 International Harvester 3800?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 International Harvester 3800 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 3800 model years, the 1997 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.