2013 Freightliner Cascadia Recall

On certain trucks equipped with "Fleet Engineer" mud flaps, the bracket for the mud flaps may partially cover the rear reflective tape. Canadian regulations require that reflective tape must be visible on the rear of the truck.

Reflective tape that is covered may make the truck less visible to others and could create an increased risk of a crash.

Daimler Trucks of North America (DTNA) will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your truck to an authorized DTNA Service Facility to inspect the reflective tape. It will be moved as necessary to meet the regulations.

On certain trucks, a combination of brake vibrations and corrosion could cause the tie-rod tube to fatigue and break. This may lead to a disconnect between the front wheels and reduce the ability to steer the vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Daimler Trucks of North America Service Facilities will replace brake linings, brake spiders and tie rods as necessary.

A failure of this component (suspension) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles with air brakes, after several hard brake applications, the brake light pressure switch may not activate the brake lights with a light application of the brake pedal. If the brake lights do not illuminate, following road users would be unaware of the intent of the driver to slow the vehicle, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facilities will repair the brake light pressure switch.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles built with a power distribution module (PDM) located on the frame rail behind the cab and beneath the compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tanks, due to the location of the PDM, it could be subjected to water spray and contamination from the road, which could result in localized melting or burning of the PDM in close proximity to the CNG fuel tanks. Should a CNG leak occur in the presence of an ignition source, a fire and/or explosion could result, increasing the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will relocate the PDM.

A failure of this component (fuel system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the fifth wheel locking mechanisms could be susceptible to damage and/or wear. This could cause the locking mechanism to fail properly engage, potentially resulting in a towed trailer unit separating from the truck tractor. As a result, the trailer could strike another vehicle, stationary object, or bystander, causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Fontaine dealers will replace all Ultra LT fifth wheel units with Ultra NT model fifth wheel units.

A failure of this component (structure) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain trucks, the seat belts may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 209 - Seat Belt Assemblies. Due to a defect in manufacturing, the seat belt buckle may not release as required by the standard. This could hinder egress from the vehicle in an emergency, increasing the risk of injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace affected seatbelt buckles.

A failure of this component (seats and restraints) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the instrument panel may show an incorrect park brake message. If the ignition is switched OFF and the driver’s door opened (before the park brake is applied), the message “Park Brake On” may be incorrectly displayed instead of “Park Brake off Door Open”. Should the vehicle be parked on a sufficient slope, failure to apply the park brake could allow unintended vehicle movement, which could cause a crash resulting in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will update the Instrument Cluster Module software.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles with turn signals configured to act as Daytime Running Lamps (DRL), the DRL may not reactivate following turn signal operation. A loss of DRL illumination could render the vehicle less visible to other motorists and to pedestrians during daylight hours, possibly resulting in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will reprogram vehicles with updated software.

A failure of this component (lights and instruments) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, the wheel rims may have been manufactured incorrectly and could fail. A wheel separating from the vehicle could cause a loss of control and a crash. In addition, the errant wheel assembly could strike a vehicle, stationary object, or a bystander. These issues could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the wheel rims. Note: Further evaluation revealed that no Canadian vehicles are involved.

A failure of this component (wheels) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain trucks, the front axle knuckles may have been manufactured incorrectly, which could lead to shorter than expected bearing and knuckle life. In some instances, this could result in separation of the wheel from the axle. A wheel separating from the vehicle could cause a loss of control and a crash. In addition, the errant wheel assembly could strike a vehicle, stationary object or a bystander. These issues could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front axle knuckles.

A failure of this component (steering) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain trucks, the quick release valve (QRV) cover may not have been welded correctly during manufacturing process and may become loose or separate from the valve body. If this occurs, air pressure may not be supplied to the front brakes during brake application. The rear brakes will continue to function. Reduction in braking efficiency could increase stopping distances, possibly resulting in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Daimler authorized repair facilities will inspect and if necessary replace the quick release valve.

A failure of this component (brakes) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain vehicles, an incorrect steering wheel fastener may have been installed during vehicle assembly. The incorrect nut may not provide the clamp load required to fully seat the steering wheel onto the steering shaft. This could allow the steering wheel to wobble, which could hamper vehicle operation. If the problem is ignored, the nut could loosen completely, which could allow the steering wheel to detach from the steering shaft. These issues could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the steering wheel nut.

A failure of this component (steering) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).

On certain trucks equipped with a Detroit Diesel DD13, DD15 or DD16 engine, the support system for the high pressure fuel line (between the fuel pump and the fuel delivery rail) may be damaged during a service repair procedure. Incorrect torque applied to the dampener "P" clip fasteners may damage the fasteners, which could allow the clips to loosen. This could result in a cracked fuel line and a diesel fuel leak. Diesel fuel leakage may ignite on a hot engine surface and cause a fire. As well, diesel fuel spilt on the roadway could endanger other road users by making the roadway unexpectedly slippery. These issues could result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the high pressure fuel line and install a more robust fuel line support system.

A failure of this component (fuel system) may increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Authorized dealerships will inspect the vehicle and complete all necessary repairs free of charge (parts and labor).