2006 Freightliner Columbia 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.

Certain trucks were built with air reservoir tanks that are too small in relation to the size of the air brake chambers. Canadian regulations require enough air reservoir capacity to ensure the brakes work even with heavy use or when there is a partial loss of the air system.

Reduced braking could cause extended stopping distances and increase the risk of a crash.

The company will notify owners by mail and instruct them to take their truck to a Daimler Trucks North America authorized service facility to modify the truck to ensure it meets Canadian regulations.

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).

On certain vehicles equipped with an MBE4000 (EPA07) engine, the intake air grid heater may short circuit and fail. This could result in a vehicle fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will install an additional external relay to prevent battery connection to the grid heater when the vehicle is not running and when grid heater control signal is absent.

A failure of this component (other) 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 rack & pinion steering system, the lower pinion bearing may corrode and fail. As a result, the vehicle may require additional steering input while driving in a straight line. This could also cause a loss of steering power assist. These issues could ultimately result in property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will inspect the rack and pinion gear assembly. If it passes the inspection, new bellows will be installed and grease added to the bottom pinion bearing. A steering gear that fails the inspection will be replaced.

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 plastic low-pressure fuel line between the engine-mounted fuel filter and the engine block may develop a diesel fuel leak. The location of the leak is unlikely to result in a vehicle fire; however, diesel fuel spilt on the roadway could endanger other road users by making the roadway unexpectedly slippery. This could ultimately result in a vehicle crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the plastic low-pressure fuel line with a steel version.

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, specific operating conditions (such as tight, successive, highly banked curves in opposite directions), could trigger unintended Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system intervention. As a result, the ESC may unnecessarily apply one of the front brakes in order to correct the perceived oversteer condition. This may cause the vehicle to deviate from the intended path, thereby increasing the risk of a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the ESC module.

A failure of this component (other) 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 equipped with a Caterpillar C15 engine, the Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) oil line may wear against the P-clip retaining the oil line. An oil leak could result in a vehicle fire causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Caterpillar dealers will replace the VVA oil line with an updated version.

A failure of this component (engine) 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 left inner tie rod end may loosen and eventually separate from the steering rack. Tie rod failure could result in a loss of steering control and a crash, causing personal injury or death. Correction: Dealers will remove and inspect the left inner tie rod. Damaged steering racks will be replaced.

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 high-pressure fuel line at each injector may fatigue and fracture if a fastener at the end of the line is not properly connected. This would allow high pressure atomized diesel fuel to enter the engine compartment, creating a risk of fire, which could result in property damage, personal injury, or death. Correction: Dealers will affect repairs.

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 trucks, the fifth wheel hitch assembly's lever arm may have been incorrectly installed during the manufacturing process. The lever arm pivot bolt may have been over-tightened which could distort the pivot bolt spacer sleeve and prevent the fifth wheel latch jaw from closing and latching securely around the trailer king pin. This could allow the towed unit to separate from the towing vehicle while underway, potentially causing a crash with injury or death. Correction: Dealers will replace the pivot bolt and sleeve with a hex head shoulder bolt and washer.

A failure of this component (other) 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 wiper motor ground wire was omitted during vehicle assembly. As a result, the wiper motor may not operate or may function intermittently. This could lead to reduced visibility and a crash without warning. Correction: Dealers will install a wiper motor ground wire.

A failure of this component (electrical) 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 driver's side inner tie rod may be damaged while the truck is executing a sharp turn. Excessive tie rod angles may loosen the tie rod ball socket and/or damage the threaded tie rod attachment to the steering rack. As a result, the tie rod assembly may fail, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control and a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the front axle steering stops to limit turning radius and prevent interference with the tie rod assembly.

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 tie rod arms may have been incorrectly installed during vehicle assembly. If the right steering arm is installed on the left knuckle, excessive tie rod angles may loosen the threaded tie rod attachment to the steering rack. As a result, the tie rod assembly may fail, possibly causing a loss of vehicle control and a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect for proper steering arm installation. Steering components will be replaced on trucks that have incorrectly installed tie rod arms.

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 vehicles, the internal rubber check valve inside the Bendix SR-7 spring brake modulating valve can become deformed over time. The effect of this defect is intermittent and presents a potential delay or failure in applying the parking brakes; potentially resulting in a vehicle roll away. Should this occur, the unattended roll away vehicle could strike a bystander or cause property damage. Correction: Dealers will install a check valve repair kit.

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, the steering column may have been manufactured incorrectly. Two welds may have been omitted, which could cause the column to fail, possibly leading to a loss of steering control and a crash without warning. Correction: Dealers will inspect and replace columns with missing welds.

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 front spindle nut may have been over-tightened during vehicle assembly, causing preload on the front wheel bearings which may lead to premature bearing wear. If rapid bearing wear is allowed to progress, the front wheel assembly may separate from the vehicle and cause a crash. Correction: Dealers will verify bearing adjustment and, if found to be incorrect, will replace the bearings.

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 front spindle nut may have been over-tightened during vehicle assembly, causing preload on the front wheel bearings which may lead to premature bearing wear. If rapid bearing wear is allowed to progress, the front wheel assembly may separate from the vehicle and cause a crash. Correction: Dealers will verify bearing adjustment and, if found to be incorrect, will replace the bearings.

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, the protective cover for the cab Power Distribution Module (PDM) may be missing or improperly installed. If the protective cover is missing or not positioned correctly, any water intrusion from an open window or windshield leak may seep through the upper dash cover seam and drip onto the PDM. Water on the PDM circuits may cause a short circuit resulting in a fire that could cause personal injury. Correction: Dealers will install an updated protective cover.

A failure of this component (electrical) 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 equipped with a Caterpillar engine, the Variable Valve Actuation oil line (VVA line) used on 6 cylinder, 15L turbocharged and air-to-air aftercooled diesel engines may wear against the sharp edge of the cylinder head if not oriented correctly. Oil line wear may cause an oil leak and a potential fire hazard. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if required, replace the VVA line.

A failure of this component (engine) 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 steering wheel was manufactured with incorrect length Huck fasteners that are too short to allow proper retaining collar engagement. Steering wheel separation will result in a loss of steering control, possibly resulting in a crash. Correction: Dealers will inspect and, if required, repair or replace the steering wheel.

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 vehicles, a manufacturing defect of the front axle I-beam top flange may result in a reduction of axle service life. The axle I-beam may fatigue and fracture, causing a possible loss of vehicle control and subsequent crash without prior warning. Correction: Dealers will replace the front axle assembly.

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, the rear spindles may fracture as a result of incorrect heat treat process during vehicle assembly. Rear spindle failure could allow the wheel, tire, and brake drum assembly to separate from the vehicle. The wheel end assembly could become a hazard for other traffic. Correction: Dealers will inspect for the heat treat date code on the end of the rear spindles. Axle housings will be replaced on vehicles manufactured with spindles that have the subject date codes.

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).