Freightliner is a USA carmaker founded in 1942, now part of Daimler Truck. The cars themselves are another matter: across 7 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 3 countries — the United States 63.3%, Mexico 35.1%, Germany 1.5%. 34 models are tracked here (1981–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.3 out of 5 across 34 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Freightliner
Freightliner Trucks is an American truck manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz's commercial-vehicle division, spun off as Daimler Truck Holding AG in 2021). Founded in 1942 by Leland James as the Consolidated Freightways manufacturing arm, Freightliner became the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America by 1978 and has held that position since. Freightliner produces Class 5-8 commercial trucks including the Cascadia long-haul tractor, the M2 medium-duty straight truck, the eCascadia battery-electric Class 8 tractor (production launched 2022) and the eM2 electric medium-duty truck. The Cascadia, in production since 2007, has approximately 30-35% market share of new Class 8 truck sales in the United States. Freightliner's Mount Holly, North Carolina and Cleveland, North Carolina plants produce most US-market trucks. Freightliner's parent Daimler Truck trades on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as DTG. Recall data for every Freightliner VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Freightliner VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Leland James founded Freightways Inc. (later Consolidated Freightways) in 1929 as a trucking company. James launched Freightways Manufacturing Co. in 1942 to build trucks for his own fleet, addressing wartime steel shortages and weight restrictions on West Coast roads. The aluminum-cab COE (cab-over-engine) trucks Freightliner built in the 1940s established the brand as a lightweight specialist. Daimler-Benz acquired Freightliner from Consolidated Freightways in 1981.
| Freightliner | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founded by | Leland James |
| Headquarters | Portland, USA |
| Owned by | Daimler Truck |
| Slogan | «Run Smart» |
| Assembled in | 3 countries |
Technology it is known for: Detroit Diesel DD13/DD15/DD16 engines, Detroit Assurance driver assistance, DT12 automated manual transmission, Plus Power eAxle (eCascadia), Detroit Connect telematics.
This page covers Freightliner Trucks (Daimler Truck subsidiary) — not Freight Liner intermodal services or Consolidated Freightways (the now-defunct trucking company that originally owned Freightliner).
Where Freightliner cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 390 vehicles on record, 7 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1FU, 1FV, 4UZ, WD2 | 1994–2023 | |
| Mexico | 3AK, 3AL | 2013–2026 | |
| Germany | WDY | 2007–2010 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Freightliner beginning 1FU was assembled in the United States.
All Freightliner models 34
Every Freightliner model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Freightliner More models 34
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freightliner Cascadia | 2001–2026 | 360 | 244 | — | 3.0/5 |
| Freightliner M2 | 2001–2026 | 100 | 13 | — | 3.5/5 |
| Freightliner Columbia | 2001–2026 | 195 | 96 | — | 3.0/5 |
| Freightliner Classic | 2001–2026 | 17 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner Coronado | 2001–2026 | 172 | 3 | — | 4.0/5 |
| Freightliner Sprinter | 2001–2026 | 73 | 23 | — | 4.0/5 |
| Freightliner FLD120 | 2001–2026 | 10 | 6 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner eM2 106 | 2023–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner Argosy | 1995–2026 | 35 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner Sport Chassis | 2001–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FL70 | 1988–2026 | 4 | 2 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner 114SD | 2001–2026 | 167 | 5 | — | 3.5/5 |
| Freightliner eCascadia | 2023–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FL60 | 1988–2026 | 14 | 5 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner C120 | 2001–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner 108SD | 2001–2026 | 115 | 2 | — | 4.0/5 |
| Freightliner SD122 | 2016–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner C.O.E. | 1981–1987 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FL80 | 1988–2026 | 9 | 2 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FLD112 | 2001–2026 | 6 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner XC Chassis | 1996–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FL112 | 1995–2026 | 1 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner Unimog | 2001–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner Condor | 2001–2026 | 7 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner Conventional | 1981–2026 | 38 | 67 | — | 3.5/5 |
| Freightliner FL50 | 1988–2026 | 4 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FLB | 2001–2026 | 1 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FLD132 | 2001–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FL106 | 1988–2026 | 4 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner C112 | 2001–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner CST120 | 2001–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FC80 | 1995–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner L-Line | 1995–1995 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Freightliner FC70 | 1995–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
Freightliner by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Freightliner | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 1,332 campaigns | Most recalled: Engine And Engine Cooling |
| Owner complaints | 464+ filed | Most reported: Cascadia |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Get a Freightliner window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Freightliner's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Freightliner window stickers →How to read a Freightliner VIN
Every Freightliner built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Freightliner and the country it was built in (real Freightliner codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- Canada2FU
- South AfricaAFV
- IsraelKFB
- Saudi ArabiaRSB
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. For the full year-code table (2001–2026), country codes and where the number is stamped, see our free VIN decoder.
Who owns Freightliner, and what you get
Freightliner belongs to Daimler Truck. Freightliner dominates the North American Class 8 long-haul tractor segment with approximately 30-35% market share, competing primarily against Volvo Trucks, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Mack, International (Navistar) and Western Star (a Daimler sister brand). The Cascadia is the most-deployed Class 8 truck in modern US fleet operations. Freightliner's eCascadia battery-electric Class 8 launched in 2022 and competes with Volvo VNR Electric, Tesla Semi and Kenworth T680E in the early electric long-haul segment.
| Freightliner | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Ownership | Daimler Truck |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | United States, Mexico, Germany |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Freightliner models actually start to break →
Freightliner — frequently asked
Is Freightliner usa?
Freightliner is a USA company, headquartered in Portland and founded in 1942. The cars are a separate question: 63.3% of the Freightliner vehicles in our records were assembled in the United States.
Where are Freightliner cars made?
Across 7 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United States (63.3%), Mexico (35.1%), Germany (1.5%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Freightliner?
Freightliner is part of Daimler Truck.
How many Freightliner models are there?
We track 34 Freightliner models spanning 1981–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Freightliner warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Freightliner reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Freightliner model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.