The Freightliner FLD120 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2003–2008. On average a defect was admitted 1.57 years after the car was built, the slowest took 4 years. The most recalled system is Service Brakes, Air (1 campaigns). Owners also filed 5 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Freightliner FLD120
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Service Brakes, Air 1 Read
What's wrong. Certain freightliner school bus chassis, heavy trucks, and thomas built school buses manufactured between july 2002 and july 3, 2007, equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake control valves. The parker scv brass 90 degree single check valves (scv) which attach to the supply port of a bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valve can break apart. Pieces of the parker scv can become lodged inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valve, potentially causing either leakage out of the sr-7 valve or preventing air from properly exhausting from the sr-7 valve. Also, due to a manufacturing defect in the internal rubber check valve inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valves, the valves can become…
Risk. These conditions could either result in leakage and cause a delay in the application of the spring brake without warning or possibly lead to unintended vehicle rollaway or brake drag which could result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or death
Fix. Freightliner will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 11, 2008 to freightliner, sterling, and freightliner custom chassis owners; to thomas built bus owners on february 1, 2008. Owners can contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712
What's wrong. Certain freightliner school bus chassis, heavy trucks, and thomas built school buses manufactured between july 2002 and july 3, 2007, equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake control valves. The parker scv brass 90 degree single check valves (scv) which attach to the supply port of a bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valve can break apart. Pieces of the parker scv can become lodged inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valve, potentially causing either leakage out of the sr-7 valve or preventing air from properly exhausting from the sr-7 valve. Also, due to a manufacturing defect in the internal rubber check valve inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valves, the valves can become…
Risk. These conditions could either result in leakage and cause a delay in the application of the spring brake without warning or possibly lead to unintended vehicle rollaway or brake drag which could result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or death
Fix. Freightliner will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 11, 2008 to freightliner, sterling, and freightliner custom chassis owners; to thomas built bus owners on february 1, 2008. Owners can contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712
What's wrong. Certain freightliner school bus chassis, heavy trucks, and thomas built school buses manufactured between july 2002 and july 3, 2007, equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake control valves. The parker scv brass 90 degree single check valves (scv) which attach to the supply port of a bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valve can break apart. Pieces of the parker scv can become lodged inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valve, potentially causing either leakage out of the sr-7 valve or preventing air from properly exhausting from the sr-7 valve. Also, due to a manufacturing defect in the internal rubber check valve inside the sr-7 spring brake modulating valves, the valves can become…
Risk. These conditions could either result in leakage and cause a delay in the application of the spring brake without warning or possibly lead to unintended vehicle rollaway or brake drag which could result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or death
Fix. Freightliner will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on january 11, 2008 to freightliner, sterling, and freightliner custom chassis owners; to thomas built bus owners on february 1, 2008. Owners can contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712
Trailer Hitches 1 Read
What's wrong. On certain truck-tractors equipped with holland simplex se or se ii fifth wheels, the latch lever pivot bolt assembly may have been over-tightened which could distort the pivot bolt spacer sleeve. Corrosion or contaminates in the pivot may cause it to bind and prevent the fifth wheel jaw from latching securely around the trailer king pin
Risk. There is a possibility that the fifth wheel may fail to latch without the driver's knowledge. When the occurs, the driver could drive away and the trailer could become disengaged increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the pivot bolt and sleeve with a hex head shoulder bolt and washer. The recall began on january 3, 2008. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712
What's wrong. On certain truck-tractors equipped with holland simplex se or se ii fifth wheels, the latch lever pivot bolt assembly may have been over-tightened which could distort the pivot bolt spacer sleeve. Corrosion or contaminates in the pivot may cause it to bind and prevent the fifth wheel jaw from latching securely around the trailer king pin
Risk. There is a possibility that the fifth wheel may fail to latch without the driver's knowledge. When the occurs, the driver could drive away and the trailer could become disengaged increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the pivot bolt and sleeve with a hex head shoulder bolt and washer. The recall began on january 3, 2008. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712
What's wrong. On certain truck-tractors equipped with holland simplex se or se ii fifth wheels, the latch lever pivot bolt assembly may have been over-tightened which could distort the pivot bolt spacer sleeve. Corrosion or contaminates in the pivot may cause it to bind and prevent the fifth wheel jaw from latching securely around the trailer king pin
Risk. There is a possibility that the fifth wheel may fail to latch without the driver's knowledge. When the occurs, the driver could drive away and the trailer could become disengaged increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Dealers will replace the pivot bolt and sleeve with a hex head shoulder bolt and washer. The recall began on january 3, 2008. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 1.57 years |
| Slowest campaign | 4 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | —% |
| Campaigns on record | 2 |
Which FLD120 years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Service Brakes, Air | |
| 2007 | Service Brakes, Air | |
| 2006 | Service Brakes, Air | |
| 2005 | Service Brakes, Air | |
| 2004 | Service Brakes, Air | |
| 2003 | Service Brakes, Air |
Check your own car
Each of these 2 campaigns covers a range of production, not every Freightliner FLD120 ever built — two cars of the same year can differ by a single week at the plant. Whether yours is among them, and whether the free repair was already carried out, is answered only by the number on its windscreen: check this FLD120 by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
A campaign on one model says little about the brand as a whole — see how the Freightliner FLD120 compares in the full recall check by make and model →
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Freightliner FLD120 have?
2 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2003–2008. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my FLD120 still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 1.57 years, and the slowest campaign came 4 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.