RecallMyCar

1996 Freightliner Century Recalls, Complaints & Specs

7 safety recalls list the 1996 Freightliner Century. Check your own VIN below.

7
safety recalls
0
owner complaints to NHTSA

7 safety recalls for the 1996 Freightliner Century

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Linkages (visibility)

    NHTSA 98V326000 Reported 6,720 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The windshield wiper connecting linkage sockets can wear out prematurely due to insufficient greasing during assembly.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the connecting linkages with new links that are properly lubricated.

  2. Suspension: front

    NHTSA 98V085000 Reported 22,186 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with meritor interaxle driveline u-joints. Deflector rings, a part of the system to seal the u-joints from contaminates, are loose. This allows water to enter the u-joint bearing area result in dilution of the lubricant, oxidation of the bearing and seal surfaces, and loss of lubricant.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the u-joints with the current design u-joints.

  3. Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)

    NHTSA 97V112000 Reported 11,366 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: heavy duty truck. Leaks through the firewall or steering shaft boots allows water to run down the steering shaft. The steering shaft slip spline corrodes causing it to seize.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering shaft with a new design that is installed in an inverted orientation so no water can enter the splines.

  4. Anchorage (seat belts)

    NHTSA 97V006000 Reported 121 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Due to undersized rivets and oversized holes, the b-pillar anchorage will not meet the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."

    Remedy: Dealers will make the necessary repairs to the seat belt assembly anchorages.

  5. Suspension: rear

    NHTSA 96V233003 Reported 1,410 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: all vehicles equipped with eaton drive axles and axilok spindle nuts. The drive axle housings consist of a plate steel center section and two forged spindles, one of which is welded to each end of the center section. Each spindle contains a keyway slot in which the locking tab for the wheel bearing nut locking…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the drive axle housing nuts with a conventional wheel nut hardware system.

  6. Defroster/defogger/hvac system (visibility)

    NHTSA 96V197000 Reported 3,800 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    An electrical short can occur in the auxilliary heater/airconditioning blower if exposed to water.

    Remedy: Dealers will remove and replace the relay with one that resists shorting if contacted by water and does not support combustion even if shorted.

  7. Vehicle speed control

    NHTSA 96V181001 Reported 258 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    These vehicles are equipped with a detroit diesel optimized idle system. If the ignition is turned on and the fuse for the electronic control module (ECM) power feed line is removed or burned out, the safety features designed to prevent injury to persons working in the vicinity of the engine will be bypassed, and unintentional cranking…

    Remedy: Detroit diesel distributors will rewire the vehicles using a revised ECM which will eliminate unintentional cranking.

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 1996 Freightliner Century. For context, the average model year in NHTSA's database has dozens; a zero can mean a reliable vehicle, a rare one, or both.

Compare Freightliner Century model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Freightliner Century model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1995 Freightliner Century20
1996 Freightliner Century70
1997 Freightliner Century44
1998 Freightliner Century59
1999 Freightliner Century76
2000 Freightliner Century615
2001 Freightliner Century44
2002 Freightliner Century10
2003 Freightliner Century24
2004 Freightliner Century32
2005 Freightliner Century22
2006 Freightliner Century86
2007 Freightliner Century90
2008 Freightliner Century91
2009 Freightliner Century120
2010 Freightliner Century110
2011 Freightliner Century90
2012 Freightliner Century20
2013 Freightliner Century10

Checking a specific 1996 Freightliner Century

How do I know if my 1996 Freightliner Century has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 7 campaigns currently list the 1996 Freightliner Century; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Freightliner dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 96V181001).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Freightliner models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.