2003 Freightliner Century Recalls, Complaints & Specs

2 safety recalls list the 2003 Freightliner Century, and owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

safety recalls

owner complaints to NHTSA

0 / 1

complaints citing a crash / fire

2 safety recalls for the 2003 Freightliner Century

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

Manual transmission (power train)

NHTSA 04V205000 Reported May 4, 2004 14,000 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

On certain trucks equipped with manual transmission, the tapered joint that attaches the shifter to the transmission may become loose making it difficult to put the transmission into gear.

Remedy: Dealers will re-secure the shift lever to the transmission using threadlock and re-torquing the fastening bolt. Owner notification began on may 21, 2004. Owners should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
Service brakes, air

NHTSA 03V500000 Reported December 4, 2003 400 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

On certain trucks equipped with air brakes, the plastic push-to-connect air line fitting cartridge could be improperly welded into the nylon junction block housing allowing an air line to become disconnected.

Remedy: Dealers will install a new cab air manifold. Owner notification is expected to begin on january 21, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…

4 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2003 Freightliner Century have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a fire. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 106,000 miles. Complaints peaked in 2004 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

Engine and engine cooling: engine1
Tires: sidewall1
Tires: tread/belt1
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal1

What owners are reporting

“The contact owns a 2003 Freightliner Century CST120 equipped with Yokohama Tires, Tire Line: TY517MC2, Tire Size: 295/75/R22, DOT Number: N/A. The contact stated that the tires had cracked on the side”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 22, 2025 · Tires

“7 month old steer tire on freightliner truck. Traveling around 65 MPH vibration started and before we could figure out from where or get to a safe section of the road, all the tread separated from the”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 21, 2007 · Tires

Compare Freightliner Century model years

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

Model year	Recalls	Complaints
1995 Freightliner Century	2	0
1996 Freightliner Century	7	0
1997 Freightliner Century	4	4
1998 Freightliner Century	5	9
1999 Freightliner Century	7	6
2000 Freightliner Century	6	15
2001 Freightliner Century	4	4
2002 Freightliner Century	1	0
2003 Freightliner Century	2	4
2004 Freightliner Century	3	2
2005 Freightliner Century	2	2
2006 Freightliner Century	8	6
2007 Freightliner Century	9	0
2008 Freightliner Century	9	1
2009 Freightliner Century	12	0
2010 Freightliner Century	11	0
2011 Freightliner Century	9	0
2012 Freightliner Century	2	0
2013 Freightliner Century	1	0

Checking a specific 2003 Freightliner Century

How do I know if my 2003 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. 2 campaigns currently list the 2003 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 03V500000).

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

Cascadia253 complaints
Freightliner135 complaints
Columbia96 complaints
Conventional76 complaints
Business Class M254 complaints
Sprinter 250049 complaints
FL-7037 complaints
FS-6533 complaints

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.