2005 Freightliner Columbia Recalls, Complaints & Specs
14 safety recalls list the 2005 Freightliner Columbia, and owners have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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14 safety recalls for the 2005 Freightliner Columbia
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Reservoir/tank (service brakes)
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2004-2019 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, 122SD, Cascadia, Columbia, Classic, FL80, FLD 120SD, Business Class M2, Western Star 4700, 4900, 6900, Sterling Acterra, L7500, LT7500, L8500, LT8500, L9500, and LT9500 vehicles. The vehicles may have an insufficient service brake air…
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will add air reservoir capacity to the affected vehicles. Owner letters were mailed on November 29, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number…
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Equipment
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2002-2017 Freightliner Cascadia, Century Class, Columbia and Coronado trucks and Western Star 4700, 4900, 5700, 5900 and 6900 trucks. These vehicles are equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers that may become clogged, preventing the…
Remedy: DTNA will notify owners, and instruct them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began on April 11, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712, or…
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Rack and pinion (steering)
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 freightliner cascadia, columbia, century, coronado, and classic xl trucks manufactured from november 1, 2004, through june 15, 2010 for the rack and pinion steering system. The lower pinion bearing may corrode and fail. A failed bearing may lead to damage of the spool valve seals.…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will inspect the lower bearing for corrosion. If corrosion is found, the rack and pinion system will be replaced. If no corrosion is found, on the bearing, the bearing will be packed with grease and the…
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Fuel system, diesel
Daimler trucks is recalling certain model year 2004 through 2008 heavy trucks manufactured from july 11, 2003, through september 28, 2007, equipped with epa04 model mbe4000 engines built with plastic low pressure fuel lines and fuel filters mounted near the center of the engine on the left-hand side. The plastic low pressure fuel line…
Remedy: Daimler trucks will notify owners and the remedy will be performed by detroit diesel corporation authorized repair facilities. Vehicles will be inspected and the plastic low pressure fuel line will be replaced with a…
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Engine and engine cooling
Daimler trucks is recalling model year 2004-2010 trucks equipped with caterpillar c15 engine. The variable valve actuation oil line may rub against the p-clips retaining the oil line, causing an oil leak.
Remedy: Daimler trucks is working with caterpillar to remedy these vehicles. Please see caterpillar's defect report 09e-020. Caterpillar will inspect and repair the necessary components free of charge. The recall began on may…
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Fuel system, diesel
Daimler trucks is recalling 62,000 my 2005-2007 freightliner business class, century class, columbia, coronado, fld, classic, sterling a-line, l-line, and western star 4900 trucks. A fractured fuel line could leak diesel fuel.
Remedy: High pressure fuel lines and transfer tubes will be inspected and replaced free of charged. The recall began on july 9, 2008. Owners may contact daimler trucks at 1-800-547-0712.
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
On certain trucks equipped with rack and pinion steering, the ball socket assembly at the inner end of the driver side tie rod may be damaged in a sharp turn. Excessive tie rod angles may loosen the tie rod in the ball socket or damage the threaded tie rod socket attachment to the steering rack on the driver side. The threaded end of…
Remedy: Dealers will change the front axle steering stops to prevent interference in the tie rod ball socket assembly and steering components will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on july 8, 2008, and will be…
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Tie rod assembly (steering)
On certain trucks equipped with rack and pinion steering, the tie rod arms may have been incorrectly installed. The threaded end of the ball socket assembly may fracture and separate.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect for installation of the steering arms. Steering components will be replaced on trucks that have incorrectly installed tie rod arms. The recall began on may 1, 2008. Owner may contact freightliner…
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Check valve (service brakes)
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…
Remedy: 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,…
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Column (steering)
Certain freightliner school buses and trucks manufactured from october 23, 2004, to march 21, 2006. During the steering column manufacturing process two welds may have been missing.
Remedy: Freightliner will notify owners and inspect and repair the affected vehicle free of charge. The recall began on august 30, 2007. Owners can contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
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Electrical system
On certain trucks, the protective cover for the cab power distribution model (pdm) may be missing or improperly installed.
Remedy: Dealers will install a new cover free of charge. The recall began on december 18, 2006. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
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Engine and engine cooling
On certain trucks equipped with caterpillar diesel engines, the variable valve actuation oil line may wear against the sharp edge of the cylinder head if not positioned correctly.
Remedy: Caterpillar, in conjunction with freightliner, will be conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign free of charge. Owners may call caterpillar at 309-675-6496, or freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
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Spindle (suspension)
Certain 2005 thomas built fs-65 and c-2 school buses and 2005 freightliner argosy, columbia, century st, and m2 business class trucks manufactured between june 4 and july 8, 2005. The spindles in the rear axle housing were overheated during the heat treatment process. Incorrectly heat treated spindles could result in a fracture of the…
Remedy: Freightliner will notify its customers and inspect for the heat treat date code on the end of the rear spindles and replace the axle housing if necessary. The recall is expected to begin on january 23, 2006. Owners may…
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Wheels
On certain heavy duty class 8 trucks equipped with accuride aluminum wheels, the wheels were not properly pre-stressed. This allows cracks to develop over time.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wheels free of charge. The recall began on october 21, 2005. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
38 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2005 Freightliner Columbia have filed 38 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Reports cite 6 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 161,410 miles. Complaints peaked in 2005 with 27 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Tl* the contact owns a 2005 freightliner columbia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop when the brake was applied. A local mechanic inspected the vehicle. The mehcanic stated that the b”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 25, 2012 · Service brakes
“Low pressure, erg valve, leakage, and the lost of power that the trunk cant be controlled. *tr”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 2, 2011 · Fuel system, gasoline
Compare Freightliner Columbia model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Freightliner Columbia model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2005 Freightliner Columbia
How do I know if my 2005 Freightliner Columbia 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. 14 campaigns currently list the 2005 Freightliner Columbia; 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 05V185000).
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
- Conventional76 complaints
- Business Class M254 complaints
- Century53 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.