RecallMyCar

Freightliner FS-65 Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 11 safety recalls and 33 owner complaints across 9 model years of the Freightliner FS-65 (1996–2006). The most-complained-about year is 2000.

11
safety recalls, all years
33
owner complaints, all years
1999
year with most recalls
2000
year with most complaints

Pick your Freightliner FS-65 model year

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2006 Freightliner FS-6510
2005 Freightliner FS-6511
2002 Freightliner FS-6535
2001 Freightliner FS-65412
2000 Freightliner FS-65612
1999 Freightliner FS-6572
1998 Freightliner FS-6541
1997 Freightliner FS-6530
1996 Freightliner FS-6520

What Freightliner FS-65 owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 33 complaints with NHTSA. The 2000 model year has the most, with 12.

All Freightliner FS-65 recalls (11)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Freightliner FS-65, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

  1. Linkages (steering)

    NHTSA 07V394000 Reported 4,850 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

    On certain school bus and motor home chassis, improper pinch bolt installation may result in decoupling of the steering shaft and a loss of steering.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and ensure that the steering shaft pinch bolts are properly installed. Improperly installed pinch bolts will be torqued to the correct specification. The recall began on october 16, 2007. Owners…

    Model years: 2005, 2006

  2. Fuel system, diesel

    NHTSA 05V205000 Reported 16,000 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

    Certain 1998-2003 my freightliner fs-65 school bus chassis and mb-45, mb-55, and xb shuttle bus chassis, and thomas built bus: mvp-er and mvp-ef school bus and non-school bus models equipped with cummins isb diesel engines and equipped with federal-mogal 12 and 24 volt fuel lift pumps. The fuel pump could fail to transfer fuel…

    Remedy: Cummins will notify the customers of freightliner and thomas built and replace the fuel lift pump free of charge. Owners may contact cummins at 1-800-diesels.

    Model years: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

  3. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)

    NHTSA 04V343000 Reported 3,200 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

    On certain school buses chassis equipped with caterpillar engines and hydraulic brakes. A braided ground strap for the starter may rub on a steel chassis brake line potentially causing a fluid leak.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the brake line and replace it, if necessary. The braided ground strap will be replaced with an insulated cable. The recall began on august 10, 2004. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.

    Model years: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

  4. Vehicle speed control

    NHTSA 02V248000 Reported 818 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    On certain school bus chassis with cummins isb engines with mechanical throttle, the throttle cable can vibrate excessively and break near the end fitting that attaches to the engine linkage.

    Remedy: Dealers will remove and replace the throttle cable with a new design. Owner notification began on february 17, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…

    Model years: 1996, 1997, 1998

  5. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (service brakes)

    NHTSA 02V084000 Reported 16,000 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    On certain school buses, the brake hoses from the chassis to front brake chambers could develop leaks due to the hose routing that could overstress the hose during sharp turns.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect for improper routing. If improper routing is found, dealers will replace and correct the hose routing. Owner notification began april 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized…

    Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

  6. Electrical system: wiring

    NHTSA 01V215000 Reported 8,753 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: bus chassis vehicles. An electrical pass-through connector may not fit in the firewall mounting hole correctly, resulting in the connector dislodging and an electrical terminal contacting the firewall.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect vehicles for proper mounting of the electrical pass through and correct if necessary. Owner notification began october 9, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed…

    Model years: 2000, 2001

  7. Tie rod assembly (steering)

    NHTSA 01V044002 Reported 16,000 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: trucks, school bus and motor home chassis, and transit buses equipped with tie rod assemblies manufactured by trw. The suspect tie rods contain 24-dl model ball sockets. Certain of the tie rod ball-socket bearings have a below-specification case depth and/or hardness, which can lead to premature wear of the socket.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the defective ball sockets and/or drag links. Owner notification began may 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the…

    Model years: 1999

  8. Antilock (service brakes)

    NHTSA 00V279001 Reported 13,008 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: shuttle buses, recreational vehicles, utility vans, and heavy duty trucks equipped with meritor wabco phase 1, d-version antilock brake system (ABS), fail to comply to the requirements of FMVSS no. 105, "hydraulic and electric brake systems." an internal diagnostic system in the ABS may not detect an extreme wheel…

    Remedy: Dealers will remove and replace the ABS ECU or the ECU will be reprogrammed. Owner notification began february 6, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…

    Model years: 1999

  9. Automatic transmission (power train)

    NHTSA 00V229001 Reported 594 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks, shuttle buses, transit buses and step vans equipped with allison 1000 or 2400 series transmissions. These transmissions can experience park pawl to rear cover interference due to an out of flatness condition.

    Remedy: Allison transmission is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Dealers will remove the transmission from the vehicle, replace the park pawl, and reinstall the transmission in the vehicle. Owner…

    Model years: 2000

  10. Antilock (service brakes)

    NHTSA 00V232002 Reported 35,405 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ECU), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain…

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the ABS ECU.

    Model years: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000

  11. Service brakes, air

    NHTSA 99V055002 Reported 285 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

    Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with meritor air brake automatic slack adjusters. Some of the automatic slack adjusters had insufficient torque applied to the guide pawl cap screw.

    Remedy: Dealers will check the torque on the automatic slack adjuster guide pawl. If there is no torque, the brakes will be adjusted and the guide pawl will be tightened to 15-20 ft. Lbs.

    Model years: 1999

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.