Freightliner MT-45 Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 5 owner complaints across 9 model years of the Freightliner MT-45 (2000–2008). The most-complained-about year is 2000.

Pick your Freightliner MT-45 model year

• 2000
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008

What Freightliner MT-45 owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. The 2000 model year has the most, with 2.

• Structure: hood2
• Fuel system, gasoline: fuel pump1
• Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system1
• Fuel system, gasoline1

All Freightliner MT-45 recalls (8)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Freightliner MT-45, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Check valve (service brakes)

   NHTSA 07V302000 Reported July 16, 2007 75,000 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

   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,…

   Model years: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

2. Switch (exterior lighting)

   NHTSA 06V321000 Reported August 31, 2006 3,300 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

   On certain walk-in vans, the stop lamps may be intermittent during light brake applications. The cruise control may not immediately deactivate when the service brakes are applied.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the switch with one having a lower application load rating free of charge. The recall began on january 24, 2007. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.

   Model years: 2007

3. Fuel pump (fuel system)

   NHTSA 05V469000 Reported October 5, 2005 8,310 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

   Certain 2004 and 2005 freightliner van, motor home, shuttle bus, and school bus chassis manufactured between january 2004 and may 2005. Erratic voltage supply to the fuel lift pump causes premature wear of the pump. This premature wear could result in fuel lift pump failure and in some cases may cause an engine stall condition.

   Remedy: Cummins will notify the owners of the freightliner and thomas built vehicles and will repair the engines by emc recalibration and replacement of the fuel lift pump at no charge to the customer. Owners may contact…

   Model years: 2005

4. Labels (equipment)

   NHTSA 05V138000 Reported April 5, 2005 500 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER LLC

   Certain van chassis with single rear tires fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars." the rear tire rating was incorrectly entered in the gawr/gvwr calculation program on certain single rear tires. The rear gawr and gvwr…

   Remedy: Dealers will mail new chassis identification labels with the correct gawr, gvwr, and tire information. The recall began on september 12, 2005. Owners may contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.

   Model years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

5. Tie rod assembly (steering)

   NHTSA 01V140007 Reported September 17, 2001 75,000 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

   Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain meritor axles. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.

   Remedy: Dealers will remove and replace all affected tie rods and drag links with different designed ends. Owner notification began november 8, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon…

   Model years: 2000

6. Electrical system: wiring

   NHTSA 01V116000 Reported April 13, 2001 1,400 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

   Vehicle description: step vans. Water could enter the electrical relays resulting in an electrical short.

   Remedy: Dealers will install a new sealed relay and fuse box with sealed relays. Owner notification began july 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive…

   Model years: 2000, 2001

7. Electrical system: wiring

   NHTSA 01V117000 Reported April 13, 2001 1,354 vehicles potentially affected FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION

   Vehicle description: step vans. The back-up brake pump was wired to a 25 amp fused circuit instead of the required 50 amp fused circuit. If the back-up hydraulic brake pump were to engage due to a failure in the primary brake assist system or the brakes are applied without the engine running, the fuse could blow.

   Remedy: Dealers will rewire the back-up brake pump circuit. Owner notification began july 23, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy…

   Model years: 2000, 2001

8. Automatic transmission (power train)

   NHTSA 00V229001 Reported August 17, 2000 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

Other Freightliner models

• Cascadia253 complaints
• Freightliner135 complaints
• Columbia96 complaints
• Conventional76 complaints
• Business Class M254 complaints
• Century53 complaints
• Sprinter 250049 complaints
• FL-7037 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.