International Harvester 3800 Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 15 safety recalls and 41 owner complaints across 22 model years of the International Harvester 3800 (1979–2001). The most-complained-about year is 1999.

Pick your International Harvester 3800 model year

• 1979
• 1980
• 1981
• 1982
• 1983
• 1984
• 1985
• 1986
• 1987
• 1988
• 1989
• 1991
• 1992
• 1993
• 1994
• 1995
• 1996
• 1997
• 1998
• 1999
• 2000
• 2001

What International Harvester 3800 owners complain about

Across all model years, owners have filed 41 complaints with NHTSA. The 1999 model year has the most, with 9.

• Engine and engine cooling: fan8
• Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip5
• Structure: frame and members4
• Electrical system4
• Service brakes, air4
• Steering: pump3
• Structure2
• Service brakes, hydraulic2

All International Harvester 3800 recalls (15)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a International Harvester 3800, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Wheel speed sensor (service brakes)

   NHTSA 04V269000 Reported June 3, 2004 81,883 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK & ENGINE CORPORATION

   On certain school buses and truck model vehicles manufactured between february 28, 1999, through april 5, 2004, the anti-lock brake system electronic control unit (ECU) may misinterpret a corrupt wheel speed signal.

   Remedy: International will notify its customers and inspect and repair the affected vehicles free of charge. The recall began august 1, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service…

   Model years: 1999, 2000, 2001

2. Disc (service brakes)

   NHTSA 03V062000 Reported February 25, 2003 35,074 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK & ENGINE CORPORATION

   On certain school and transit buses built with bosch zero offset pin slide (zops) hydraulic disc brakes, the zops hydraulic disc brakes may experience calipers sticking in the applied position, which can result in excessive or abnormal heat generation at one or more of the brakes.

   Remedy: International will notify its customers and repair the buses free of charge. The recall began october 29, 2004.

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

3. Pump (steering)

   NHTSA 00V148000 Reported May 23, 2000 4,534 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   Vehicle description: school/transit buses and medium duty trucks. The castings used on the power steering pumps were not built to match the engineering drawings, resulting in a thin wall in the pump casting or a complete connection of two passages that are supposed to be separated to control fluid flow. The fluid flow may be reduced to…

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace all pumps that have the defective casting numbers.

   Model years: 2000

4. Accelerator pedal (vehicle speed control)

   NHTSA 96V239000 Reported November 27, 1996 727 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   Vehicle description: school buses equipped with the international i6 electronic engine and an extra thick bus body floor. The accelerator pedal to floor clearance is approximately 1.2 inches with a standard bus body floor. However, some customers ordered an additional 3/4 inch thick floor and extra thick floor mats to serve as…

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the flooring on these buses to insure there is a minimum of 1/4 inch clearance. On buses with less than 1/4 inch clearance, the dealer will remove the pedal and cut off the bottom of the pad to…

   Model years: 1996, 1997

5. Suspension: rear

   NHTSA 96V240000 Reported November 27, 1996 233 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   Vehicle description: school buses and heavy duty trucks equipped with rear axle assemblies produced by dana spicer. Certain rear axle assemblies were improperly heat treated which could allow pinion breakage at the pinion threads.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear axle carrier/pinion assembly.

   Model years: 1997

6. Switch (exterior lighting)

   NHTSA 96V192000 Reported November 12, 1996 171,638 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   These buses have a turn signal lever that will not operate consistently in the lane change mode if the lever is not moved to the position where resistance to movement is felt.

   Remedy: Operators will be mailed information concerning the proper method of using turn signals. A decal will also be provided to be placed on the instrument panel of each bus.

   Model years: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994

7. Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (service brakes)

   NHTSA 96V174000 Reported September 13, 1996 580 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   The wiring from the electronic control unit was connected to the wrong wheel sensor or to the wrong brake modulator valve. It is possible that either or both wiring may have occurred at either the front or rear axle or both axles.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the ABS wiring and, if necessary, properly connect.

   Model years: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996

8. Suspension: rear

   NHTSA 96V096000 Reported June 11, 1996 588 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   The axle housings were manufactured with a tight friction weld curl radius on the inside diameter of the axle housing. Under operational loads, cracks can initiate at the weld curl radius on the inside of the housing. These cracks may propagate, eventually allowing the axle spindle to separate from the axle housing.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear axle housing with a new housing.

   Model years: 1982

9. Hubcap/cover (wheels)

   NHTSA 96V041000 Reported March 1, 1996 206 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

   The front wheel hub can develop cracks at the wheel mounting studs. When mounted to the hub, the hydraulic brake disc rotor does not properly support the hub at the wheel studs causing excessive stress and fatigue cracks in the hub.

   Remedy: Dealers will install new, redesigned hubs on these vehicles.

   Model years: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996

10. Cables (vehicle speed control)

    NHTSA 95V127000 Reported June 27, 1995 21,742 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

    The wire end of the hand throttle cable passes through a split plastic grommet in the accelerator rod. This wire can work through the slot in the grommet and become lodged between the grommet and the edge of the hole in the accelerator rod.

    Remedy: Dealers will repair buses by installing a new cable grommet without a slot; install a new cable stop; and readjust the throttle cable.

    Model years: 1989, 1991

11. Turbo/supercharger (engine and engine cooling)

    NHTSA 94V144000 Reported August 2, 1994 373 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

    Four compression backplate retaining fasteners on the turbo-charger were torqued only hand tight. This allows the fasteners to loosen, and causes oil to leak into the compressor air side of the turbo-charger which, when coupled with the heat precipitated by the compressor and the mixing action of the compressor wheel, can result in an…

    Remedy: Replace the suspect turbo-charger with a new turbo-charger.

    Model years: 1994, 1995

12. Accelerator pedal (vehicle speed control)

    NHTSA 94V133000 Reported July 19, 1994 2,708 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

    These buses were built with an additional 3/4 inch thick plywood floor and extra thick floor mats for increased insulation during cold weather. The bottom edge of the accelerator pedal, when depressed, can come in contact with the head of a bolt securing the transmission cover to the floor. The engine throttle may not return to the idle…

    Remedy: Dealers will remove 1/2 inch from the bottom of the accelerator pedal.

    Model years: 1995

13. Mounting (fuel system)

    NHTSA 93V112000 Reported July 7, 1993 10,629 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

    The fuel tank cage assembly bolts mounting the vertical straps to the horizontal angle were assembled with the threaded end of the bolts facing the fuel tank.

    Remedy: The fuel tank cage mounting bolts will be removed and reinstalled with the bolt head toward the tank.

    Model years: 1991, 1992

14. Air suspension system (suspension)

    NHTSA 93V092000 Reported May 21, 1993 193 vehicles potentially affected INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE

    The pressure relief valve was omitted in the air tank. The air tank is the reservoir for the air suspension and is not brake related. Without the pressure relief valve, there is no back-up system to limit air pressure in the air suspension system.

    Remedy: Install a pressure relief valve in the air tank.

    Model years: 1991, 1992, 1993

15. Tank assembly (fuel system)

    NHTSA 92V102000 Reported July 20, 1992 185,000 vehicles potentially affected NAVISTAR INTL CORP.

    The fuel system failed the crash barrier test.

    Remedy: Modify the fuel tank cage to comply with FMVSS 301.

    Model years: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992

Other International Harvester models

• School Bus42 complaints
• 470040 complaints
• 490021 complaints
• International Harvester11 complaints
• Conventional10 complaints
• 94008 complaints
• 93007 complaints
• 92006 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.