1997 International Harvester 4700 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
4 safety recalls list the 1997 International Harvester 4700, and owners have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
4 safety recalls for the 1997 International Harvester 4700
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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Seats
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with bostrom driver seat models 910, 910sc, or 914 and international's parking brake code 04036, if someone outside the cab adjusts/slides the driver's seat to its most forward position, with the parking brake set, the seat will contact and release the parking brake lever.
Remedy: Dealers will install a stop-bracket on the seat track to limit the travel of the seat so that the seat cannot release the parking brake lever. Owner notification began on march 31, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles…
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Suspension: rear
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.
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Suspension: rear
The drive axle housings consist of a plate steel center section and two forged spindles, one of which is welded to each end of the center section. Each spindle contains a keyway slot in which the locking tab for the wheel bearing nut locking mechanism is inserted. The length of the keyway slot may not be long enough to accommodate the…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the drive axle housing nuts with a conventional wheel nut hardware system.
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Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)
The steering column used was incorrectly manufactured. The tube portion of the steering column has a welded end with a specified length of 5.5 inches. A 3.5 inch welded end was used by mistake. With the shorter end, it is possible there is insufficient engagement of the male end into the tube portion and separation of the column could…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the incorrectly built steering column with a new correctly built steering column.
13 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 1997 International Harvester 4700 have filed 13 complaints with NHTSA. Reports cite 6 injuries and 2 deaths. Complaints peaked in 1997 with 3 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Dealer: wise international; south bend. In; phone number# 219/288-9929 was unable to honor manufacturer's recall because no parts were available. Feel free to provide any further information.*ak”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 1, 2002 · Steering
“Consumer received recall notice. Dealer stated they would let consumer know when parts came in for tie rod recall repairs. *ak the dealer was not able to correct the recall problem. *yh”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, February 5, 2001 · Steering
Compare International Harvester 4700 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every International Harvester 4700 model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 International Harvester 4700 | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 International Harvester 4700 | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 International Harvester 4700 | 1 | 1 |
| 1994 International Harvester 4700 | 2 | 1 |
| 1995 International Harvester 4700 | 5 | 2 |
| 1996 International Harvester 4700 | 1 | 3 |
| 1997 International Harvester 4700 | 4 | 13 |
| 1998 International Harvester 4700 | 3 | 2 |
| 1999 International Harvester 4700 | 5 | 5 |
| 2000 International Harvester 4700 | 5 | 6 |
| 2001 International Harvester 4700 | 4 | 7 |
Checking a specific 1997 International Harvester 4700
How do I know if my 1997 International Harvester 4700 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. 4 campaigns currently list the 1997 International Harvester 4700; 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 International Harvester dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 03V083000).
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 International Harvester models
- School Bus42 complaints
- 380041 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.