Mack U Series Recalls & Complaints by Model Year

NHTSA lists 10 safety recalls and 0 owner complaints across 12 model years of the Mack U Series (1976–1989).

Pick your Mack U Series model year

• 1976
• 1977
• 1978
• 1979
• 1980
• 1981
• 1982
• 1983
• 1984
• 1987
• 1988
• 1989

All Mack U Series recalls (10)

Every NHTSA safety campaign that lists a Mack U Series, most recent first, with the model years each one covers.

1. Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)

   NHTSA 89V086000 Reported May 22, 1989 16,000 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   Steering wheel retaining nuts may have been improperly installed and/or torqued.

   Remedy: Renew and retorque steering wheel retaining nuts.

   Model years: 1988, 1989

2. Hose, piping, and connections (steering)

   NHTSA 89V032000 Reported March 3, 1989 3,127 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   An incorrect high pressure power steering hose may have been installed.

   Remedy: Replace incorrect power steering hoses.

   Model years: 1987, 1988

3. Linkages (steering)

   NHTSA 88V125000 Reported July 27, 1988 6,400 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   Some of the nuts/bolts used to fasten the steering pitman arm may loosen.

   Remedy: Retorque nuts/bolts where necessary.

   Model years: 1988

4. Center support bearing (power train)

   NHTSA 88V085000 Reported May 23, 1988 203 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   Clamp plates used between the drive shaft and carrier yokes may crack and could break due to improper heat treatment.

   Remedy: Install new clamping plates and capscrews in all locations as needed.

   Model years: 1988

5. Linkages (steering)

   NHTSA 87V179000 Reported November 23, 1987 323 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   Cross steering levers may be improperly heat treated and subject to fail during normal operation.

   Remedy: Install new, properly heat treated steering lever.

   Model years: 1987

6. Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)

   NHTSA 84V033000 Reported March 22, 1984 4,393 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   Improper steering clamp bolts and torque applied during installation. The bolt could fail, allowing the steering yoke to become loose.

   Remedy: Inspection and, if necessary, installation of proper steering shaft clamp bolts tightened to specifications.

   Model years: 1983, 1984

7. Steering wheel/handle bar (steering)

   NHTSA 82V019000 Reported March 2, 1982 22 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   Certain vehicles may be subject to steering shaft separation due to loose set screws in the dash sheet bearing which may allow the shaft to move.

   Remedy: Dealer will inspect and modify the steering shaft by providing a greater slip length in the steering drive shaft to eliminate slip joint separation.

   Model years: 1980, 1981, 1982

8. Hand control/valve (service brakes)

   NHTSA 81V088000 Reported July 8, 1981 10,000 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   The retaining pin for the brake control knob has been misaligned (off the center line of the valve plunger hole). This causes the knob to be overstressed at the retaining pin hole area causing it to separate from the valve.

   Remedy: The holes will be retooled to provide correct alignment and plastic knobs will be replaced by knobs of stronger material having metal reinforcements.

   Model years: 1979, 1980

9. Gear box (other than rack and pinion) (steering)

   NHTSA 80V054000 Reported May 6, 1980 109 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

   The prefabricated pinch bolt clamp at the lower steering shaft lower yoke may not perform adequately when tightened to specifications. The clamp may then deform and loss of clamping force and steering shaft disengagement may result.

   Remedy: Dealer will retrofit with lower steering shaft lower yokes that provide for integral pinch bolt installation in place of previous separately fabricated clamp for the pinch bolt.

   Model years: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980

10. Air (parking brake)

    NHTSA 80V052000 Reported May 6, 1980 9,666 vehicles potentially affected MACK TRUCKS, INCORPORATED

    On certain vehicles, the knob that operates the tractor park valve may break off, rendering the valve inoperable.

    Remedy: Defective knobs will be replaced with an improved type, without charge to owner.

    Model years: 1979, 1980

Other Mack models

• Mack28 complaints
• Anthem (an)12 complaints
• Granite (gr)9 complaints
• CXU6127 complaints
• Ch6 complaints
• Gu6 complaints
• CH6005 complaints
• Cxu5 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.