Freightliner Cascadia Complaints

57 consumer complaints on file.

#11633132December 30, 2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When driving in highway traffic at moderate to high speeds (as well as low speeds), the truck will often accelerate with (and towards) a vehicle that is less than 1 second ahead of the truck. Certainly this often happens when there is not a safe distance between the truck and the next vehicle. The trucks systems in no way seem to expect that the next vehicle could slam on brakes at any moment. I have had this happen many times when a vehicle merges too close in front of me and then accelerates. The truck will accelerate with the vehicle (that the truck is now tailgating), even though there is slowing or stopping traffic directly ahead of the vehicle the truck is following. The Safety Director at Tyson Foods, Robert Carl, told me in a conference call about the unsafe flaws in the truck, that these Freightliner systems are programmed to "try" to maintain about a 2.5 second following distance. Even this is patently unsafe. Driver safety guidelines (FMCSA) are: "If you are driving below 40 mph, you should leave at least one second for every 10 feet of vehicle length. For a typical tractor-trailer, this results in 4 seconds between you and the leading vehicle. For speeds over 40 mph, you should leave one additional second." It would appear that Daimler/Freightliner may have used Autonomous Driving software that was designed for cars, and has tried to "adjust" it to work in tractor-trailers. That is speculation, but based on the supposed target following distance, that may be correct. 2.5 seconds is certainly too close, and the distances of less than 1 second that I have commonly seen are not acceptable in any truck.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633128December 30, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
When approaching stopped traffic, sometimes the truck will respond and begin to slow down. At other times, the truck will continue at set speed toward a detected stopped vehicle, and in situations where the time and distance are way too short to justify no reaction by the system. The truck at sometimes acts like it is auto-driving; at others it acts as if it is only in crash-mitigation mode, and will wait for the driver until the last possible second and then slam on brakes. There have been some times where the truck actually gave a collision warning (alarm and display turns red), but in no way attempted to slow itself. This happens with vehicles detected in the truck's headway for multiple seconds beforehand. In short, the truck will sometimes apparently allow itself to rear-end a vehicle in front of itself, even though the sensors detected it and it had plenty of time to react. When there has been a collision warning with no action by the autonomous system, it has often been when there is less than 1/2 second for the driver to intervene.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11633126December 30, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The cruise control (level 2 autonomous) will turn itself off without any warning sometimes. This happens any time the truck is set for above the speed limit by more than 2 mph. The truck uses a speed limit map, independent of actual posted speed limits. When the truck detects a speed limit drop to below the cruise setting, either real or imagined, the cruise control disengages without any warning or notification. This is a problem when I expect the truck to continue its autonomous function in traffic situations, but it does not, and without warning. The system will even disengage while it is operating; it will be slowing or maintaining a following distance, then disengage. The driver has no idea if the truck is still auto-driving until he is close to a rear-end accident. Also, bear in mind that speed limit signs are often only posted on the right side of the road; If there is something blocking the sign, like another vehicle, the cruise will still disengage without warning, and the driver does not know it. The only way to tell if cruise is still engaged is by looking for a small green icon in the bottom left of the dash display, which is over 20 degrees down from focal view. Also, there are times when the cruise disengages for no apparent reason. Sometimes there is a barely audible bluetooth-disconnect type sound, but often there is no audible warning. There is also no display warning of any type.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631506December 18, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
ABS system is shutting causing all safety systems to shut down including cruise control. Freightliner is overlaying the harness for abs sensors at the owners expense. There should be a recall for them to fix this issue. They are very aware of what's going on and are doing nothing to fix the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11631164December 17, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Illegal communication device on and inside truck harss and stalk driver across state lines divert driver attention while driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11626573November 21, 2024
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
The contact owns a 2023 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the steering wheel locked up, the vehicle became uncontrollable, and the vehicle flipped over. The vehicle was uncontrollable. All the warning lights illuminated. A police report was filed. The contact received injuries to her back and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where medical attention was provided. The airbags deployed. There was an unknown substance leaking from the vehicle. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11624895November 13, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
On [XXX] I was traveling across Wyoming west from Laramie Wy to Cokeville Wy. It had been snowing all day with temperatures fluctuating between 28 and 31 degrees. I had my headlights on all day when the sun went down I was on [XXX] and I couldn't see anything. I had to pull over on the side of the snow covered road to find my headlights totally covered with about a half inch of snow and ice. I asked my dealer to check the LED headlight heaters and was told Freightliner didn't build a heater for their LED headlights. LED headlights do not create heat on their own and there for will not melt snow and ice off like traditional halogen lights will. I travel from Oregon to Colorado every week and this is a serious safety defect it is dangerous to pull over to clear snow and ice on the side of the road just so Freightliner could save a few dollars on headlight heaters that all LED headlight manufacturers are already included on other vehicles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624756November 12, 2024
STEERING
The contact owned a 2024 Freight Liner PT. The contact stated while the driver was driving at 64 MPH, the driver heard a pop sound, and the vehicle veered off to the left and crashed into a cement guard rail. The contact stated that the driver was steering in the right direction, however, the vehicle independently veered to the left. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. In addition, the contact stated that the same vehicle experienced a similar failure in January 2024. The contact stated that the vehicle was jack-knifed, however, the video confirmed that the driver was driving at 48 MPH and did not depress the brake pedal. Also, the contact stated that before the January 2024 failure, the engine was rebuilt in the vehicle. The contact was concerned that the failure was due to manufacturer defects. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,500.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622158October 27, 2024
ENGINE
The flex flang behind the turbocharger has broken off. This lets the hot exhaust gases blow directly onto the underside of the cab and onto electrical wires. And other parts of the truck
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11614562September 14, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
Intermittent air leak from the Turbo cut off valve on Wabco air drier, Causing loss of system air pressure. This issue has been happening on many of the freightliner trucks in our fleet, Ever since Wabco re-designed the air drier. Wabco tag info. 23161 116973 4324801450
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11578262March 19, 2024
SERVICE BRAKES
All 6 Rotors have circumferential Groves. Dealer refuses to fix the issue. It was dropped for repairs due to lack of proper braking. Dealer road tested unit and stated that everything operates properly. When confronted that groves will get deeper in short period of time and it's a safety issue they still refused to repair. Unit has bumper to bumper warranty for 100k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569193February 1, 2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
While vehicle approached a hazard blocking the roadway the forward collision and automatic braking feature did not engage; apparently due to the vehicle sensors not recognizing the hazard. The object in the roadway was a 53 ft van trailer that was laid on it's side with the translucent roof facing the approaching vehicle.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
7
Deaths:
0
#11561665December 23, 2023
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
When driving, there is a constant and very strong vibration throughout the entirety of the truck. This makes it difficult to steer and drive in a safe manner. I've replaced any parts that might be associated with this malfunction with brand new parts at the advice of professional mechanics (cost over $30,000) and it was to no avail. The truck is still malfunctioning and I have been left unable to work or barely working for 14 months. The vibration has caused many health concerns, like headaches, nausea, and stomach ulcers. I went to over 10 dealers and there has been no solutions that have worked.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11558460December 4, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
The vehicle does not have the hood rear view convex mirrors.. The hood mirrors are use for rear to side view blind spot that the passenger or driver side mirrors cannot see. For instance entering or crossing a two way divided highway with no traffic lights, the hood mirrors is use to view when entering without on coming vehicle in a blind spot brushing past your engine compartment or passenger side. Also needed for parking towards the blind spot passenger side or docking without a spotter. I noticed there a group of such Freightliner missing the two hood rear view mirrors
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550118October 16, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
The contact owns a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V817000 (Service Brakes, Air, Forward Collision Avoidance) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Axiomatic Braking System independently activated. The failure had occurred approximately 15 times and occurred intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed that it was a known issue. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 115,629. Parts distribution disconnect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11535215July 29, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Dash light warning lights come on and causes the cruise control to stop working. A total of 6 fault lights comes on and also causes the Adaptive Cruise Control to not work. This is the 3rd Freightliner Cascadia that I have driven in the past 3 and a half years and every single truck has had the same problem. Freightliner has refused to acknowledge that there is a problem. Nobody seems to know what to do to correct the problem. We are owner operators and long haul drivers and needcruise control. Freightliner dealers are almost impossible to get anything repaired because they do not accept appointments and they have so many trucks sitting around waiting for repairs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11532293July 14, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
The contact owns a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated while reversing at 10 MPH, the brake caliper seized and the two front driver’s side inside tires exploded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with front brake modulator failure. The contact was informed that the front brake modulator valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that she had contacted the dealer and the manufacturer about the failure and was informed by the manufacturer that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V817000 (Service Brakes, Air, Forward Collision Avoidance) however, the dealer would not honor the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 201,285.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11530297July 4, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Emplyoer has not fixed anything on the truck, the truck shouldn’t be operating, doesn’t meet DOT Regulations, I was told not to go into any scales or weigh stations, loses air and the air doesn’t build back up properly, I lost all air in my breaks while driving on the road
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11529649June 29, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I'd like to report the automatic braking device on our company semi tractor. I work for a large mega carrier hauling all types of freight, with triples and doubles combination trailers. We operate with Freightliners, Kenworths, and Internationals. The tractor tractor I use is a 2021 Freightliner equipped with a safety feature, an automatic braking system to avoid collisions for stopped or slowed traffic ahead. The issue is, it randomly brakes with no obstructions ahead. I've seen reports that you guys are looking into this. And I'm also informing you that our trucks deal with this issue as well. There's no defect warnings on the device's monitor system. No previous accidents that would cause issues to the device to have faulty sensor. The problem with the system, it sees a shadow on the road and it thinks theres a stopped vehicle, forcing the truck to hard apply the brakes. This can be extremely dangerous on inclement weather, more so on icy conditions. Few weeks ago, I traveled through the same part of the toll road like I always do, I know this spot activates the brakes 70-85% of the time during the night. That night, my trailers ABS light was on, when I approached the bad spot, all my brakes activated and almost caused my truck to jack-knife, lost full control but didn't crash, nor was anyone near me. But it would've been a different outcome if it was bad weather. When I approach this area, I always turn on my high beams to try to eliminate the shadow on the road. Where this happens: Indiana Toll Road 80-90, Elkhart IN, West bound lanes, right before exit 92. The overpass that causes this shadow is Johnson Street. You can see on Google street maps, where other trucks have had automatic braking activated, from seeing tire marks on the road. The lights around create that shadow at night. I would just like to inform you guys of my experiences. I have also reached out to INDOT about the issue, not sure if they looked into it. Reporting before a crash could happen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11529518June 29, 2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE, SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
The contact owns a 2022 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the service brakes were applied without input from the driver. The Forward Collision-Avoidance warning light was illuminated. There was no object in the roadway to activate the feature. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Action Number: PE23010 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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