Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) alerted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to a safety malfunction possible in more than 100,000 Freightliner Cascadias, including certain 2019 Freightliner Classic Cascadia and 2019-2021 Freightliner Cascadia trucks.
According to the OEM, the drag link taper joint might be tightened sufficiently and could come loose, resulting in the separation of the drag link from the steering arm and an increased risk of crashing the vehicle. DTNA is recalling all potentially affected vehicles.
This is not the first malfunction to impact Cascadia owners. On July 13, 2020, DTNA recalled over 164,000 2017-2021 Freightliner Cascadias due to a corroded modulator valve that may cause brake pull.
According to DTNA, the single brake modulator valve may have been affected by chemical corrosion, which can slow down the release timing and cause the brakes to pull to the affected side during automatic braking events.
NHTSA reported that DTNA will inspect the drag link taper joint and repair it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on Oct. 31, 2021.
