2016 Freightliner Business Class M2 recalls & complaints

1. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. The rear disk brake calipers may have been mounted in an incorrect orientation allowing the caliper to contact the suspension, reducing brake effectiveness.

What could happen: Reduced braking effectiveness can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the orientation the rear brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began on June 14, 2018. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-767.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 18V251000 (manufacturer code FL-767).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Lights

What's wrong, in plain English: Headlights, tail lights or turn signals may not work, making the car hard to see. The rear reflective tape may be partially covered by the mudflap hanger bracket, which may reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers on the road. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

What could happen: The vehicle's rearward visibility may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and reposition the reflective tape to ensure that it is completely visible, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 29, 2020. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL848.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 20V214000 (manufacturer code FL848).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. The retaining clip that connects the transmission oil cooler line to the in-tank oil cooler may fail, possibly resulting in a transmission fluid leak.

What could happen: If a rapid loss of transmission fluid occurs while driving, it could result in a road hazard for other motorists, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the retaining clip with a collar and clamp connection, free of charge. The recall began on April 9, 2021. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-874.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V067000 (manufacturer code FL-874).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. In the event of a brake malfunction, these clusters may illuminate the Brake System Malfunction telltale/indicator lamp with the word "PARK" instead of the word "BRAKE". As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays," and number 105, "Hydraulic and Electric Brake Systems."

What could happen: If "PARK" illuminates instead of the word "BRAKE," the driver will be unaware of a braking issue or malfunction, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ICU3s instrument clusters with new clusters, free of charge. An interim notification letter was sent to owners on November 4, 2016. The remedy is now available. A second notice was mailed to owners on April 17, 2017. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V666000 (manufacturer code FL-724).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

5. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. The affected vehicles might not have a required check valve installed in one of the ports of the spring brake modulation valve. Without the valve, the primary air system is not isolated from the secondary air system.

What could happen: A rapid loss of air pressure in the secondary system could cause a similar rapid loss of pressure in the primary system, which may lead to a sudden application of the parking brakes. This could increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles, installing a check valve, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 24, 2017. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-740.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V402000 (manufacturer code FL-740).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-745-8000.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

6. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. These vehicles specify a front axle weight limit that may be greater than that of the hub capacity. As a result, the hub may fail and the wheel may separate from the axle.

What could happen: If a wheel separates from the axle, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle hubs, free of charge. The recall began during November 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-718.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V634000 (manufacturer code FL-718).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

7. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. The affected trucks have been modified to be equipped with both left hand and right hand instrument clusters. Due to incompatibilities between the displays, the instrument clusters and/or turn signals may become unresponsive.

What could happen: Unresponsive instrument clusters and/or turn signals can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left instrument cluster with a cluster compatible with the right display, free of charge. The recall began on May 8, 2017. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL731.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 17V043000 (manufacturer code FL731).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

8. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. The brake caliper mounting bolts on the affected vehicles may be incorrectly torqued, allowing the bolts to loosen and detach.

What could happen: If the brake caliper mounting bolts loosen or detach, braking ability may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake caliper mounting bolts for the proper torque and tighten them as necessary, free of charge. An interim notice was sent to owners on November 7, 2016. The final remedy is now available. A second notice was mailed to owners on January 26, 2017. Owners may c…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V658000 (manufacturer code FL-722).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

9. Wheels / tires

What's wrong, in plain English: A wheel or tire can fail while driving. The affected vehicles have front axles that have a 20,000 pound capacity, however, the installed Bridgestone R249 front tires have a lower maximum load capacity.

What could happen: The operator may unintentionally overload the tires, possibly causing tire failure thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front tires with tires of a higher load capacity, free of charge. The recall began on June 7, 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 800-547-0712. DTNA's recall number for this campaign is FL-706.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V207000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

10. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. The affected vehicles are equipped with certain Cummins ISB6.7, ISL9, ISX12 or ISX15 engines whose engine control module (ECM) may short circuit and blow a fuse resulting in the engine stalling without warning.

What could happen: An engine that stalls without warning increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ECM free of charge. The recall began on October 22, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-690.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V620000 (manufacturer code FL-690).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-745-8000.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

11. Steering

What's wrong, in plain English: If steering fails you can lose control of the car. In the affected vehicles, the steering arm bolts may not be properly tightened.

What could happen: If the steering arm bolts are not properly tightened, the steering arm may separate from the knuckle causing a loss of steering and increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and Daimler Trucks North America or Detroit Diesel authorized service facilities will inspect the steering arm bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 12, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recal…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V613000 (manufacturer code FL-691).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-745-8000.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

12. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. In the affected vehicles, when the transmission shift lever is moved from reverse to neutral, the reverse gear may stay engaged. When the transmission shift lever is moved from reverse to a forward gear position, the transmission may mechanically lock because both the reverse gear and forward gear are simultaneously engaged.

What could happen: Even though the transmission has been shifted out of reverse into neutral, the vehicle may unexpectedly move backwards, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the affected transmissions if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 24, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-693.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V617000 (manufacturer code FL-693).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-745-8000.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

13. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. Due to incorrect positioning, the rear disk brake calipers may contact the spring suspension reducing rear brake performance.

What could happen: A reduction in braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the orientation of the rear brake calipers, free of charge. The recall began on November 13, 2015. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-688.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V586000 (manufacturer code FL-688).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-745-8000.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

14. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. Daimler Trucks North America, Inc. (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, Business Class M2, and Western Star 4900 vehicles manufactured September 26, 2014, to November 6, 2015, and equipped with certain drive axles manufactured by Marmon-Herrington. The affected axles have hex nuts on the flange yoke that may not have been properly tightened.

What could happen: If the hex nuts are not tightened to specification, the driveshaft may disconnect from the drive axle, resulting in a loss of propulsion and increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the hex nuts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-745-8000, or Marmon-Herrington customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-699.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 15V859000 (manufacturer code FL-699).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-745-8000.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

15. Brakes

What's wrong, in plain English: Anything that slows the car down. Treat brake recalls as urgent. The rear disk brake caliper may have been installed incorrectly, thus allowing the caliper to contact the suspension.

What could happen: Caliper contact with the spring suspension may reduce the braking effectiveness, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will correct the orientation of the rear brake calipers, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 8, 2016. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's recall number for this campaign is FL-705.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V206000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

16. Engine

What's wrong, in plain English: Engine problems range from stalling to fire. The engine protection and inducement software may cause the engine to shut down unexpectedly.

What could happen: An unexpected engine shutdown can delay emergency responders and increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Cummins will update the electronic control module software and install a corrected data plate, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 5, 2025. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is F1012.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2016 BUSINESS CLASS M2.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Freightliner dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 24V924000 (manufacturer code F1012).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-547-0712.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Brakes (1).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.