1997 Freightliner FL-70: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
198,069 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 1997 model year. Data updated: . 1 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Most common problems
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings is the most frequently named component, appearing in 1 of 2 complaints (50.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cables | 1 |
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings: 1; Vehicle Speed Control:Cables: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 0 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 1
150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (1). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 1 |
| 2003 | 1 |
2000: 1; 2003: 1
Pattern summary
Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings leads the component reports. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10029174 · 2003-07-25 (July 25, 2003)
WHILE TRAVELING @ 54 MPH, LOOADED WITH 36 THOUSAND POUNDS OF SHELL TO A JOBSITE NORTHBOUND ON HWY 41 ON THE INSIDE LANE, WENT OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS, AND DUE TO POOR DEPRESSION HUMP ON RAILROAD TRACKS CAUSED VEHICLE TO BLOW OUT AIRBAG AND PISTON WHICH REQUIRED REPAIR COSTING OUR COMPANY $415.02, AND A LOSS OF WORK TO OUR COMPANY COSTING US A TOTAL OF $991.81 FOR THE DELIVERY OF MATERIALS TO A JOB LOST DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM THE WORK AS REQUIRED. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 198,069 miles reported. Look up ODI 10029174 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 558168 · 2000-12-14 (December 14, 2000)
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ACCELERATOR STICKS TO THE FLOOR DUE TO A FRAYED ACCELERATOR CABLE. *SLC
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 558168 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
97V052000 · Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Column Shift
Reported: 1997-04-08 (April 8, 1997)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: VANS AND TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH AN OPTIONAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER THAT INCLUDES A PARK BRAKE POSITION. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER/PARK BRAKE LEVER CAN BIND BEFORE FULLY ENGAGING IN THE PARK BRAKE POSITION CAUSING A FALSE PARK CONDITION.
Consequence: THE VEHICLE CAN MOVE AFTER BEING PLACED IN PARK INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A SPACER PLATE IN THE SHIFTER AND INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF AN "E" CLIP THAT DETAINS THE DETENT PIN.
NHTSA campaign record ↗99V085000 · Parking Brake:Driveline
Reported: 1999-04-20 (April 20, 1999)
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH A DRIVELINE PARKING BRAKE. THE FASTENERS THAT CONNECT THE END OF TRANSMISSION COMPANION FLANGE TO THE PARK DRUM AND DRIVELINE MAY LOOSEN.
Consequence: IF THIS IS UNDETECTED, THE FASTENERS MAY FATIGUE AND EVENTUALLY SHEAR OFF ALLOWING THE DRIVELINE TO SEPARATE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FLANGE FASTENERS FOR PROPER TORQUE AND REPLACE ANY FASTENERS FOUND LOOSE. IF THE FASTENERS ARE FOUND TO BE PROPERLY TORQUED, THEY WILL BE REMOVED, PERMALOCK WILL BE ADDED, AND THEN RETORQUED TO PROPER SPECIFICATIONS.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
2 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-09-30.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1789.5%ODI 897277VEHICLE WILL STALL INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE WITHIN A 2-YEAR PERIOD HAS BEEN BACK TO FACTORY, WHERE ENGINES WERE PUT IN 161 TIMES. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AS BEING THE PROBLEM. REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT REOCCURRING PROBLEM. *AK *JB | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cables | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 558166CONSUMER STATED ACCELERATOR STICKS TO THE FLOOR, DUE TO A FRAYED ACCELERATOR CABLE.*JB | 150.0%ODI 558165CONSUMER STATES THE ACCELERATOR STICKS TO THE FLOOR, CAUSED BY FRAYED CABLE. *JG | 1100.0%ODI 558164CONSUMER STATED THE ACCELERATOR STICKS TO THE FLOOR, CAUSED BY A FRAYED CABLE. *JB | 2100.0%ODI 558163THE ACCELERATOR STICKS TO THE FLOOR DUE TO ACCELERATOR CABLE FAILURE. *YH | 150.0%ODI 558168CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ACCELERATOR STICKS TO THE FLOOR DUE TO A FRAYED ACCELERATOR CABLE. *SLC | 210.5% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 421.1%ODI 897291TRUCK STALLED INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AT ANY SPEED. TRUCK WITHIN A 2-YEAR PERIOD HAS BEEN BACK TO FACTORY, WHERE ENGINES WERE PUT IN 161 TIMES. FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED AS BEING THE PROBLEM. REMEDY DID NOT CORRECT REOCCURRING PROBLEM.*AK | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 240.0%ODI 716044TRUCK'S 7 SPEED SPICER TRANSMISSION JUMPS OUT OF GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, OFTEN OCCURRING ON DOWNGRADES WHEN GEARS ARE NEEDED MOST. THIS PROBLEM WAS NEVER CORRECTED BY DEALER REPAIR SHOPS. ULTIMATELY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED COMPLETED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION OF THE SAME TYPE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM OF JUMPING OUT OF GEAR BEFORE FINALLY LOCKING UP. DEALER REPAIR SPECIALIST HAVE TOLD ME OF MANUFACTURER DEFECTS IN THIS TRANSMISSION. FREIGHTLINER HAS STOPPED USING THEM ON THEIR TRUCKS BUT REFUSE TO RE-CALL. REPLACEMENTS ARE MADE … | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Suspension:Front:Springs:Leaf Spring Assembly:Hanger,Bracket | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 250.0%ODI 557098AXLE #1 LEFT SIDE FRONT SPRING HANGER IS LOOSE, BOLTS SPIN EASILY BY HAND. |
| Service Brakes, Air | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 8011608REAR AIR CAN MOUNTING IS BREAKING OFF TRUCK, IF THIS BREAKS, ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE TRUCK WILL HAVE BRAKES.*AK CONSUMER NOTICED BANGING NOISE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. *YH | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 125.0%ODI 885763CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 00V232002/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALLS SF227A AND FL264E IN JAN 2001 CONCERNING ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. HAS CONTACTED CLOSEST DEALER, GALERGER FREIGHTLINER IN NEWBURG,NY TELE 8455657700 ABOUT 3 TIMES, AND WAS TOLD DEALER'S SERIVICE WILL CALL BACK TO SET APPOINTMENT. BUT, CONSUMER NEVER RECEIVED A CALL BACK. ALSO, CONTACTED FREIGHTLINER MANFACTURER AND LEFT MESSAGE. BUT, NEVER GOT CALL BACK EITHER. IN MEANTIME CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AN UNSAFE VEHICLE.*AK |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 120.0% | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings | Too few reports for a range | 198,069 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10029174 · 198,069 miWHILE TRAVELING @ 54 MPH, LOOADED WITH 36 THOUSAND POUNDS OF SHELL TO A JOBSITE NORTHBOUND ON HWY 41 ON THE INSIDE LANE, WENT OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS, AND DUE TO POOR DEPRESSION HUMP ON RAILROAD TRACKS CAUSED VEHICLE TO BLOW OUT AIRBAG AND PISTON WHICH REQUIRED REPAIR COSTING OUR COMPANY $415.02, AND A LOSS OF WORK TO OUR COMPANY COSTING US A TOTAL OF $991.81 FOR THE DELIVERY OF MATERIALS TO A JOB LOST DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM THE WORK AS REQUIRED. *AK |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
1999: 4 complaints · 2000: 4 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2000 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings | Vehicle Speed Control:Cables |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension:Rear:Springs:Air Suspension System:Lines And Fittings | — | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control:Cables | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.