Western Star 4900EX recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
3 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
629,717 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2003 to 2007 model years. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 2 |
| 2006 | 1 |
| 2007 | 1 |
2003: 1; 2004: 2; 2006: 1; 2007: 1
Year-by-year records
Recall history
3 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
04V120000 · Steering:Linkages:Drag:Power Assist System
Reported: 2004-03-08 (March 8, 2004) · Model years: 2003, 2004
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS AND TRUCK-TRACTORS EQUIPPED WITH TRW DRAG LINK ASSEMBLIES, THE REPLACEMENT CLAMP AND DRAG LINK ASSEMBLIES CONTAIN A POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE 5/8-11-GRADE B PREVAILING TORQUE HEX NUT. IF THE FINAL TIGHTENING IS LESS THAN 65 LB.-FT., THE CLAMP LOAD WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLY LOW AND COULD COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE DRAG LINK.
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN THE BALL SOCKET SEPARATING AND CAUSE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY OR A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED HEX NUT(S). OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
NHTSA campaign record ↗04V590000 · Power Train:Driveline
Reported: 2004-12-15 (December 15, 2004) · Model years: 2004
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE INTERAXLE DRIVELINE YOKES. THE BOLT HOLES LOCATED ON THE EARWORK OF THE MALE SHAFT YOKES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH AN OVERSIZED MINOR THREAD DIAMETER.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION ALLOWS THE BOLTS USED IN THE HOLES TO BECOME DETACHED WHICH COULD RESULT IN A DRIVELINE SEPARATION. DRIVELINE SEPARATION COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SUSPECT MALE SHAFT YOKES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 4, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.
NHTSA campaign record ↗08V417000 · Exterior Lighting
Reported: 2008-08-15 (August 15, 2008) · Model years: 2006, 2007
DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING 7 MY 2006-2007 WESTERN STAR 4900EX TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, 'LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.' ADDITIONAL MARKER LAMPS WERE INSTALLED BETWEEN THE REQUIRED IDENTIFICATION LAMPS AND CLEARANCE LAMPS ON THE TOP OF SOME TRUCK CABS.
Consequence: ADDITIONAL LAMPS LOCATED ON THE SAME HORIZONTAL LINE NEAR THE IDENTIFICATION LAMPS MAY MAKE IF DIFFICULT FOR OTHER DRIVERS TO DISTINGUISH LARGER VEHICLES UNDER SOME CONDITIONS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REMOVE THE ADDITIONAL MARKER LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 2, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DAIMLER TRUCKS AT 1-800-547-0712.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
3 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
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 | 2003 | 2004 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 103550812008 STARTED OVERHEATING UNDER A LOAD AND UPHILLS. SEVERAL EGR VALVES, AIR CHARGE COOLERS, TURBOS, FLUSHING AND STEAM CLEANING RADIATOR,HEAD GASKETS, THERMO STATS, AND IT STILL OVERHEATS. WE HAVE CONSULTED WITH WESTERN STAR TO FIND THE PROBLEM AND THEY WILL NO LONGER RETURN OUR CALLS. *TR |
| Equipment | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10558735 · 990,000 miTHE OVERHEAD CONSOLES, WHICH HOUSE MULTIPLE RADIOS, HAVE INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND CAUSE THE RADIOS TO FALL ON THE DRIVER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Structure | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10558735 · 990,000 miTHE OVERHEAD CONSOLES, WHICH HOUSE MULTIPLE RADIOS, HAVE INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND CAUSE THE RADIOS TO FALL ON THE DRIVER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. *TR | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 150.0%ODI 10288760 · 269,433 miON MARCH 12, 2009 I BOUGHT 8 SUMITOMO 255/70R22.5 MODEL #ST727 TIRES FOR MY COMMERCIAL TRUCK. APROX. 50K MILES OF USE ONE OF THE TIRES ARE CRACKING FROM THE TOP OF THE TIRE GOING DOWN THE SIDE WALL. I WAS TOLD BY THE RETAILER THAT THE TIRE DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF IMPACT AND THAT IT IS ONLY A STRESS CRACK AND NOT A DEFECT. *TR |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment | Too few reports for a range | 990,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10558735 · 990,000 miTHE OVERHEAD CONSOLES, WHICH HOUSE MULTIPLE RADIOS, HAVE INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND CAUSE THE RADIOS TO FALL ON THE DRIVER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. *TR |
| Structure | Too few reports for a range | 990,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10558735 · 990,000 miTHE OVERHEAD CONSOLES, WHICH HOUSE MULTIPLE RADIOS, HAVE INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND CAUSE THE RADIOS TO FALL ON THE DRIVER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. *TR |
| Tires | Too few reports for a range | 269,433 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10288760 · 269,433 miON MARCH 12, 2009 I BOUGHT 8 SUMITOMO 255/70R22.5 MODEL #ST727 TIRES FOR MY COMMERCIAL TRUCK. APROX. 50K MILES OF USE ONE OF THE TIRES ARE CRACKING FROM THE TOP OF THE TIRE GOING DOWN THE SIDE WALL. I WAS TOLD BY THE RETAILER THAT THE TIRE DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF IMPACT AND THAT IT IS ONLY A STRESS CRACK AND NOT A DEFECT. *TR |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 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 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (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.
2006: 0 complaints · 2007: 2 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 | 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 | Engine And Engine Cooling | Equipment | Structure | Tires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 0 | — | 1ODI 10558735 · 990,000 miTHE OVERHEAD CONSOLES, WHICH HOUSE MULTIPLE RADIOS, HAVE INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND CAUSE THE RADIOS TO FALL ON THE DRIVER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. *TR | 0 |
| Structure | 0 | 1ODI 10558735 · 990,000 miTHE OVERHEAD CONSOLES, WHICH HOUSE MULTIPLE RADIOS, HAVE INSUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND CAUSE THE RADIOS TO FALL ON THE DRIVER WHILE HE WAS DRIVING. *TR | — | 0 |
| Tires | 0 | 0 | 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.