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1998 Freightliner FL-60

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Compare all FL-60 years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 0 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Seat Belts. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

2 reports
Mileage unknown · Nov 21, 2000
Seat Belts

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS USING VEHICLE AS AN AMBULANCE. DRIVER'S SIDE INBOUND SEAT BELT BUCKLE PLASTIC SLEEVE MECHANISM HAS COME OFF, CAUSING BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. MANUFACTURER HAS STATED THAT ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY NEED REPLACING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*…

Read full complaint

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS USING VEHICLE AS AN AMBULANCE. DRIVER'S SIDE INBOUND SEAT BELT BUCKLE PLASTIC SLEEVE MECHANISM HAS COME OFF, CAUSING BELT TO BECOME INOPERABLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. MANUFACTURER HAS STATED THAT ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY NEED REPLACING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #875317

Mileage unknown · May 3, 2000
StructureCrashInjury

NOTICE NUMEROUR MISSING AND SPOTTY WELDS, CALCULATIONS OF WELD STENGTH, NONE OF THE VEHICLE WOULD WITHSTAND A SIDE OR REAR IMPACT FROM A MID SIZE VEHICLE TRAVELING AT MODERATE SPEEDS WITHOUT THE SEAMS OF THE BOX COMING APART, POOR DESIGN, LACK OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AND NEGLIGENT QUALITY CONTROL

NHTSA ODI #9000877

Official recalls

1

99V085000 · Parking Brake:driveline

Apr 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 & remedy

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

RQ99009 · Driveline Fastener Failure

Opened Jun 1, 1999 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Power Train

ON APRIL 13, 1999, FREIGHTLINER FILED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT RECEIVED ON (APRIL 20, 1999) FOAPPROXIMATELY 1,200 FL-50, FL-60, AND FL-70 TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH DRIVELINE PARKING BRAKES AND MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 1, 1997, THROUGH MAY 31, 1998.THE FASTENERS CONNECTING THE TRANSMISSION COMPANION FLANGE TO THE PARK BRAKE DRUM AND DRIVELINE CAN LOOSEN.CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE CAN RESULT IN FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE FASTENERS ALLOWING THE DRIVELINE TO SEPARATE.DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FASTENERS FOR PROPER TORQUE.IF THE FASTENERS ARE FOUND LOOSE THEY WILL BE REPLACED.IF THE FASTENERS ARE FOUND PROPERLY TORQUED, THE NUTS WILL BE REMOVED, PERMALOCK APPLIED AND THE NUTS RE-INSTALLED AND TORQUED TO SPECIFICATION.FREIGHTLINER'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS FL-230. FREIGHTLINER NOTES THAT ...THE BEGINNING AND ENDING DATES WERE DETERMINED BY THE INCIDENCE CLAIMS, HOWEVER, ONLY ONE REPORT WAS REFERENCED IN THE DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT. FREIGHTLINER INVESTIGATED THE DEFECT BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER 1998, WHEN FREIGHTLINER RECEIVED A REPORT OF COMPANION FLANGE FASTENERS LOOSENING AND IN SOME CASES SHEARING OFF.IN DECEMBER 1998, AN AUDIT OF THE ASSEMBLY PLANT FOUND THAT THE COMPANION FLANGE FASTENERS WERE IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED IN THAT THE FASTENERS WERE UNDER TORQUED AND NO PERMALOCK WAS APPLIED. ON MARCH 23, 1999, FREIGHTLINER DECIDED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RQ IS TO INVESTIGATE THE SCOPE, CHRONOLOGY, AND THE TIMELINESS OF FREIGHTLINER'S ACTIONS.