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1996 Freightliner FLD120

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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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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Air. 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.

0 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

2 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2000
Electrical SystemFire

THIS IS A 1996 FREIGHTLINER IM AM BUYING OFF OF BUSKE LINES INC. I WAS IN A RESTURANT EATING IN A RESTURANT IN INDIANA. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT UNIT WAS ON FIRE. I RAN TO TRUCK AND FIRE HAD GUTTED INSIDE OF CAB MY DOG WAS TRAPPED IN THE SLEEPER AND WAS KILLED I NOTICED NO SMOKE WHEN I LEFT TRUCK BUT SMELLED SOMETHING LIKE HOT PLASTI…

Read full complaint

THIS IS A 1996 FREIGHTLINER IM AM BUYING OFF OF BUSKE LINES INC. I WAS IN A RESTURANT EATING IN A RESTURANT IN INDIANA. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT UNIT WAS ON FIRE. I RAN TO TRUCK AND FIRE HAD GUTTED INSIDE OF CAB MY DOG WAS TRAPPED IN THE SLEEPER AND WAS KILLED I NOTICED NO SMOKE WHEN I LEFT TRUCK BUT SMELLED SOMETHING LIKE HOT PLASTIC I CHECKED BUT DID NOT FIND ANYTHING BURNING. TRUCK WAS THEN TOWED TO ST LOUIS MO I WAS INFORMED BY FIRE DEPT AND SHERRIF THAT IF I WOULD OF LAID DOWN I WOULD HAVE PROBELY BEEN KILLED DUE TO TOXIC FUMES PRODUCED BY SMOKE. IN RECENT MONTHS I HAVE SEEN IN PERSON A MINIMUM OF 10 OTHER TRUCKS SAME YEAR AND MODEL WITH SAME FIRE DAMAGE STARTING IN THE SAME AREA. I ALSO HAVE A WIREING JUNCTION BLOCK THAT WAS TAKEN FROM ANOTHER TRUCK SAME YEAR THAT HAS MELTED AND STARTED TO BURN BUT WAS REPLACED BEFORE IT CAUGHT ANOTHER TRUCK ON FIRE. THIS TRUCK HAS BEEN REBUILT BUT AM STILL AFRAID OF FIRE IN WIRING I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT FREIGHTLINER WITH NO RESPOSE . ALSO NOT ONLY IN MY UNIT BUT OTHERS AT NIGHT WHEN YOUR DASH LIGHT ARE ON ALL GUAGES [ESPECIALLY WHEN HEATER IS ON] YOU CAN NOT PLACE YOUR HAND ON ANY GUAGE AND LEAVE IT THERE BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY HOT IN MY OPINION THIS WOULD ALSO BE A MEANS OF A FIRE STARTING SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS . I AM DOING MORE INVESTIGATION ON MY OWN FOR MORE FIRES OF THIS NATURE PLEASE NEED YOUR HELP I HAVE OVER 28 YEARS OF DRIVING AND HAVE NEVER HAD ONE CATCH FIRE IS IT GOING TO TAKE A HUMAN LIFE TO CORRECT THIS ..THANK YOU. *AK

NHTSA ODI #723892

Mileage unknown · May 19, 1998
Service Brakes, Air

BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN REAR END COLLISION.

NHTSA ODI #535706

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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

PE97022 · Passenger Compartment Fires

Opened May 19, 1997 · Closed Sep 30, 1997

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System

FIRES ALLEGEDLY OCCURED IN THE DASH AREA WHILE THE VEHICLES WERE PARKED.