Vehicle recall 96V233003 · November 20, 1996
Freightliner Century, Conventional and 3 more models
Vehicle description: all vehicles equipped with eaton drive axles and axilok spindle nuts.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Vehicle description: all vehicles equipped with eaton drive axles and axilok spindle nuts. The drive axle housings consist of a plate steel center section and two forged spindles, one of which is welded to each end of the center section. Each spindle contains a keyway slot in which the locking tab for the wheel bearing nut locking mechanism is inserted. The length of the keyway slot may not be long enough to accommodate the tab causing the tab to be deformed or damaged during installation.
- Consequence
- This locking tab prevents the wheel bearing nut from loosening during vehicle operation. If this tab is deformed, the nut can loosen allowing the wheel to separate from the axle increasing the risk of a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the drive axle housing nuts with a conventional wheel nut hardware system.
- Notes
- Owner notification:owner notification began December 18, 1996. Note: 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 1-503-735-8000.ALSO contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-800-424-9393.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 96V233003
- Reported to NHTSA
- November 20, 1996
- Filed by
- FREIGHTLINER CORPORATION
- Owner notification
- December 18, 1996
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 1,410
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Suspension › Rear
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Freightliner Century (1996): 1996
- Freightliner Conventional (1996): 1996
- Freightliner FL60 (1996): 1996
- Freightliner FL70 (1996): 1996
- Freightliner FL80 (1996): 1996
Has your Freightliner been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. A Freightliner dealer can also check your VIN. Recall repairs are free.