PORTLAND, Ore. – Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has agreed to recall certain model year 2017-2023 heavy-duty trucks which may have brake systems compromised by corrosion, thus resulting in potential unsafe operations.
The 70,375 trucks – 2017-2023 Freightliner Cascadia, 2022-2023 Western Star 47X, 2021-2023 Western Star 49X and 2022-2022 Freightliner 114SD – with painted front axle brake modulator valves, that are not equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), are recalled for replacement of those valves due to a risk that valve corrosion could cause a sudden brake pull.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-073, the specific issue is, “On certain vehicles, chemical corrosion could affect the functionality of the brake modulator valve, which during an external braking event (including Roll Stability Control or other system-initiated braking, but not including driver-initiated braking) may result in full system pressure applied to one front wheel end causing a brake pull differential in braking force. Regular service brakes are unaffected.”
The safety risk, according to NHTSA, is this condition leading to brake “pull resulting in a sudden change in vehicle direction due to uneven braking on the front axle increasing the risk of a motor vehicle crash.”
The agency report did not indicate any incidents as the result of this condition.
The remedy is installation of two front anodized modulator valves (one for the right, one for the left), with the repairs rolled out in phases based upon vehicle locations.
DTNA is scheduled to notify its franchise dealers and truck owners April 10th as to the recall
