The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·11V478000·Announced 2011-09-16

Daimler Trucks Recalls 2004-2008 Heavy Trucks for Fuel Line Leak Risk

Daimler Trucks is recalling specific 2004-2008 heavy trucks because plastic fuel lines may leak diesel, creating a fire hazard.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a fuel leak that could result in a fire, which meets the rubric criteria for 'Severe' (score 4) due to significant injury/property-damage reports or potential.

Plain-English summary

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling certain model year 2004 through 2008 heavy trucks manufactured between July 11, 2003, and September 28, 2007. The affected vehicles are equipped with EPA04 model MBE4000 engines that use plastic low-pressure fuel lines and fuel filters mounted near the center of the engine on the left-hand side. The recall covers approximately 73,500 vehicles, including Freightliner, Western Star, and Sterling models.

The plastic low-pressure fuel line between the engine-mounted fuel filter and the engine block may develop a substantial diesel fuel leak. This leakage could create a road hazard that increases the risk of a crash. Additionally, if the leaked fuel comes into contact with an ignition source, it could result in a fire.

Owners will be notified by Daimler Trucks, and the repair will be performed by Detroit Diesel Corporation authorized repair facilities. The plastic fuel line will be replaced with a steel low-pressure fuel line at no charge to the owner. An interim letter was mailed to owners on October 28, 2011, and the safety recall began on February 21, 2012. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks at 1-800-547-0712 for more information.

The recalled product

Product
STERLING, FREIGHTLINER, WESTERN STAR A-LINE, COLUMBIA, BUSINESS CLASS M2, FLD
Brand
STERLING
Manufacturer
DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA
Category
Vehicle — Heavy Trucks
Hazard
Affected units
73,500

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (7)

  • A-LINE
  • COLUMBIA
  • BUSINESS CLASS M2
  • FLD
  • CASCADIA
  • 4900
  • L-LINE

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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