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Navistar recalls 32,603 heavy-duty trucks for engine shutdowns

Loss of electrical power from battery cable issue could increase crash risk

Navistar is recalling 32,603 International LT and Lonestar models because of an engine shut down issue. (Photo: Navistar)

A loss of electrical power could cause engines to shut down in certain Navistar International LT and Lonestar models, increasing the risk of a crash.

Navistar International Corp. (NYSE: NAV) is recalling 32,603 of the trucks in the U.S. and Canada. About one in 10 trucks may experience breakage of the battery ground cable ring terminal at the frame connecting point. A resulting loss of electrical power could cause the engine to shut down without warning.

The condition could increase the risk of a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on its website.

No crashes or injuries were reported in the NHTSA filing covering 27,457 trucks or a similar Transport Canada filing covering 5,146 trucks. Intermittent or brief loss of electrical power might alert a driver to a problem.


Most of recalled trucks are flagship LT model

Most of the recalled trucks are International flagship on-highway LT models from the 2017-2021 model years. A small number of conventional cab Lonestar models from the 2018-2021 model years are also included in the recall.

The suspect population consists of 6×4 and 6×2 tractors built with Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) ISX engines that have an aluminum battery box mounted under the cab on the left side of the truck. The recalled trucks were built between May 2016 and Jan. 12 of this year. Cummins is a major supplier of engines to Navistar.

The identifying feature is a certain battery cable routing and connector type used to attach the cable to the frame rail, according to Navistar’s Feb. 18 NHTSA filing.

International dealers will replace the battery ground cable from the battery box to the chassis frame with a new, longer and more flexible battery ground cable assembled with a flat ring terminal designed to remove the stress loads found during testing.


Navistar expects to mail customer and dealer letters by April 16. The NHTSA recall number is 21V-079.

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Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.

Alan Adler

Alan Adler is an award-winning journalist who worked for The Associated Press and the Detroit Free Press. He also spent two decades in domestic and international media relations and executive communications with General Motors.