Daimler Trucks North America is recalling more than 25,000 Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp. (FCCC) products, some for the third time, because of a faulty power distribution module affecting lighting.
FCCC isn’t sure how to fix the issue yet. A PDM unique to these chassis may experience cracked internal solder joints. Over time, that could lead to intermittent open circuits, which could prevent the rear marker, brake lights or left turn signal lights from functioning.
The issue affects eight FCCC products built from November 2015 through December 2021. About 1% of the vehicles recalled are expected to exhibit the problem. Brake lights not working correctly may not notify surrounding motorists of braking, leading to an increased risk of a crash.
DTNA has not reported any related crashes or injuries.
DTNA conducted its first recall of 12,311 chassis vehicles in 2018. It added 12,038 vehicles to the population in July 2020 in a second recall. The situation quieted until July and September 2021 when two dealers reported PDM failures. The first complaint was outside the dates of the earlier recalls. The second failure was on a chassis repaired earlier.
The company expects to have a new fix by late January, which Freightliner dealers will perform free of charge. Dealers and owners will be informed of the recall by first-class mail on Feb. 20. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall number is 21V-00H.
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