Improperly heat-treated ball studs have resulted in thousands of trucks being recalled.
More than 3,000 Freightliner and Western Star trucks have been recalled for possible loss of steering control due to a problem with the tie rod in the front axle. These are the latest trucks to be recalled due to ball studs from a third-party supplier that were improperly heat-treated.
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling certain 2025 vehicles, including:
- Freightliner 108SD, manufactured between April 22 and June 26, 2024
- Freightliner 114SD, manufactured between May 20 and July 2, 2024
- Freightliner Business Class M2, manufactured between April 22 and July 20, 2024
- Freightliner Cascadia, manufactured between April 15 and July 11, 2024
- Western Star 47X, manufactured on June 21, 2024
While the number of vehicles potentially involved is 3,421, Freightliner said only 1% are estimated to have the defect.
In June, Paccar recalled nearly 3,900 medium- and heavy-duty trucks with diesel powertrains for a steering issue that could cause a loss of control. That number recently grew to 7,400.
In addition, Navistar recalled more than 500 International trucks due to incorrectly heat-treated ball studs from the same third-party supplier, USK International.
USK mixed ball studs with an unvalidated heat treat process into normal production flow.
DTNA Tie Rod Recall
In the latest recall, DTNA explains that the tie rod in the front axle may contain ball studs that have been incorrectly heat-treated, which can cause them to break, and result in tie rod failure.
The affected vehicles were equipped with specific Meritor front axles built in DTNA’s Saltillo and Santiago plants and with front axle tie rod assemblies that may have incorporated ball studs that were not properly heat-treated by a sub-supplier.
On the affected vehicles, if one or more of the ball studs crack and the crack propagates to the point of failure, this could lead to a separation of the tie rod connection and could result in a partial loss of steering ability without warning, which can increase the risk of a crash.
DTNA is not aware of any warranty claims, customer complaints or reports of injury or death potentially related to this issue.
Dealers will replace the tie rod assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 29, 2024. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 800-745-8000. DTNA’s number for this recall is F1007.
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