How many recalls does the 2003 Freightliner Century have?

The 2003 Freightliner Century has 2 NHTSA safety recall campaigns on record.

How do I check if my 2003 Freightliner Century has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2003 Freightliner Century?

Of 4 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is engine and engine cooling.

2003 Freightliner Century Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2003 Freightliner Century has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 14,400 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

POWER TRAIN 04V205000 2004-05-04 14,000 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION, THE TAPERED JOINT THAT ATTACHES THE SHIFTER TO THE TRANSMISSION MAY BECOME LOOSE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR.

Consequence

IF SHIFT LEVER DETACHMENT OCCURS, THA ABILITY RO ACCELERATE OT MAINTAIN SPEED WILL BE LOST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL RE-SECURE THE SHIFT LEVER TO THE TRANSMISSION USING THREADLOCK AND RE-TORQUING THE FASTENING BOLT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 21, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 1-800-547-0712.

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR 03V500000 2003-12-04 400 affected

Defect

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH AIR BRAKES, THE PLASTIC PUSH-TO-CONNECT AIR LINE FITTING CARTRIDGE COULD BE IMPROPERLY WELDED INTO THE NYLON JUNCTION BLOCK HOUSING ALLOWING AN AIR LINE TO BECOME DISCONNECTED.

Consequence

THIS COULD LEAD TO REDUCED BRAKE CONTROL, LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKE CONTROL, OR THE EMERGENCY BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY APPLYING, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW CAB AIR MANIFOLD. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON JANUARY 21, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FREIGHTLINER AT 800-547-0712.

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

TIRES:SIDEWALL

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

Total complaints4

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The contact owns a 2003 freightliner century cst120 equipped with yokohama tires, tire line: ty517mc2, tire size: 295/75/r22, dot number: n/a. The contact stated that the tires had cracked on the sidewalls. The contact called a tire center which scheduled an appointment. The tires were not yet…”

TIRES:SIDEWALL · reported 2025-04-15

“7 month old steer tire on freightliner truck. Traveling around 65 mph vibration started and before we could figure out from where or get to a safe section of the road, all the tread separated from the tire. All the tread and several fairly large parts from the truck flew off. Luckily no one was in…”

TIRES:TREAD/BELT · reported 2007-12-12

“2003 freightliner century caught on fire while driving (ohio traffic crash report). *ts *nm”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE · reported 2005-06-19

“While driving at any speed accelerator pedal stuck. Dealer inspected vehicle on several occasions, and was unable to duplicate the problem. Since january 2004 consumer was scared to drive this vehicle. *ak *la”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL · reported 2004-03-22

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2003 Freightliner Century as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.