The 1999 International 3800 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 116,957 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR04V2690002004-06-0381,883 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES AND TRUCK MODEL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 28, 1999, THROUGH APRIL 5, 2004, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) MAY MISINTERPRET A CORRUPT WHEEL SPEED SIGNAL.
Consequence
THE CORRUPT WHEEL SPEED SIGNALS MAY IMPROPERLY ACTIVATE THE ABS, INSTEAD OF DEACTIVATING THE ABS. THIS MAY RESULT IN THE DRIVER EXPERIENCING A HARD PEDAL FEEL AND A DECREASE IN DECELERATION AT THE END OF THE STOP, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCES WHICH COULD CAUSE A VEHICLE CRASH, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN…
Remedy
INTERNATIONAL WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND INSPECT AND REPAIR THE AFFECTED VEHICLES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 1, 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 INTERNATIONAL…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC03V0620002003-02-2535,074 affected
Defect
ON CERTAIN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES BUILT WITH BOSCH ZERO OFFSET PIN SLIDE (ZOPS) HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES, THE ZOPS HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES MAY EXPERIENCE CALIPERS STICKING IN THE APPLIED POSITION, WHICH CAN RESULT IN EXCESSIVE OR ABNORMAL HEAT GENERATION AT ONE OR MORE OF THE BRAKES.
Consequence
THE COMBINATION OF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS MAY COLLECTIVELY RESULT IN AN UNREASONABLE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY: POTENTIAL FIRE AT A WHEEL END, HIGH INCIDENT RATES OF STUCK CALIPERS, AND EVACUATION AND CONTAINMENT CONCERNS RELATING TO MULTIPLE PASSENGERS.
Remedy
INTERNATIONAL WILL NOTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS AND REPAIR THE BUSES FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN OCTOBER 29, 2004.
Complaints by component
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
3
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
Total complaints10
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“Instrument panel. *tr”
“Instrument panel. *tr”
“Intermittent light on dash, indicating anti - lock brake system is not functioning. *ak”
“The bus gauges fail intermittently. The cause has yet to be determined. Please provide additional information. *ph consumer owns three of the same vehicles and all experienced the same defect. Failure occurs while moving or at a stop. Sometimes it would occur 7 times in a day then nothing for a…”
“Intermittent light on dash indicating anti - lock brake system not functioning.*ak”
“Intermittent light on dash indicating anti - lock brake system not functioning.*ak”
“Intermittent light on dash, indicating anti - lock brake system is not functioning. *ak”
“The rear brakes overheated while driving. The driver reported the problem to a mechanic who checked the rear brakes and found them to be ok; no drag. The mechanic test drove and rechecked the bus but still found no brake drag. *mr *cb *nlm”
Defect investigations
InvestigationEA02034 Opened 2002-12-03 · closed 2004-02-10
OVERHEATING FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
THIS INVESTIGATION FOCUSED ON INTERNATIONAL MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKSAND SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS WEIGHING UP TO 33,000 POUNDS, EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKES AND BUILT WITH THE BOSCH ZERO OFFSET PIN SLIDE (ZOPS)BRAKE SYSTEM CALIPERS.INTERNATIONAL USED THE ZOPS CALIPERS FROM APRIL 1997 THROUGH JUNE 2002.ODI WAS CONCERNED ABOUT…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1999 International 3800 as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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