Daimler Trucks North America is recalling a few hundred of its flagship 2022 Freightliner Cascadias after five fires caused by a misdirected exhaust tip led to the melting of underbody components.
The issue is expected to affect less than 3% of the recalled trucks built between April 1 and July 12 at DTNA’s Cleveland, North Carolina, manufacturing plant. There have been no known crashes or injuries.
On vehicles built with a Cummins engine and battery boxes mounted between the frame rail, the exhaust pipe outlet may have been misinstalled with the tip facing toward battery boxes. In some cases, the exhaust heat may melt the battery box and result in a fire. The exhaust can leave residue on surrounding components, which can melt and emit a smell of melted materials.
DTNA learned of one fire in May. It opened an investigation in June and received reports of four more fires. A quality audit of 166 trucks in July made sure the exhaust pipe outlet was being installed properly. Further analysis of manufacturing and warranty data in August led to the Sept. 8 decision to conduct a safety recall.
There is currently no fix for the issue, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. DTNA authorized repair centers will fix affected trucks when a remedy is worked out. Customers and dealers will be notified of the recall on Nov. 14. The NHTSA recall number is 21V-715.
Related articles:
123.481 Freightliner Cascadias recalled because steering linkage can separate
Feds fine Daimler Trucks $30M for slow recall reporting
Getting NHTSA’s message: Daimler recalls 19,000 trucks despite no complaints