Daimler Truck North America is recalling over 29,000 vehicles with model years 2023 and 2024 due to a potential wheel flange issue that can damage tires.
The recall affects certain Freightliner Cascadia, Business Class M2, 114SD, 108SD and 122SD models and Western Star 57X trucks, a recall report said.
Daimler Trucks North America recalls trucks
| Make | Model | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Freightliner | Cascadia, Business Class M2, 114SD and 108SD | 2023-2024 |
| Freightliner | 122SD | 2023 |
| Western Star | 57X | 2024 |
SOURCE: NHTSA
“On the affected vehicles, the inboard/inner bead seat flange of the steer axle wheels may crack,” the report said. “If the cracks are not addressed and progress to the point of flange failure and separation, this may damage the tire.”
The problem could cause tires to rapidly lose air.
Issues arose in July and August of 2023 when several trucks had flange cracking or breaking, but there were no safety issues at the time, the OEM said in a letter.
But a fleet customer also noted problems in February 2024, and nearly two dozen warranty claims arose between June 20, 2023, and March 14, 2024, the letter said.
The issue involves Pittsburgh-headquartered Howmet Aerospace, also referred to as Alcoa, which contributed component supplier parts of aluminum steer axle wheels, according to the report. Howmet Aerospace produced the parts at one of its facilities in Mexico.
The root cause of the issue remains to be found, but Daimler decided to proceed with the recall on March 28 out of an abundance of caution.
The OEM thinks the issue may be limited to trucks produced at its Mexico facility. “The recall component includes Alcoa wheels having a ‘MADE IN MEXICO’ manufacturing stamp and a 6-digit date code of 090122 through 072023,” the report said.
