What breaks most · 2005 to 2026 model years
Freightliner Cascadia problems by year
Owners have filed 249 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Freightliner Cascadia across model years 2005 to 2026. Three years stand out: 2019 for forward collision system complaints, 2020 for forward collision system complaints and 2009 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2005, 2006 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2019, 2020, 2009
- Fewest complaints: 2005, 2006, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 2492005 to 2026, all trims
- Worst year
- 201928 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 2119 fires · 29 injuries · 8 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 122kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 356Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Tires (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 8 | Engine (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 12 | Steering (1) | |
| 8 | 0 | 22 | Steering (7) | |
| 19 | 0 | 24 | Steering (10) | |
| 12 | 1 | 23 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 12 | 1 | 23 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 17 | 1 | 19 | Electrical system (11) | |
| 7 | 0 | 19 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 21 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 16 | 1 | 18 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 12 | 1 | 12 | Engine (4) | |
| 9 | 2 | 20 | Steering (3) | |
| 11 | 2 | 26 | Exterior lighting (4) | |
| 28 | 4 | 29 | Forward collision system (10) | |
| 26 | 2 | 20 | Forward collision system (11) | |
| 14 | 1 | 20 | Tires (6) | |
| 13 | 3 | 18 | Forward collision system (6) | |
| 12 | 1 | 6 | Forward collision system (5) | |
| 14 | 1 | 2 | Forward collision system (8) | |
| 1 | 0 | 8 | Exterior lighting (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | Electrical system (2) |
What fails on the 2019 Freightliner Cascadia
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward collision systemRadar and camera sensors | 36% |
10 | 0 | Shop all forward collision system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 32% |
9 | 2 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 21% |
6 | 2 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 14% |
4 | 2 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 11% |
3 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 11% |
3 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 7% |
2 | 1 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
While approaching an overpass the collision mitigation system activated my brakes nearly causing the vehicle behind me to rear end my trailer, hit my brakes so hard i was thrown forward.
-
Show ABS not working service required ABS detected internal problem,and may need reprogramming or replasement stabilly controls not working service required error code 520247 31 error code 1810
-
Steering column is a problem. Truck do not stay in the road streight.for men times in the shop and couple alignment, truck has problem. Very denger to drive. Electrical mirrors heated problem. Wire and everything else it's ok just no power go to switch. Electric can't figerout what's is happening.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Freightliner Cascadia years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2019, 2020, 2009 carry the most filings on the Freightliner Cascadia. The 2019 alone has 28 complaints, led by forward collision system.
What is the most common Freightliner Cascadia problem?
On the 2019 model year, the most-reported component is forward collision system with 10 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Freightliner Cascadia problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Freightliner Cascadia complaints that include mileage is about 122,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.