Total Complaints
1 filings
Freightliner Business Class M2 · model year
2003 Freightliner Business Class M2
1 NHTSA complaints, and 5 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 1
- Recalls
- 5
The verdict
The 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2 posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 31%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 5
- recall campaigns
The 2003FreightlinerBusiness Class M2 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2003 Business Class M2 is power train:axle assembly with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2003 Business Class M2. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2003 Freightliner Business Class M2
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recalls (5)
05V12600030/03/2005
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS AND FIRE TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH KYS 4735-43782-02 ENGINE COOLING FANS AND BUILT ON CATERPILLAR 3126, C7, MBE906, MBE926, OR CUMMINS ISC ENGINES, THE STEEL FAN INSERT ON THE COOLING FANS CAN CRACK.
08V13700025/03/2008
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING 28,764 MY 2001 THROUGH 2008 FCCC B2 AND FS65 SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS, FCCC FB65 CONVENTIONAL BUSES, AND STERLING ACTERRA, FREIGHTLINER FLN, AND BUSINESS CLASS M2 HEAVY TRUCKS, BUILT FROM JANUARY 26, 2000, THROUGH MARCH 24, 2008, MANUFACTURED WITH ARVINMERITOR OR AXLE ALLIANCE
07V30200016/07/2007
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE
CERTAIN FREIGHTLINER SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS, HEAVY TRUCKS, AND THOMAS BUILT SCHOOL BUSES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JULY 2002 AND JULY 3, 2007, EQUIPPED WITH BENDIX SR-7 SPRING BRAKE CONTROL VALVES. THE PARKER SCV BRASS 90 DEGREE SINGLE CHECK VALVES (SCV) WHICH ATTACH TO THE SUPPLY PORT OF A BENDIX SR-7 SPRI
04V27200007/06/2004
SUSPENSION:FRONT:WHEEL BEARING
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS BUILT WITH 8,000 OR 6,000 POUND FRONT AXLES AND FOUR-PIECE SPINDLE NUT SETS, PREMATURE FRONT ,WHEEL BEARING WEAR MAY BE CAUSED BY INCONSISTENT BEARING ENDPLAY ADJUSTMENT.
04V20500004/05/2004
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
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.
Recent Complaints
20100501POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
HAD TO REPLACE THE SEAL ON THE AXLE TWICE IN 6 MONTHS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE ENTIRE RIGHT WHEEL BROKE OFF AND RAN OFF THE ROAD CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. MY TRUCK HAD TO BE TOWED AND THE WHEEL WAS RECOVERED AND THE WHOLE WHEEL ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE OLD PARTS DISINTEGRATED DURING THE ACCIDENT. *TR
Mileage: 247,021
Compare 2003FreightlinerBusiness Class M2 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2 have?▼
The 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2?▼
Yes, the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2 has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2 is POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2003 Freightliner Business Class M2; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.