FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS · model year

2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS

5 NHTSA complaints, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2005FREIGHTLINERCENTURY CLASS carries 5 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2005 CENTURY CLASS is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:emission control with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:exhaust system (2) and electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2005 CENTURY CLASS. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

5
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

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

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES1

Recalls (4)

09V36600023/09/2009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2004-2010 TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR C15 ENGINE. THE VARIABLE VALVE ACTUATION OIL LINE MAY RUB AGAINST THE P-CLIPS RETAINING THE OIL LINE, CAUSING AN OIL LEAK.

17V81000015/12/2017

EQUIPMENT

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2002-2017 Freightliner Cascadia, Century Class, Columbia and Coronado trucks and Western Star 4700, 4900, 5700, 5900 and 6900 trucks. These vehicles are equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers tha

08V11300011/03/2008

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING 62,000 MY 2005-2007 FREIGHTLINER BUSINESS CLASS, CENTURY CLASS, COLUMBIA, CORONADO, FLD, CLASSIC, STERLING A-LINE, L-LINE, AND WESTERN STAR 4900 TRUCKS. A FRACTURED FUEL LINE COULD LEAK DIESEL FUEL.

06V19000005/06/2006

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, THE PROTECTIVE COVER FOR THE CAB POWER DISTRIBUTION MODEL (PDM) MAY BE MISSING OR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED.

Recent Complaints

20061122FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES

THE AIR FORCE LOST A SEMI TRUCK-TRACTOR IN A VEHICLE FIRE ON 6/30/2006. THE VEHICLE, A 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS TRACTOR, WAS LEASED FROM GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION. A SEMI-TRAILER OWNED BY THE AIR FORCE WAS ALSO DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE DEPARTED TRAVIS AFB, CA AROUND 1115L ON 6/30/2006. AFTER THE OPERATOR SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR. AS HE PULLED OFF ONTO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. OPENING THE HOOD, HE SAW FIRE IN THE AIR CLEANER. HE RETRIEVED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES BUT THE FIRE REGAINED INTENSITY AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE HIGHWAY PATROL/FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1156L AND 1204L RESPECTIVELY. SAFETY INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE FIRE IGNITED WHEN THE BATTERY CABLE ARCED ON THE RIGHT FRONT LEAF SPRING DUE TO LOOSE WIRE HANGERS. TWO BOLTS ON THE TRANSMISSION HOLD THE BRACKETS THAT SUPPORT THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE/ALTERNATOR CABLE. THE LOOSE BOLTS ALLOWED THE MAIN BATTERY CABLE/ALTERNATOR CABLE TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT ON THE

20061121ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

EXHAUST FUMES IN THE CAB. GETTING SICK FOR ABOUT A MONTH. SINUS INFECTION AND OTHER SYMPTOMS. NO CO TEST PERFORMED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIR 2 TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. THE METER IS READING OVER 50 PPM TO 100 PPM IF THE FRESH AIR INTAKE IS CLEAR. CURRENTLY THE INTAKE IS PLUGGED WITH PLASTIC BAGS TO PREVENT THE CO FROM ENTERING THE CAB. WITH THE BAGS IN PLACE THE READING IS 10 PPM. HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 2.5 YEARS. THE PROBLEM SEEMD TO START AROUND 200,000 MILES. I WAS TIRED ALL THE TIME.

20061121ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, A FOUL ODOR FROM THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. AFTERWARDS, THE CONTACT BECAME PHYSICALLY ILL DUE TO THE EXHAUST FUMES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALTHOUGH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS REPLACED, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.

Mileage: 304,000

20061119ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

NOV,2 OF 2006, TOOK THE TRUCK INTO FREIGHTLINER IN REDDING,CA. COMPLAINED OF EXHAUST FUMES ENTERING THE CAB AGAIN, THEY SAID THAT THEY FIXED IT, ONCE AGAIN FUMES COMMING IN AFTER I LEFT THERE SHOP. BECAME ILL AN STAYED AT HOME, LUNG PROBLEMS, HEADAKES, BURNING EYES. WENT TO DOCTORS. HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO COMPANY ATTENTION, THEY IGNORED ME. NOW HAVE TO TAKE TRUCK INTO SHOP AGAIN THIS WILL 3 TIMES. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER DRIVERS WITHIN THE COMPANY HAVING SAME PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THERES NO FIX TO THIS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, AN UNSAFE. WHY ARE THE FUMES COMMING THROUGH THE VENTS. *JB

20060611ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL

AFTER ABOUT 30 MIN COULD SMELL FUMES COMING INTO TRUCK THROUGH AIR CONDITION VENT. WHEN I GET OF TRUCK FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, STARTING TO FEEL BETTER. WHILE SITTING IN THE TRUCK I START FEELING DIZZY, SINUS START UP AFTER ABOUT TWO HOURS IN TRUCK, TIRED ALL THE TIME,WAKE UP WITH HEADACHES. SUSPECT CARBON MONOXIDE COMING IN .DETROIT ENGINE EGR. *JB

Mileage: 254,300

Compare 2005FREIGHTLINERCENTURY CLASS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS have?
The 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS?
Yes, the 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS?
The most-complained component for the 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES.
Is the 2005 FREIGHTLINER CENTURY CLASS 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.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. 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.