FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC · model year

2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC

7 NHTSA complaints. 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

The 2001FREIGHTLINERCLASSIC carries 7 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, 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 2001 CLASSIC is engine and engine cooling:engine:other fuel types:turbo/supercharger with 2 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and suspension (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.

NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2001 CLASSIC. 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.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 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:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER2
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
SUSPENSION1
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM1
TIRES1

Recent Complaints

20060405TIRES

2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC LEFT FRONT STEER TIRE BLEW OUT. *TS THE LEFT FENDER, BUMPER AND HOOD WERE DAMAGED. *NM

20040908ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

ENGINE'S HYDRAULIC PUMP AND FAN FAILED. AS A RESULT, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SMOKED BECAUSE ENGINE OVERHEATED. NO FIRE REPORTED. *AK

Mileage: 73,000

20040513STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

NO ACCIDENT - NO EVENT - JUST NORMAL DRIVING - STRUCTURAL FAILURE OF THE CAB UNIT - CLASS 8 VEHICLE - NOW UNSAFE - NOT ROAD WORTHY - 4 YEAR OLD VEHICLE - MANUFACTURER AWARE OF PREVIOUS INCIDENTS WITH SAME DAMAGES TO STRUCTURE - NOT WILLING TO REPAIR UNIT. *AK

20030212ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

COOLANT LEAKED FROM THE TURBO CHARGER ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE, THE LIQUID DRIPPED THROUGH THE PIPES WHICH CAUSED FUMES TO ESCAPE IN THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE.*JB

Mileage: 92,000

20030212ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

COOLANT LEAKED FROM THE TURBO CHARGER ONTO THE EXHAUST PIPE, THE LIQUID DRIPPED THROUGH THE PIPE WHICH CAUSED FUMES TO ESCAPE INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

20021211FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLY RELATED TO A DEFECTIVE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (FREIGHTLINER FLD132064T 2001). NLM

20021211SUSPENSION

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS THE TRACTOR BOBS BACK AND FORTH AND LEANS EXTREMELY BAD, THE DRIVER DESCRIBES IT LIKE BEING IN A BOAT ROCKING (FREIGHTLINER FLD132064T 2001). NLM

Compare 2001FREIGHTLINERCLASSIC to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC have?
The 2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC?
The most-complained component for the 2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:OTHER FUEL TYPES:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and SUSPENSION.
Is the 2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC 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 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 2001 FREIGHTLINER CLASSIC; 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.