Total Complaints
4 filings
Freightliner Columbia · model year
2001 Freightliner Columbia
4 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports, and 1 recall campaign 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
- 4
- Recalls
- 1
The verdict
The 2001 Freightliner Columbia posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 45%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 1
- recall campaign
The 2001FreightlinerColumbia carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 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 Columbia is service brakes, air:antilock with 1 filings, followed by suspension:rear:springs:leaf spring assembly:hanger/bracket (1) and steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion) (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 1 NHTSA recall campaign listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2001 Columbia. 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.
4
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2001 Freightliner Columbia
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
2 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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:HANGER/BRACKET | 1 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 1 |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 1 |
Recalls (1)
03V11200021/03/2003
SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH TRUCK HUB UNITS MANUFACTURED BY SKF EXCLUSIVELY FOR USE ON ARVINMERITOR'S FF98X SERIES NON-DRIVE STEER AXLES, THE HUB UNIT BEARINGS CAN WEAR PREMATURELY.
Recent Complaints
20110307CrashTRAILER HITCHES
2001 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA CLASS, UNIT 1 TRAILER BECAME DISCONNECTED. UNIT 1 TRAILER STRUCK THE POWER UNIT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP. UNIT 1 POWER UNIT AND TRAILER CAME TO REST IN THE RIGHT LANE. *BF UPDATED 03/21/11 *BF (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0047-90) *JB
20020617CrashSTEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED 5 SIMILAR STEERING GEAR BOX FAILURES ON OUR 2001 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA TRUCKS. IN EACH FAILURE THE TRUCK WOULD NOT TURN. NO ACCIDENTS OCCURRED IN FAILURES #2 - #5.ON 12/20/01 OUR 2ND FAILURE, [XXX] AT 170780 MILES, UNIT 3657.ON 04/01/02 OUR 3RD FAILURE, [XXX] AT 238661 MILES, UNIT 3725. ON 6-11-02 OUR 4TH & 5TH FAILURES, [XXX] AT 195001 MILES, UNIT 3747 AND #5 WAS [XXX] AT 305185 MILES UNIT 3634.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
20001128SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
DEFECTIVE BRAKE (AXLE FIVE LEFT SIDE, PUSH ROD TRAVEL IS 1/4 INCH), BRAKE SHOES FAILE TO MOVE. NLM
20001128SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:HANGER/BRACKET
FRONT SPRING HANGER LOOSE ON FRAME AXLE #1, CAUSING AXLE TO SHIFT. NLM
Compare 2001FreightlinerColumbia to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
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PE21006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Halogen Headlights May Cause Fires
PE21002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Trolley bus circuit breaker fires
PE20014Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Failure
PE20006Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Intermittent Loss of Power Steering Assist
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 Freightliner Columbia have?▼
The 2001 Freightliner Columbia has 4 NHTSA complaints, 2 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2001 Freightliner Columbia?▼
Yes, the 2001 Freightliner Columbia has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Freightliner Columbia?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 Freightliner Columbia is SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:REAR:SPRINGS:LEAF SPRING ASSEMBLY:HANGER/BRACKET and STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION).
Is the 2001 Freightliner Columbia 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 2001 Freightliner Columbia; 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.