Total Complaints
4 filings
FREIGHTLINER M2 · model year
2012 FREIGHTLINER M2
4 NHTSA complaints, and 9 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2012FREIGHTLINERM2 carries 4 consumer safety complaints 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2012 M2 is suspension with 1 filings, followed by electronic stability control (esc) (1) and engine (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 9 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 2012 M2. 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.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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 |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recalls (9)
11V45500031/08/2011
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2, STERLING ACTERRA, 7500 & 8500, AND THOMAS BUILT HDX VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 23, 2004, THROUGH MARCH 15, 2011, EQUIPPED WITH SPECIFIC MBE900 EPA04 AND EPA07 MODEL ENGINES. THE INTAKE AIR GRID HEAT
14V68000029/10/2014
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
Daimler Trucks of North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Freightliner Cascadia and M2 trucks manufactured June 2, 2011 to October 23, 2014. The vehicles are not in compliance with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 303, "Fuel System Integr
11V25700026/04/2011
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA, M2, AND WESTERN STAR 4900 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 11, 2011, THROUGH FEBRUARY 21, 2011, AND EQUIPPED WITH A MERITOR DRIVELINE. THE TUBING USED TO ASSEMBLE THE AFFECTED DRIVELINES HAS A NONCONFORMING SEAM WEL
15V11200025/02/2015
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
Farber Specialty Vehicles (Farber) is recalling various specialty vehicles modified by Farber and equipped with model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
14V08000021/02/2014
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (Daimler) is recalling certain model year 2008-2015 Freightliner 114SD, Cascadia, M2 Business Class, Sterling LT8500, and Thomas Built Buses Saf-T-Liner HDX vehicles manufactured February 19, 2008, through February 11, 2014, and equipped with Cummins Westport Model I
19V37000014/05/2019
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:RESERVOIR/TANK
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2004-2019 Freightliner 108SD, 114SD, 122SD, Cascadia, Columbia, Classic, FL80, FLD 120SD, Business Class M2, Western Star 4700, 4900, 6900, Sterling Acterra, L7500, LT7500, L8500, LT8500, L9500, and LT9500 vehicles. The vehicles may have
15V22000014/04/2015
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
Fontaine Modification (Fontaine) is recalling certain model year 2006-2015 Freightliner M2 trucks manufactured January 2, 2006, to January 23, 2015 and modified by Fontaine to have dual steering. Brake lights of the affected vehicles will not illuminate if the primary brake air supply is depleted b
11V46500008/09/2011
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2012 FREIGHTLINER BUSINESS CLASS M2, CASCADIA, CENTURY, COLUMBIA, CORONADO AND STERLING A-LINE VEHICLES BUILT WITH MERITOR WABCO ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) SYSTEM MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1, 2011. UNDER CERTAI
15V34300003/06/2015
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2007-2016 Freightliner 114SD and M2 Business Class trucks, 2008-2009 Sterling LT8500 trucks and Thomas Built Bus Saf-T-Liner HDX transit buses equipped with certain Cummins Westport ISL G engines. Excessive engine crankcase pr
Recent Complaints
20180929ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
THE INTAKE HEATER LIGHT COMES ON WHEN I INCREASE SPEED OVER 25 MILES AND HOUR. ONCE AT 55 MILES AN HOUR, THE LIGHT STAYS ON.
Mileage: 430,000
20180929ENGINE
THE INTAKE HEATER LIGHT COMES ON WHEN I INCREASE SPEED OVER 25 MILES AND HOUR. ONCE AT 55 MILES AN HOUR, THE LIGHT STAYS ON.
Mileage: 430,000
20180929UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE INTAKE HEATER LIGHT COMES ON WHEN I INCREASE SPEED OVER 25 MILES AND HOUR. ONCE AT 55 MILES AN HOUR, THE LIGHT STAYS ON.
Mileage: 430,000
20171106SUSPENSION
SWAY BAR VERTICAL LINK BUSHINGS ARE PULVERIZED COMPLETELY GONE WITHIN 1500 MILES AFTER REPLACEMENT CAUSING AN UNSAFE TOP HEAVY ROLL OF THE MOTORHOME REDUCING STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I'VE HAD FREIGHTLINER SAN DIEGO REPLACE THESE BUSHING, I'VE REPLACED THEM TWICE, AND HAD A SUSPENSION SHOP REPLACE THEM ONCE. EVERY OTHER SENECA OWNER BUILT ON THE FREIGHTLINER M2 CHASSIS EXPERIENCES THE SAME ISSUE. FREIGHTLINER RECOGNIZES THERE IS AN ISSUE THROUGH A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB-32-47, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ADDRESSING THIS SERIOUS ROLL AFFECTING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CHECK THE RV FORUMS ANYONE WITH ONE OF THESE CHASSIS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME VEHICLE CONTROL OVER THE INADEQUACY OF THE CONNECTION POINTS OF THE SWAY BAR. I FIRST NOTICED THE BUSHING WERE GONE AFTER OUR FIRST TRIP IN THE MOTORHOME ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR AN OBVIOUSLY POORLY DESIGNED SUSPENSION COMPONENT.
Mileage: 5,600
Compare 2012FREIGHTLINERM2 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
PE24032Preliminary EvaluationClosed
EVDM connector plate separation
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
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2 have?▼
The 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2?▼
Yes, the 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2 has 9 recall(s). The most common affected component is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2?▼
The most-complained component for the 2012 FREIGHTLINER M2 is SUSPENSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) and ENGINE.
Is the 2012 FREIGHTLINER 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.
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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.