INTERNATIONAL 3800 · model year

2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800

4 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002INTERNATIONAL3800 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 2002 3800 is engine and engine cooling with 2 filings, followed by steering:hydraulic power assist:pump (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 2 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 22 investigation files overlapping the 2002 3800. 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

Total Complaints

4 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 COOLING2
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1

Recalls (2)

03V06200025/02/2003

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC

ON CERTAIN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES BUILT WITH BOSCH ZERO OFFSET PIN SLIDE (ZOPS) HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES, THE ZOPS HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES MAY EXPERIENCE CALIPERS STICKING IN THE APPLIED POSITION, WHICH CAN RESULT IN EXCESSIVE OR ABNORMAL HEAT GENERATION AT ONE OR MORE OF THE BRAKES.

04V26900003/06/2004

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:WHEEL SPEED SENSOR

ON CERTAIN SCHOOL BUSES AND TRUCK MODEL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 28, 1999, THROUGH APRIL 5, 2004, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) MAY MISINTERPRET A CORRUPT WHEEL SPEED SIGNAL.

Recent Complaints

20080509ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY DECELERATED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. AFTER THE REPAIR, THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Mileage: 55,000

20080509ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY DECELERATED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. AFTER THE REPAIR, THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Mileage: 45,000

20051006SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

DT: MR. BROOKS WORKS FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT IN GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI. HE RECEIVED 102 RECALLS FOR THE BUSES IN THE HARRISON COUNTY DISTRICT OVER A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS CONCERNING ABS BRAKE FAILURE. THE RECALLS WERE FOR DIFFERENT FAILURES ON DIFFERENT SCHOOL BUSES. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 102 BUSES IN THIS DISTRICTREGARDING SAFETY DEFECTCORRECTIVE ACTIONS. THE ROCKING TRUCKING DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALLS, THE OTHER DEALERSHIP COULD NOT MAKE TIME TO DO REPAIR WORK AS INDICATED ON THE RECALL NOTICES. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY TOLD HIM TO CONTACT A LOCAL DEALER TO DO THE RECALL REPAIRS, BUT THAT THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE DEALERSHIP PERFORM THE RECALL SERVICE. *AK

20020910STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

THE PERSON IS IN CHARGE OF MAINTENANCE FOR SCHOOL BUSES RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 00V148000/ MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 02505 CONCERNING POWER STEERING PUMP. HAD A FLEET OF BUSES RANGING FROM 1997-2002. H. L. GAGE, NEAR WASHINGTON AVENUE IN ALBANY, NY HAD NOT RECEIVED PARTS AS OF JUNE 2002. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

Compare 2002INTERNATIONAL3800 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800 have?
The 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800?
Yes, the 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800 has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800?
The most-complained component for the 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800 is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 2002 INTERNATIONAL 3800 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.