Western Star 4900 · model year

2011 Western Star 4900

2 NHTSA complaints, and 14 recall campaigns 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
2
Recalls
14

The verdict

The 2011 Western Star 4900 posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

Top 50%
fewest complaints, own model years
14
recall campaigns

The 2011Western Star4900 carries 2 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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2011 4900 is structure with 1 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 14 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

No open NHTSA investigation overlaps the 2011 4900 in the current dataset. 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.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2011 Western Star 4900

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.

Total Complaints

2 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
STRUCTURE1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1

Recalls (14)

17V76100028/11/2017

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2008-2018 Freightliner Cascadia, Western Star 4700, 4900, 5700, and 6900 trucks. After hard brake applications, the brake light pressure switch may not activate the brake lights with a light application of the brake pedal.

12V07400028/02/2012

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

DAIMLER TRUCKS (DTNA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2013 FREIGHTLINER, STERLING, AND WESTERN STAR VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH DETROIT DIESEL EPA07 AND EPA10, DD13 AND DD15/16 ENGINES, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 20, 2006, THROUGH FEBRUARY 20, 2012. THE PUMP TO RAIL HIGH PRESSURE FUEL LINE SUPPORT

11V60500027/12/2011

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

DAIMLER TRUCKS (DTNA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 AND 2012 FREIGHTLINER BUSINESS CLASS M2 AND WESTERN STAR 4900 EMERGENCY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 2, 2010, THROUGH DECEMBER 13, 2011, EQUIPPED WITH A DD13 EPA10 DETROIT DIESEL ENGINE. THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN SOFTWARE NORMALLY PROVIDED TO

10V34100027/07/2010

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2011 FREIGHTLINER, FCCC, STERLING, AND WESTERN STAR HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM SEPTEMBER 5, 2006, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SPECIFIC MBE900 EPA04 AND EPA07 MODEL ENGINES. THE INTAKE AIR GRID HEATER MAY SHORT CIRCUIT AND FAIL

10V33900027/07/2010

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2011 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA, CENTURY, COLUMBIA, CORONADO, M2, AND WESTERN STAR 4900 HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 19, 2009 THROUGH JULY 9, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SPECIFIC DD13 AND DD15 ENGINES ASSEMBLED WITH A BOSCH HIGH PRESSURE FUEL

11V11000023/02/2011

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA AND CONORADO AND WESTERN STAR 4900 HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 22, 2010, THROUGH JANUARY 28, 2011, EQUIPPED WITH AN EPA10 ISX ENGINE. THE ROUTING AND SECURING OF THE ALTERNATOR CABLES MAY ALLOW THE CABLE TO CONTACT O

11V24900020/04/2011

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SLACK ADJUSTERS:AUTOMATIC

DTNA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA, COLUMBIA GLIDER KIT, CORONADO, M2, AND WESTERN STAR4900 HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 16, 2010, THROUGH MARCH 9, 2011, EQUIPPED WITH GUNITE AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTERS MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 15, 2010, THROUGH JANUARY 31, 201

11V55800018/11/2011

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 WESTERN STAR 4900 TRUCKS, MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 14, 2010, THROUGH JANUARY 26, 2011, EQUIPPED WITH MERITOR AXLE ASSEMBLIES. THE WELD THAT ATTACHES A TOWER BRACKET TO THE HOUSING IN SUSPECT ASSEMBLIES MAY CRACK AS A RESULT OF IMPROPER WELDING P

11V28700018/05/2011

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2011 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA, CENTURY, COLUMBIA, CORONADO, M2, AND WESTERN STAR 4900 HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 19, 2009, THROUGH JULY 9, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SPECIFIC DD13 AND DD15 ENGINES ASSEMBLED WITH A BOSCH HIGH PRESSURE FUE

11V28300016/05/2011

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

DTNA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 WESTERN STAR 4900 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 1, 2010, THROUGH MAY 13, 2011, WITH STANDARD CAB HEIGHT AND A DD13 ENGINE. THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY AIRLINES FOR THE FOOT VALVE MAY CONTACT THE AIR INTAKE ON THE ENGINE. RELATIVE MOTION BETWEEN THE CAB

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

13V40100005/09/2013

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE

Daimler Trucks North America LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Western Star 4900 vehicles manufactured May 27, 2008, through March 22, 2013. A potential misalignment of a clearance hole in the B-pillar reinforcement may affect the performance of the seatbelt D-ring anchorage poin

10V55100004/11/2010

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

DAIMLER TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 FREIGHTLINER CORONADO, COLUMBIA, FLD MILITARY, BUSINESS CLASS M2, CASCADIA, CENTURY, AND WESTERN STAR 4900 TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 9, 2010, THROUGH OCTOBER 27, 2010 FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY

11V14600003/03/2011

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

DAIMLER TRUCKS (DTNA) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 THROUGH 2011 FREIGHTLINER, CASCADIA, CENTURY, COLUMBIA FLD, AND M2, STERLING 9500, AND WESTERN STAR 4900 HEAVY TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 20, 2006, THROUGH JUNE 30, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH SPECIFIC MBE4000 EPA07 MODEL ENGINES. THE INTAKE AI

Recent Complaints

20160503STRUCTURE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 WESTERN STAR 4900 TRUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CABIN DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED REGEN FUMES TO PENETRATE INSIDE THE TRUCK. THE CONTACT SUFFERED HEADACHES, NAUSEA, EYE IRRITATION, AND DIS-ORIENTATION WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE FUMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

20160503FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 WESTERN STAR 4900 TRUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CABIN DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED REGEN FUMES TO PENETRATE INSIDE THE TRUCK. THE CONTACT SUFFERED HEADACHES, NAUSEA, EYE IRRITATION, AND DIS-ORIENTATION WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE FUMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

Compare 2011Western Star4900 to Similar Vehicles

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 Western Star 4900 have?
The 2011 Western Star 4900 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 Western Star 4900?
Yes, the 2011 Western Star 4900 has 14 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Western Star 4900?
The most-complained component for the 2011 Western Star 4900 is STRUCTURE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.
Is the 2011 Western Star 4900 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 2011 Western Star 4900; 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.