2004 Freightliner Business Class M2: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Freightliner Business Class M2 filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 8
involving a crash: 1

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
2 Suspension 25% of all complaints
3 Engine 13% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 13% of all complaints
5 Parking brake 13% of all complaints
6 Wheels 13% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 2 complaints (25% of all).
Suspension: 2 complaints (25% of all).
Engine: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Parking brake: 1 complaints (13% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 8 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

oil leak or consumption1 · 13%
rollaway, parking brake1 · 13%
smoke, burning smell, fire1 · 13%
vibration1 · 13%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	2	0
Suspension	2	0
Engine	1	0
Fuel system	1	0
Parking brake	1	0
Wheels	1	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Without warning or vibration, front passenger wheel bearing broke off, sending the tire/wheel flying off the highway hill, down the access road, and smashing against a bank stone wall, after it broke through a 2nd stand alone stone wall.
Wheels · crash · 2013-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #10511210
Started off again, rear caliper locked up, pulled truck over and found fire in the rear underchassis.
Service brakes · 2016-10-01 · NHTSA complaint #10910910
M2 106 model started presenting major oil leak one month ago. Replaced oil pan gasket, but didn't correct problem. After mechanic verification, it turns out it is the front crankshaft oil seal.
Engine · 2013-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #10511212
Dt: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the fuel line assembly burst without warning spraying diesel fuel onto the vehicle and the highway. The contact managed to park the vehicle on the side of the highway without further incident.
Fuel system · 2006-10-12 · NHTSA complaint #10170685
2004 feightliner m2 .on tuesday nov. 1st 2005 with no warning whatsoever my right front wheel came off with lug nuts and brake drum still attached nearly lost truck but kept it steady until I could stop it .wheel bearing and spindle failure was said to be the cause.
Suspension · 2006-06-07 · NHTSA complaint #10159251
(1) poor engineering. (2) front axel rated capacity is inadequate for vehicle (3) freightliner speciality vehicles advised of saftey issue 06/04/04, & freightliner on 09/08/04. They have taken no action to date.
Suspension · 2004-10-03 · NHTSA complaint #10093525
(1) design (2) parking brake allows vehicle to move as much as 4 inches after setting. Unable to hook-up trailer without 2 people. Damaged hitch. (3) freightliner claims it can not be fixed.
Parking brake · 2004-10-02 · NHTSA complaint #10093505
The freightliner tractors we are now using at yellow transportation, in nationwide service, have a problem with the foot brakes. The brakes, when applied, are very slow to release. I feel this could cause a serious problem on slick surfaces.
Service brakes · 2004-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #10079129

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20043
20062
20132
20161

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 11,896 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 32% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Business Class M2 has 3 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Freightliner Business Class M2?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, suspension, engine. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (13%), rollaway, parking brake (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (13%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Freightliner Business Class M2?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2004 Freightliner Business Class M2 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2004 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.