AI Damage2005 Freightliner Century Class: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Freightliner Century Class filed 5 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 80% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 4 complaints (80% of all).
- Electrical system: 1 complaints (20% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 5 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air force lost a semi truck-tractor in a vehicle fire on 6/30/2006. The vehicle, a 2005 freightliner century class tractor, was leased from general services administration. A semi-trailer owned by the air force was also destroyed. The vehicle departed travis afb, ca around 1115l on 6/30/2006.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, a foul odor from the exhaust system was present inside the vehicle. Afterwards, the contact became physically ill due to the exhaust fumes. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the entire exhaust system was defective and needed to be replaced.
Exhaust fumes in the cab. Getting sick for about a month. Sinus infection and other symptoms. No co test performed. Vehicle has been in for repair 2 times with no success. The meter is reading over 50 ppm to 100 ppm if the fresh air intake is clear.
After about 30 min could smell fumes coming into truck through air condition vent. When I get of truck for a couple of days, starting to feel better. While sitting in the truck I start feeling dizzy, sinus start up after about two hours in truck, tired all the time,wake up with headaches.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 14,283 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 39% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century Class has 1 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 5, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Freightliner Century Class?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 5. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (20%), smoke, burning smell, fire (20%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 Freightliner Century Class?
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 2005 Freightliner Century Class 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 2005 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 2026-11-06.