AI Damage1998 Freightliner Century: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Freightliner Century filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and fuel system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 9
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 33% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel system 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 22% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 22% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 11% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 11% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 3 complaints (33% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Steering: 2 complaints (22% of all).
- Visibility: 2 complaints (22% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 9 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 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 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 rear passenger seat belt retractor is jammed. The consumer made contact with the manufacture and the warranty has expired. This is the second occurrence for this belt jamming.
The vehicle experienced a power steering leak, also the air filter was replaced. The consumer was assigned another tractor, however it was a 2001 model and he soon discovered the fan blades were completely black and he had to tape a filter over the air intake.
Consumer applied brakes firmly and axle fell off. Vehicle is a century classic, 2000. Cosumer may not be aware of nhtsa recall 99v35 9000/ manufacturer's recall f l-251 concerning tie rod end. Will try and contact consumer to inform system was down.
Consumer felt a vibration in the drivetrain, the driveshaft and connecting components came flying out from under the vehicle, the yoke on the back of the front drive axle was cracked and came apart causing all the parts to come off, the consumer feels that if there were grease fittings on these parts the cracking…
Exhaust system flex pipe within the turbo cracked, allowing exhaust leaks into the clean air and firewall, which then went into the air conditioner and into the cab ofthe truck.
The windshield wipers keep blowing off the truck . The dealer response was "thats a piss poor way to make a wiper" . This as you know did not fix the problems I have 25 trucks with the same problems . My concern is that when it blows off it will hit another vehicle and cause an accident .
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 11,366 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 31% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Century has 5 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 9, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Freightliner Century?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, fuel system, powertrain. Total complaints: 9. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (11%), seat belts (11%), steering or power steering problems (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Freightliner Century?
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 1998 Freightliner Century 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 1998 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.