AI Damage1998 Freightliner FLD120: common problems
Owners of the 1998 Freightliner FLD120 filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 33% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 33% of all complaints
- 3 Wheels 33% of all complaints
- Suspension: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Tires: 1 complaints (33% of all).
- Wheels: 1 complaints (33% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
1998 freightliner fld120 right front steer tire blewout causing damage to the drive unit and left front side of the hood. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0398-91) updated 09/13/10 updated 09/28/10 updated voq 10/01/10
About a quarter mile before this happened the owner saw smoke emitting the vehicle.
Left front wheel fell off of vehicle causing damage to front end. (ohio traffic crash report) mjs.
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 17,150 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 47% most complained about).
On average one model year of the FLD120 has 3 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 3, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Wheels. Wheel runout, cracks, signs of a wheel strike.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1998 Freightliner FLD120?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, tires, wheels. Total complaints: 3. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (33%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1998 Freightliner FLD120?
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 FLD120 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.