AI Damage2002 International 3800: common problems
Owners of the 2002 International 3800 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 50% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 3 Steering 25% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (50% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Steering: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 4 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 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 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.
On several occasions, the vehicle stalled without warning and then immediately restarted. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the crankshaft position sensor. After the repair, there had been no further occurrences. The failure mileage was 55,000 and current mileage was 65,000.
He received 102 recalls for the buses in the harrison county district over a period of five years concerning abs brake failure. The recalls were for different failures on different school buses. There are approximately 102 buses in this districtregarding safety defectcorrective actions.
The person is in charge of maintenance for school buses received recall notice 00v148000/ manufacturer's recall 02505 concerning power steering pump. Had a fleet of buses ranging from 1997-2002. H. L. Gage, near washington avenue in albany, ny had not received parts as of june 2002. Please describe details.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the 3800 has 2 complaints (3 years in the data). This year has 4, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- 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 2002 International 3800?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, service brakes, steering. Total complaints: 4. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (50%), brake failure (25%), steering or power steering problems (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 International 3800?
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 2002 International 3800 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 2002 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.