NHTSA complaint: 2025 WESTERN STAR 47X — POWER TRAIN
URGENT SAFETY DEFECT - Repeated front hub overheating/fire risk (2025 Western Star 47x) I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2025 Western Star 47x The front wheel hubs have over heated to the point of failure on 6 separate occasions, resulting in a fire on two of those occasions. The issues have been documented with Freightliner and accompanied by photo/video evidence. Each incident required the vehicle to be towed to an authorized dealership, and repairs were performed under warranty. Despite these repeated repairs, the issue has not yet been resolved. The hubs are currently overheating again, indicating a persistent and unresolved defect. This is no longer a routine maintenance or warranty issue. This is an ongoing safety defect that presents a serious fire hazard and risk of injury, property damage, or loss of life. Key Concerns - - Six separate over heating and/or fire incidents involving the front hubs - Multiple warranty repairs with no permanent resolution - Recurrence of the same failure condition - Within days or weeks of warranty repair, the vehicles becomes unsafe to operate under normal working conditions due to over heating hubs, which break down the lubricating gear oil, furthering the problem, causing more heat with thinner oil, which eventually leaks onto the brakes, causing a fire. During the times where I was fortunate enough to catch it before a fire started, the fluid was so hot that it melted the plastic hub cap to the poi
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation