NHTSA Complaint #10357085 — 2010 MACK CXU612

AS A MECHANIC CONTRACTED TO MAINTAIN ABF ROAD TRACTORS, I WORKED ON UNIT 10064 ON 9/22/2010. I DISCOVERED THAT THE 5TH WHEEL MOUNT BOLTS WERE ALL LOOSE. THIS TRUCK HAD ONLY 51,285 MILES OF SERVICE PULLING PUP TRAILERS! I REMOVED THE BOLTS TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO THREAD DAMAGE, LIGHTLY OILED THEM, AND ATTEMPTED TO TORQUE THEM TO MACK SPECS OF 235 FT.LBS. TORQUE. NONE OF THE BOLTS WOULD TIGHTEN PROPERLY, ALL OF THEM STRETCHED. I REPLACED ALL OF THE BOLTS AND TAGGED THE DEFECTIVE BOLTS FOR MACK WARRANTY. AS A CITIZEN WHO EXPECTS THE HIGHWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES TO BE SAFE FOR TRAVEL, I AM ASKING THE ODI TO FIND OUT WHY ALL OF THE MACKS DELIVERED TO ABF HAVE DEFECTIVE 5TH WHEEL MOUNT BOLTS AND TO FIND OUT IF THE MACKS DELIVERED TO MORE DEMANDING CUSTOMERS ( SUCH AS LOGGERS, GRAVEL TRUCKS, CONCRETE TRUCKS, AND TANDEM AXLE FULL TRAILER LOAD TRUCKERS ) ARE ALSO ASSEMBLED WITH INFERIOR QUALITY FASTENERS THAT FAIL PREMATURELY. *TR