NHTSA Complaint #10940211 — 2015 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA

BRAKE PRESSURE SWITCH DEFECTIVE: UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL NOT ACTIVATE TO WARN FOLLOWING MOTORISTS. THE BRAKE LIGHTS ONLY WORK ON A HEAVY PEDAL APPLICATION. THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE CRUISE CAN BE SET AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND APPLYING THE BRAKES WILL NOT DEACTIVATE THE CRUISE. THE BRAKES ARE FIGHTING THE ENGINE UNTIL THE DRIVER TURNS OFF THE CRUISE AT THE SWITCH. AN INSPECTION INVOLVES PULLING DOWN THE INDEPENDENT CONTROL LEVER ON THE DASH FOR THE BRAKES WHICH IS THE SAME AS A HEAVY BRAKE APPLICATION AND THEN WALKING AROUND VEHICLE TO VERIFY IF THE BRAKES AND LIGHTS ARE WORKING. HOWEVER, THIS INSPECTION CONCEALS THE FLAW TO BOTH MECHANICS AND DRIVERS BECAUSE UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED THAT HEAVILY. OF THE 300 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIAS IN THE FLEET, I AM RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO A POOL OF 30 OF WHICH I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS DEFECT IN 8 TRACTORS FROM OCTOBER 2016 TO JANUARY 2017. DRIVERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTION SINCE THE TRUCKS WERE NEW BUT WE ARE NOW AWARE THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE THE FAULT OF THE CRUISE CONTROL DEFECT. *TR