NHTSA campaign 18V491000 · Manufacturer campaign FL-780

Freightliner Recall 18V-491: No ABS/ESC lights with Key Cycle/FMVSS 121, 136

NHTSA recall 18V491000 (Manufacturer campaign FL-780) was reported by Daimler Trucks North America LLC on July 20, 2018, with 43,584 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Freightliner Cascadia for model years 2017–2019. Owners were notified on March 5, 2019, per NHTSA.

Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files

Is my vehicle included?

This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 18V491000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.

To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign
18V491000 (also written 18V-491 or 18V491)
Filed by
Daimler Trucks North America LLC
Manufacturer campaign number
FL-780
Report received
Potentially affected
43,584 vehicles (per NHTSA)
Component
Electrical System — Instrument Cluster/Panel
Owners notified
Safety standard
FMVSS 121

Repair completion: 96.13% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)

NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.

Vehicles listed for this recall

NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 18V491000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.

Freightliner

  • Freightliner Cascadia

    • 2017, 2018, 2019 · Vehicles built May 3, 2016 – July 11, 2016 (per NHTSA)
All Freightliner recalls

NHTSA's recall notice

As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 18V491000.

Defect description

Daimler Trucks North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Freightliner Cascadia trucks. The Instrument Cluster Unit (ICU) may not perform the required bulb checks for the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) or Electronic Stability Control (ESC) if the ignition is turned from on to off to on too quickly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems," and 136, "Electronic Stability Control Systems on Heavy Vehicles."

Safety consequence

Without an ABS or ESC bulb check, the operator may unaware that the warning light bulbs are not working. If the warning bulbs are not working, in the event of an ABS or ESC malfunction, the driver may not be notified, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

DTNA will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ICU's to ensure a bulb check is performed each time the ignition is turned on, free of charge. Also, the sub-population with Tire Pressure Monitoring (TMPS) will also require replacement parts, free of charge. DTNA issued owners an interim notification on September 18, 2018. The recall began March 5, 2019. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA's number for this recall is FL-780.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Sources

Official NHTSA notice for recall 18V491000

Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.