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Freightliner CascadiaModel year report

2018 Freightliner Cascadia Problems

Complaints
11filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
209,000miles, 2 complaints with mileage
Recalls
261 do-not-drive
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 11 consumer complaints for the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia. The part named most often is exterior lighting, with 4 complaints (36% of the total), followed by brakes (3) and vehicle speed control (3). 2 of the complaints include a mileage, and 0% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 209,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 1 a death, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 26 recall campaigns (1 marked do-not-drive) and 1,044 technical service bulletins for this model year. Exterior lighting complaints overlap with 5 recall campaigns covering the bulbs, 1 NHTSA investigation and 26 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Brakes complaints overlap with 12 recall campaigns covering the modulator, 2 NHTSA investigations and 47 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Exterior lighting: “The contact owns a 2018 Freightliner Cascadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the brake lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”

NHTSA complaint #11505821, filed 2023-02

Brakes: “The Automatic Emergency Braking System has activated at least 3 different times while I was driving. At each occurrence there was nothing in the roadway or travel lane. The vehicle came to an abrupt stop twice and slammed the brakes on but then released them a moment later once. In each event a very near collision with other vehicles was almost caused. There are other drivers that use this truck that have reported similar events (5 or 6), but I cannot say for certain what the exact circumstances were in those events. This vehicle is available for inspection if requested. …”

NHTSA complaint #11526068, filed 2023-06

Vehicle speed control: “Had same issues on 2018-2020 Freightliner cascadias (7 different units), chassis harness rubbing against transmission and the metal bracket by the air compressor. Active fault codes for coolant level , tcs, transmission ecu - drivers not able to drive on automatic mode/ only manual mode available. One time the driver was not even able to start the truck in the morning, had to get the unit towed to the dealer and have the harness repaired. All of the faults previously described could happen in motion and/or when vehicle was stationary.”

NHTSA complaint #11366557, filed 2020-10, 310,500 miles

Electrical system: “Semi was traveling westbound on interstate 80 when it entered north ditch of the roadway. Semi rolled at least once after entering ditch. Driver was ejected from the vehicle while it was rolling. It came to rest on passenger side facing westbound. Driver was pronounced dead at hospital. At the scene of the accident the mechanic of the company mentioned there was a problem with the brakes. The air bag did not deploy and the seat belt alarm continued to sound even when the belt was connected. This happened only shortly after driver started shift. …”

NHTSA complaint #11140059, filed 2018-10

Mileage when problems were reported

0% of the 2 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 107,500 and 310,500 miles.

0%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–10050%100–15050%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (2 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 209,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

201820192020202120222023320252026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

See all 26 recalls for the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1,044 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 1,044 bulletins →

Other model years of the Freightliner Cascadia

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20241492,5002———Too new
202312—7———Too new
202213138,05619———Not enough data
202116270,58421———Falling
20202651,60021——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Falling
20192950,00029——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Stable
201811209,00026———Not enough data
20179220,00020———Not enough data
201612150,00012———Not enough data
20151655,00018———Stable
20141271,10821———Not enough data
20137149,50019———Not enough data
201217263,17519———Falling
201112111,30023———Not enough data
201012170,33323———Not enough data
200919250,63324———Stable
200888,00022———Not enough data

All Freightliner Cascadia model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia have?

NHTSA recorded 11 consumer complaints for the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia is reported most often?

Exterior lighting is named most often, in 4 complaints (36% of the total), followed by brakes with 3.

Has the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia been recalled?

NHTSA lists 26 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia reported?

Among the 2 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 209,000 miles and the middle half falls between 107,500 and 310,500 miles; 0% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.