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Freightliner ColumbiaModel year report

2005 Freightliner Columbia Problems

Complaints
38filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
173,036miles, 31 complaints with mileage
Recalls
14campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Freightliner Columbia (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

NHTSA recorded 38 consumer complaints for the 2005 Freightliner Columbia. The part named most often is transmission and drivetrain, with 24 complaints (63% of the total), followed by wheels (4) and engine cooling (3). 31 of the complaints include a mileage, and 3% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 173,036 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns and 198 technical service bulletins for this model year. Transmission and drivetrain complaints overlap with 11 technical service bulletins filed under the same part. Wheels complaints overlap with 1 recall campaign filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

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.

Also reported: Body and structure (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Clutch would not release, and then made loud poping sound, then it starting working, got into our shop check out found it had blew a hole in clutch housing, parts of clutch disc, came apart.r&r clucth and flywheel,we kept old parts here.the part that came out of disc, hit highway somewhere.”

NHTSA complaint #10129748, filed 2005-07, 144,860 miles

Wheels: “Dt: the tire blew out. Just did a walk around 2 miles before, the trailer was empty. The tire went completely off the rim and off into the brush. No truck damage but the rim is not usable.”

NHTSA complaint #10125343, filed 2005-06, 36,000 miles

Engine cooling: “I took possession of the vehicle in january 06 and have had the vehicle in the shop 4 times for aprrox 2 weeks each time for an exhaust leak in the cab of the vehicle and in the sleeping area the manufacturer of the vehicle stated that there were several vehicles with the same problem but did not have a 100% fix for it and the parts they were trying were almost impossible to get.. On may 25 2006 the problem had got to a point that it put me in the er with carbon monoxide poisoning.”

NHTSA complaint #10158525, filed 2006-05, 76,454 miles

Electrical system: “2005 Freightliner Columbia, unit 1 noticed smoke from his trailer as he pulled away from the booth at exit 142. Unit 1 pulled to the berm on the on the ramp and found the trailer was on fire. The tractor was disconnected from the trailer and pulled ahead . (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0264-90)”

NHTSA complaint #10404855, filed 2011-06

Mileage when problems were reported

3% of the 31 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 139,336 and 185,306 miles.

0%0–100%10–253%25–500%50–7510%75–10023%100–15065%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (31 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 173,036 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

200527200620072009201020112012
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 14 recalls for the 2005 Freightliner Columbia → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

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. 198 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 198 bulletins →

Other model years of the Freightliner Columbia

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20071125,41227———Not enough data
20061449,25521———Not enough data
200538173,03614——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200413287,73710———Not enough data
20031036,0685———Not enough data

All Freightliner Columbia model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Freightliner Columbia have?

NHTSA recorded 38 consumer complaints for the 2005 Freightliner Columbia as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Freightliner Columbia is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 24 complaints (63% of the total), followed by wheels with 4.

Has the 2005 Freightliner Columbia been recalled?

NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Freightliner Columbia reported?

Among the 31 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 173,036 miles and the middle half falls between 139,336 and 185,306 miles; 3% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 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.