Navistar Recalls Over 25,000 Trucks for Steering Concerns

Truck-maker Navistar is recalling more than 25,000 commercial trucks over fears that compromised steering gear joints could trigger crashes.

The automaker outlined the issue in two safety recall reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The first affects 25,822 trucks and buses from model years 2021-2023, while the second impacts 5,645 vehicles, all school buses.

According to the recall reports, the company determined in August that a hex flange lock nut “was not properly formed and heat treated” to company specifications. The lock nut is used on the pitman arm pinch bolt joints, the front-axel U-bolt joints, front and rear spring eyes, some rear spring ties and the steering gear mounting joints. That last one was cited as a crash concern, as “loss of tension in these joints may affect vehicle handling,” according to the report.

Thus far, the company has received no reports of vehicle failures. It intends to notify dealerships and customers in January.

The recall affects:

• 10,966 LT-series trucks
• 9,135 MV Diesel-series trucks
• 1,936 CV-series trucks
• 1,419 HV-series trucks
• 1,361 RH-series trucks
• 479 HX-series trucks
• 118 LoneStar-series trucks
• 95 MV LPG-series trucks
• 52 MV-series electric trucks

According to the recall report, all of the listed vehicles “contain at least one suspect bolted joint, but due to vehicle configuration, not all vehicles will require all joints to be repaired.”