Complaint 419209
2003 FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA • EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS • incident Jan 18, 2003
- Complaint ID
- 419209
- Make
- FREIGHTLINER
- Model
- COLUMBIA
- Model Year
- 2003
- Component
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
- Incident Date
- Jan 18, 2003
- Date Received
- Jul 21, 2003
- Data As Of
- Apr 27, 2026
Complaint Summary
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Owner Narrative
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A GROUP OF 40 FREIGHTLINER TRACTORS IN OCTOBER 2002. TRACTORS WERE BUILT WITH AN H7 LOW BEAM HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY. WE HAVE SINCE HAD MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THIS STYLE HEADLAMP AND HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN BOTH HEADLAMPS BURNED OUT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE DRIVER WAS OPERATIONG VEHICLE IN DARKNESS. ALL DATA ON THIS LAMP THAT I CAN FIND, SHOWS A SERVICE LIFE IN THE 200 HOUR RANGE. MOST STANDARD HEADLAMPS ARE RATED FOR 1000+ HOURS. MOST USA APPLICATIONS FOR THIS H7 BULB ARE FOR THE FOG LAMP POSITION, NOT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT. TRUCKS BUILT AFTER THIS GROUP HAVE BEEN FITTED WITH A DIFFERENT 9007 HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY WHICH WORKS JUST FINE. FREIGHTLINER REFUSES TO DISCUSS THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THIS DESIGN. DRIVERS ARE NOW VERY CONCERNED ABOUT OPERATING VEHICLES AFTER DARK.*AK
Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.
Related
Data sources & freshness
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.
Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.
Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.