Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 1999 International Harvester 3800
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Brakes
770.0%
Median failure at 10,490 miles
Electrical System
330.0%
Median failure at 21,000 miles
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Dec 2001peak 4Jul 2008
NHTSA investigations into the 1999 International Harvester 3800
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
EA02034Opened 3 Dec 2002Closed 10 Feb 2004SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
OVERHEATING FRONT AND REAR BRAKES
THIS INVESTIGATION FOCUSED ON INTERNATIONAL MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKSAND SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS WEIGHING UP TO 33,000 POUNDS, EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKES AND BUILT WITH THE BOSCH ZERO OFFSET PIN SLIDE (ZOPS)BRAKE SYSTEM CALIPERS.INTERNATIONAL USED THE ZOPS CALIPERS FROM APRIL 1997 THROUGH JUNE 2002.ODI WAS CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTS OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS STICKING IN THE APPLIED POSITION, RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE HEAT.AS THE INVESTIGATION PROGRESSED, ODI BECAME AWARE OF WHEEL END FIRES, SOME OF WHICH OCCURRED ON SCHOOL BUSES.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI OBTAINED WARRANTY DATA WHICH WAS SORTED AND ANALYZED B...
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 21,000 milesMoores Hill, IN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
INSTRUMENT PANEL.
NHTSA complaint #10234962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 22,000 milesMoores Hill, IN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
INSTRUMENT PANEL.
NHTSA complaint #10234961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 20,000 milesBellevue, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE BUS GAUGES FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *PH CONSUMER OWNS THREE OF THE SAME VEHICLES AND ALL EXPERIENCED THE SAME DEFECT. FAILURE OCCURS WHILE MOVING OR AT A STOP. SOMETIMES IT WOULD OCCUR 7 TIMES IN A DAY THEN NOTHING FOR A FEW MORE DAYS. THERE'S NO PATTERN. THE SPEEDOMETER HEAD, AND SPEED SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED AND CLEANED BUT TO NO AVAIL.
NHTSA complaint #10048398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saline, MI
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
PROBLEMS WITH FRONT BRAKES OVERHEATING, ROTORS ARE WARPED. EXCESSIVE DRAG ON FRONT BRAKES, ABS SENSOR DAMAGED DUE TO HEAT. REPLACED ROTORS, CALIPER, AND PADS ON FRONT AXLE. OVER $800.00 IN REPAIRS. *MR *CB
NHTSA complaint #10032452 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saline, MI
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
THE REAR BRAKES OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING. THE DRIVER REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO A MECHANIC WHO CHECKED THE REAR BRAKES AND FOUND THEM TO BE OK; NO DRAG. THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE AND RECHECKED THE BUS BUT STILL FOUND NO BRAKE DRAG. *MR *CB *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10031908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,490 milesSaline, MI
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
DURING AN INSPECTION THE TECHNICIAN FOUND SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE HEATING OF CALIPERS AND WEAR OF PADS. *MR
NHTSA complaint #10031910 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cambridge, MN
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
INTERMITTENT LIGHT ON DASH INDICATING ANTI - LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM NOT FUNCTIONING.
NHTSA complaint #755207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cambridge, MN
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
INTERMITTENT LIGHT ON DASH INDICATING ANTI - LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM NOT FUNCTIONING.
NHTSA complaint #755207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cambridge, MN
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
INTERMITTENT LIGHT ON DASH, INDICATING ANTI - LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING.
NHTSA complaint #755220 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cambridge, MN
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
INTERMITTENT LIGHT ON DASH, INDICATING ANTI - LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT FUNCTIONING.
NHTSA complaint #755221 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.