1996–2003 Pierce Custom Chassis Recall: ON CERTAIN FIRE TRUCKS WITH TANDEM STEER AXLES
NHTSA campaign 03V380000 · Steering · filed Oct 8, 2003 · verified Jul 30, 2026
The defect
ON CERTAIN FIRE TRUCKS WITH TANDEM STEER AXLES. THE TRW TIE-ROD ON THE REAR-MOST AXLE OF A TANDEM AXLE IS RESTRAINED FROM ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT BY A PAIR OF ANTI-ROTATION SEALS LOCATED AT THE BALL SOCKET JOINTS. THESE ANTI-ROTATION SEALS WILL COMPRESS OVER TIME. IF THE ANTI-ROTATION SEAL ALLOWS TOO MUCH MOTION, THE SEALS CAN DETERIORATE, ALLOWING CONTACT BETWEEN THE BALL SOCKET AND THE BALL SHAFT. THIS METAL-TO-METAL CONTACT WILL TRANSMIT FORCES INTO THE TIE-ROD TUBE, CAUSING FATIGUE FAILURE INITIATING AT THE ROOT OF THE FEMALE TREADS.
The risk
FAILURE OF THE TIE-ROD WILL ALLOW ONE OF THE WHEELS TO SWING TO THE LIMIT OF ITS STEERING STOP, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →The fix — what to do
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIE ROD. NOTIFICATION TO OWNERS BEGAN NOVEMBER 7, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT PIERCE AT 1-888-974-3723.
CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Affected vehicles
Related recalls
More Pierce Custom Chassis recalls
Other campaigns involving Pierce vehicles
- 2015–2026 Pierce Arrow XT and 3 other models — Firm-on-ground system light may remain illuminated after…
- 2025 Pierce Arrow XT and 4 other models — Steering linkage arm bolt may come loose, resulting in the…
- 2023–2024 Pierce Enforcer and 2 other models — Tires mounted on the front steer axles are incompatible…
Source: NHTSA recall database, campaign 03V380000. Data last verified Jul 30, 2026.