[special k]

Keep that in mind next time someone says "you're only paying for the name" Do you still believe Carrier when they said that truck only had 165,000 miles on it? Good luck.

[infrontofu]

i have a 98 volvo 660 and am extremly happy with it the volvo d 12 gets 7.5 mpg when im running it and over 8 when just crusing.

[Mackman]

i drove a MACK vison for a little while it was a real nice truck. I drove a 9400i at Venezia and it also was a very nice truck. Sorry about your luck. my 2cents is that volvos are a girly truck. And now they own MACK :evil: . Best of luck to ya.

[Kranky]

Originally Posted by tracer

Some people say Freightliners suck and Volvos are for sissies, but I must say I'm really unhappy with my 2004 International with its 235,000 miles. The quality of materials they use is awful!

So why are you blaming International?

I bought the truck in April 2007 with 165,000 miles on the odometer. Since then I've replaced:

- starter - not an International part.
- windshield wiper motor - not an International part.
- a couple of valve actuators and sensor under warranty (Cat C15) - Cat parts.
- coolant tank - not an International part.
- defroster control unit (inside the dash): it didn't direct the air flow 100% to the windshield in the "defroster only" mode - International has released a service update for this problem, a revised design "blend air door" for the heater/AC unit, which incidentally is under the passenger seat. Part # is 2503729C2. We've been installing these in the trucks where I work, due to the fact that we had the same problem.- defroster control panel: it got stuck in either "cold" or "hot" - actually, the control was probably working OK, but the aforementioned "blend air door" in the heater/AC unit was stuck and not responding to the control.
- steering box (steering felt too light) - not an International part.
- steering shaft (lots of vibration on the steering wheel) So how would replacing the steering shaft cure a vibration problem?- all tires - I have switched to the original low profile tires because the truck was over-sensitive with 11R22.5 tires. now it stays on course... Tires are not manufactured by International.
- did top set (valve adjustment) twice because there was constant noise (tapping/knocking) from the engine - Again, this is a Cat problem, not International problem.
- did Dyno to make sure I got all the HP - and the results were????
- right rear wheel shock absorber - not an International part.-
speed control sensor above the break pedal

I also had to repair the dashboard panels on top of the dash, near the windshield - they all had broken screw nests/holes. - We've had that problem too. International is working on an update, supposedly.
The last straw that provoked this message was this: after I replaced the defroster control unit inside the dash, and the mechanic reinstalled everything, I noticed I had difficulty pushing in the air brake yellow knob: the whole right part of the dashboard seemed to flex in too much. I took off the outside cover and discovered the inner plastic sheet had a broken part where the screw was supposed to go in. So it didn't hold the pressure when I pushed in the brake know. I called our shop and the manager said, "All our trucks have that thing broken!" Yup, and International has a service repair kit for that too.
This company fleet consists 100% of International trucks - mainly 9200 and 9900 models!

When I just started driving in 2002 for Challenger Motor Freight as company driver, they gave me a 1999 (!) Volvo with 500,000 miles on it. I drove that truck for 6 months and I had much much much less problems with it than what I have had with my 2004 International!

How about that!

PS: I just discovered that tapping/knocking in the engine was caused by a loose band clamp on the exhaust manifold. - not an International part. "It's a full day job," a guy from Philly Peterbilt told me. Yeah, right ... my home town CAT promised to do everything under my extended warranty...

[Redd202]

Those may not be International parts, but International is still culpable - afterall, they're the ones that built the truck and chose to use those parts. If their name is on the hood, they're ultimately responsible for the reliability of their product.

[BanditsCousin]

Both make valid points.

If a part is installed wrong or half booty'd, it will fail.

[Double L]

Originally Posted by Redd202

Those may not be International parts, but International is still culpable - afterall, they're the ones that built the truck and chose to use those parts. If their name is on the hood, they're ultimately responsible for the reliability of their product.

Brings up a good point.

[GMAN]

I have an International that has nearly 900,000 miles on it. I have had to spend little on it until the last coupe of months. The turbo went out in Fresno and it may have some other problem going on. I am trying to get out there to check it out now. Whatever happens, I am glad that I bought the truck. I got a good deal when I bought it and figure it paid for itself during the first year or two. I have owned several different brands and think that I have had better service out of this truck than any I have owned. I especially like the way my sleeper is laid out. If the truck needs an overhaul, then it is about time, although I had hopped to get over a million on the odometer. If an overhaul is needed, then I will make a decision as to whether I want to spend the money or sell it and buy another truck. It has a CAT engine. I have had to rework the radiator twice, rebuild or replace the fan clutch twice, both rears, king pins, steering box, 2 injectors, o-rings and sleeves. These are just normal wear and tear items. They could have happened with any brand. I certainly don't blame International. I would buy another just like it, if I could find one. I have had to replace a fan clutch, king pins and lifters in my Kenworth in the last couple of years. This truck had a rebuild just over 100,000 miles ago when it dropped a couple of lifters. I don't blame Kenworth for that problem. Parts wear out. It doesn't make any difference as to the brand. Most have the same suppliers for most of the parts that go into the trucks. If a truck has been well maintained you are less likely to need to spend a lot of money on repairs. I change my oil every 15,000 miles. I also try to make any other repairs as soon as I am made aware of them. When you own trucks you will need to make repairs.

[Kranky]

Originally Posted by GMAN

I have an International that has nearly 900,000 miles on it. I have had to spend little on it until the last coupe of months. The turbo went out in Fresno and it may have some other problem going on. I am trying to get out there to check it out now. Whatever happens, I am glad that I bought the truck. I got a good deal when I bought it and figure it paid for itself during the first year or two. I have owned several different brands and think that I have had better service out of this truck than any I have owned. I especially like the way my sleeper is laid out. If the truck needs an overhaul, then it is about time, although I had hopped to get over a million on the odometer. If an overhaul is needed, then I will make a decision as to whether I want to spend the money or sell it and buy another truck. It has a CAT engine. I have had to rework the radiator twice, rebuild or replace the fan clutch twice, both rears, king pins, steering box, 2 injectors, o-rings and sleeves. These are just normal wear and tear items. They could have happened with any brand. I certainly don't blame International. I would buy another just like it, if I could find one. I have had to replace a fan clutch, king pins and lifters in my Kenworth in the last couple of years. This truck had a rebuild just over 100,000 miles ago when it dropped a couple of lifters. I don't blame Kenworth for that problem. Parts wear out. It doesn't make any difference as to the brand. Most have the same suppliers for most of the parts that go into the trucks. If a truck has been well maintained you are less likely to need to spend a lot of money on repairs. I change my oil every 15,000 miles. I also try to make any other repairs as soon as I am made aware of them. When you own trucks you will need to make repairs.

Exactly.

My point was that with the exception of the heater defroster issues, dashboard panel, and the parking brake / trailer valve mounting in the dashboard, the rest of the "laundry list" pertained to vendor supplied parts which can be found in other makes of trucks as well, and can cause the reported problems no matter what make of truck they are installed in.

Can't single out International for that.

Also, as I said earlier, International is aware of the heater and dashboard issues and has issued updated service parts to correct 2 of the 3 problems listed.

The company I work for has always used exclusively International trucks, currently there are 25 in the fleet, so the boss has some "influence" when he calls the dealer to report a problem.

Factory guys from International have visited our shop and observed problems the company was having, hopefully leading to product improvements in the future.

International does seem to be proactive in dealing with issues involving their proprietary parts.

[special k]

Well they've used the same dash since the mid 90's and his truck is a 04 and they still can't get it right?