Navistar recalls thousands of International trucks for possible grille detachment

Navistar Inc. recently issued a recall for certain International HX trucks for a defect that could cause the grille surround to separate from the truck.

The recall affects a total of 5805 International HX trucks model year 2020-2024 that are built with a steel grille surround rather than a non-steel grille surround.

An estimated 100% of the recalled vehicles have the grille defect.

According National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents:

The grille surround is attached to eight (8) mounting brackets by a bonding material. Over time, corrosion can develop between the two dissimilar metal components and cause the bonding material to lose adhesion, resulting in the grille surround coming loose one bracket at a time and could cause the grille surround to separate from the truck. A grille surround that separates from the vehicle and falls to the roadway while the vehicle is in operation, can increase the risk of a vehicle crash that may result in property damage, personal injury or death. To date, there have been no reported crashes for this issue.

Officials say that drivers operating a truck with the defect “would hear the grille surround rattling when the vehicle is in operation and should notice that grille surround is not flush against the hood during a pre-trip walk around inspection.”

Customer and dealer notification letters should be sent by May 15, 2023.

Truck owners with questions may contact Navistar customer service at 1-800-448-7825 and reference recall number 23507.