Washington, D.C. — A sweeping safety campaign involving more than 165,000 Mack and International commercial trucks is underway following reports that faulty Bendix electronic control units can disable vital braking and stability systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that the campaign targets over 60,000 Mack trucks from the 2020 through 2025 model years, alongside more than 105,000 International vehicles built between 2021 and 2025. Bendix launched the broader action to address severe electrical interference and weak power line signals that cause the affected EC80 Advanced ECUs to misinterpret commands or shut down completely.
The manufacturing defect directly compromises core safety architecture relied upon by every OTR truck driver navigating heavy traffic. Malfunctioning units can disable automatic traction control, anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control, active cruise control, and collision mitigation suites. The issue stems from the power line carrier network Bendix uses for communication between the tractor and towed units. This signal proves especially vulnerable on combination vehicles pulling multiple trailers, elevating crash risks across interstate freight corridors.
Mack units impacted by the recall include Anthem, Granite, Pinnacle, and TerraPro models built through the 2025 model year. International vehicles span the HV, HX, LoneStar, LT, MV, and RH lines from model years 2021 to 2025, plus certain 2022 ProStars. Mack has already logged 55 warranty claims where the ABS indicator illuminated and the system dropped offline. While no field accidents or injuries are currently tied to the defect, the sheer scale of the campaign requires immediate attention from fleet maintenance departments and owner-operators alike.
What This Means for Drivers
Professional CDL-A drivers hauling freight in these late-model tractors need to check their vehicle identification numbers immediately and contact authorized dealers for the free software reprogramming. Fleet safety directors and independent owner-operators should prioritize scheduling these updates to maintain compliance with FMCSA regulations regarding equipment safety standards. Trucking companies hiring new talent are currently advising applicants to verify that fleet equipment has cleared all active manufacturer recalls before taking dispatch on long-haul routes.
Industry Reaction
This massive equipment recall highlights the growing vulnerability of modern commercial trucks to electronic communication failures as computerized braking networks become increasingly complex. With Volvo Trucks and Navistar already pulling hundreds of thousands of vehicles for similar Bendix ECU updates, commercial fleet maintenance shops face mounting scheduling bottlenecks. Independent owner-operators operating across regional and OTR lanes must coordinate closely with authorized service centers to minimize downtime while technicians patch the compromised software.
Key Points
- Over 60,000 Mack trucks from model years 2020 to 2025 require Bendix ECU software updates.
- International is recalling more than 105,000 trucks across multiple model lines built between 2021 and 2025.
- The defect can disable ABS, stability control, and collision mitigation systems due to signal interference.
- Authorized dealers will perform the ECU reprogramming free of charge under NHTSA safety numbers 24V-792 and 24V-818.
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