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International Harvester S SeriesYears to avoid, problems & recalls

NHTSA has 0 owner complaints and 14 safety recalls on record for the International Harvester S Series.

Years to avoidNoneBased on weighted complaintsBest years—Fewest complaints for their ageOwner complaints0—Safety recalls141975–1987 model years

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports. Updated daily. How we score years.

Best & worst years

International Harvester S Series years to avoid

Complaints by model year, colored by the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the S Series median. Tap a year for its full report.

'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1987Not rated–/1000 complaints · 3 recalls1986Not rated–/1000 complaints · 4 recalls1985Not rated–/1000 complaints · 3 recalls1984Not rated–/1000 complaints · 2 recalls1983Not rated–/1000 complaints · 3 recalls1982Not rated–/1000 complaints · 3 recalls1981Not rated–/1000 complaints · 2 recalls1980Not rated–/1000 complaints · 3 recalls1979Not rated–/1000 complaints · 5 recalls1978Not rated–/1000 complaints · 5 recalls1977Not rated–/1000 complaints · 4 recalls1976Not rated–/1000 complaints · 2 recalls1975Not rated–/1000 complaints · 2 recalls
Complaints by system

Most common International Harvester S Series problems

All model years combined: 0 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
14 recalls

International Harvester S Series recalls

Newest first. The ring shows the share of affected vehicles repaired, from the manufacturer's latest report to NHTSA.

–Linkages: tie rod assembly88V-096 · 1987 · Jun 20, 1988 · 5,587 vehicles–Cooling system: fan87V-150 · 1987 · Sep 18, 1987 · 1,521 vehicles–Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator87V-005 · 1978–1987 · Jan 29, 1987 · 101,072 vehicles–Supply: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings86V-085 · 1986 · Jul 1, 1986 · 3,226 vehicles–Front: anchorage86V-052 · 1985–1986 · Apr 8, 1986 · 5,940 vehicles–Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system86V-046 · 1985–1986 · Mar 21, 1986 · 10,002 vehicles–Vehicle speed control84V-091 · 1978–1984 · Aug 14, 1984 · 16,000 vehicles–Drum: drum83V-029 · 1982–1983 · Mar 14, 1983 · 1,900 vehicles–Linkages: tie rod assembly80V-148 · 1979–1980 · Nov 17, 1980 · 19,500 vehicles–Steering: linkages79V-258 · 1979 · Dec 14, 1979 · 400 vehicles–Other: labels79V-227 · 1977–1978 · Oct 16, 1979 · 18,778 vehicles–Service brakes, air: drum79V-211 · 1975–1979 · Sep 18, 1979 · 25,000 vehicles

Showing the 12 newest of 14 recalls. Each model-year page lists all recalls for that year.

2 investigations

NHTSA investigations of the S Series

  1. AIR BRAKE EMERGENCY VALVEPE89032 · 1988 · closed Mar 22, 1989
    No recall
  2. SUDDEN ACCELERATIONPE88082 · 1985–1988 · closed Nov 3, 1988
    No recall