2011 Kenworth T800 Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Problem: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2009-2021 Kenworth C500, 2012-2021 Kenworth T440, 2009-2015 Kenworth T660, 2015-2024 Kenworth T680, 2009-2024 Kenworth T800, 2009-2020 Kenworth T370, 2014-2023 Kenworth T880, 2011-2016 Kenworth T470, 2023 Kenworth T480, and 2009-2019 Kenworth W900 vehicles. The air tanks have an insufficient volume of air for the brake system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."

Risk: Insufficient air volume can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will install the correct volume air tanks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 12, 2024. Additional owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2025. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's number for this recall is 24KWD.

Problem: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2008-2019 Peterbilt 330, 335, 337, 340, 348, 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388, 389, 567, 579 and 587 vehicles and 2008-2020 Kenworth T170, T270, T370, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 vehicles equipped with NAMUX Software. In the event that the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) loses battery and/or ignition power to the controller, the dash warning light for the ABS may not illuminate to warn the driver of the loss of ABS. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems," and 136, "Electronic Stability Control System on Heavy Vehicles."

Risk: If the driver unknowingly operates the vehicle without the ABS functioning, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will update the NAMUX software within the cab control module, free of charge. PACCAR issued owners an interim notification on June 4, 2020. The recall began May 26, 2020. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 20pbc AND 20KWB.

Problem: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2010-2016 Kenworth T440, T800, and W900 trucks manufactured August 31, 2009, to April 20, 2015, and 2008-2015 Peterbilt 320, 337, 348, 365, 382, and 384 trucks manufactured July 27, 2007, to April 28, 2015, and equipped with certain Cummins Westport ISL G engines. Excessive engine crankcase pressures may cause the 90-degree elbow of the vent tube assembly to detach from the crankcase ventilation breather, possibly allowing engine oil to come into contact with hot surfaces.

Risk: If engine oil comes into contact with a hot surface, there is an increased risk of a fire.

Fix: Cummins will notify owners on behalf of PACCAR, and Cummins service centers will administer the repairs which include securing the ends of the 90-degree elbow and reprogramming the electronic control module (ECM) with software that can adjust the engine output under misfire conditions to limit crankcase pressures. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 12, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000, Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000 or Cummins Inc. at 1-800-343-7357. PACCAR's number for this recall is 15KWH and 515-G.

Problem: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Kenworth T270, T370, T440, T470, C500, C540, C550, T660, T800, W900, and 963 trucks manufactured November 1, 2010, to April 6, 2015. In the affected trucks, water may leak into the wiper motor.

Risk: As water leaks in, the wiper may cease to function on the 'intermittent' setting, reducing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the water may cause corrosion which, over time, may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: PACCAR is still developing and testing a remedy. The recall is expected to begin in July 2015. An interim letter was sent to owners on July 2, 2015. The recall began on September 2, 1015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. PACCAR's number for this recall is 15KWF.

Problem: PACCAR is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 Kenworth T800 and W900 trucks manufactured March 22, 2006, through July 15, 2013 and equipped with Primaax tridem rear suspensions and a pusher and/or tag axle. The affected trucks have brake chambers that take longer to apply or release the brakes than the required time limit. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 121, "Air Brake Systems."

Risk: Brakes that take longer to apply may lengthen the distance needed to stop the truck, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will modify the air brake system, free of charge. The recall began on January 15, 2014. Owners may contact PACCAR at 1-425-468-7400. Kenworth's recall number is 13KWL.

Problem: Paccar is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 kenworth t660, t700, and t800 vehicles manufactured from april 19, 2010, through may 13, 2011, and model year 2008, 2010, and 2011 peterbilt 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388 and 587 vehicles manufactured from april 20, 2010, through june 11, 2011, and equipped with paccar mx engines and eaton ultrashift dm or allison automatic transmissions (without auto-neutral). The fast idle control may be activated by the operator while the transmission is in gear.

Risk: If the fast idle control function is engaged with the transmission in gear, the vehicle could unexpectedly accelerate and override the parking brake and , creating a risk of a crash and damage to other vehicles or property and the potential for injury to nearby pedestrians.

Fix: Kenworth and peterbilt dealers will update the engine software for the affected chassis. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on august 22, 2011. Owners may contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440 and peterbilt at 1-940-591-4196.

Problem: Paccar is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 kenworth t270/370, t440/t470, t800, t660, w900 and c500 vehicles manufactured between october 18, 2010, and january 28, 2011. Certain cast iron slack adjuster housings, which transmit braking force from the brake chamber push rod to the brake cam tube, may include a flow notch in the handle portion of the housing due to an error during the casting process. A flow notch in the handle portion may reduce the effective cross section structure and cause the slack adjuster housing to fracture.

Risk: If the slack adjuster housing were to fracture, the wheel brake to which the slack adjuster housing is attached would no longer function, which could increase vehicle stopping distances, and if mounted on the steer axle, could cause the vehicle to pull to one side during braking, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the slack adjuster housing as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on march 30, 2011. Owners may contact kenworth at 425-828-5440.

Problem: Paccar is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 kenworth t2000, t660, t700, t800, and w900, as well as model year 2009-2012 peterbilt 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388, 389, and 587 trucks equipped with paccar mx engines. The oil module centrifugal spinner filter cap in the paccar mx engine may become loose, possibly allowing the cap to come off and engine oil to partially discharge from the oil module onto exhaust components.

Risk: The discharge of engine oil onto exhaust components which are hot, such as when the engine is under significant load, may cause a fire.

Fix: Dealers will re-torque the oil module filter cap and install a secondary retention device on the secondary centrifugal spinner filter cap. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during march 2011. Owners may contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440 and peterbilt at 1-940-591-4196.

Problem: Paccar is recalling certain model year kenworth t660 and t800 vehicles manufactured from september 13, 2010, through november 19, 2010, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. Part 567, "certification." the steer axle gawr and gvwr recorded on the vehicle's door labels may be inaccurate and overstate the actual load capacity of components installed on the vehicle.

Risk: This may lead to an owner overloading the vehicle which can increase the risk of a tire failure and crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the door labels free of charge. The safety recall began on december 17, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth at 425-828-5440.

Problem: Paccar is recalling certain model year kenworth t660, t700, t800 and w900 vehicles manufactured from december 22, 2008, through august 2, 2010, and equipped with ag400l air disc brakes. The air disc brake caliper could be installed on the wrong side of the drive axle potentially causing interference with the suspension bracket and the rear suspension as the outermost brake pads wear and the floating caliper moves inboard.

Risk: As this interference gets larger, this could eventually lead to reduced braking performance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will verify the correct orientation of the brake caliper and perform the necessary repair free of charge. The safety recall began on november 24, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth at 425-828-5440.

Problem: Paccar is recalling certain model year kenworth and peterbilt vehicles. A manufacturing defect in the seal supplied by a component manufacturer installed on the output shaft of the exhaust gas recirculation (egr) valve actuator may cause eventual delamination of the seal. Delamination of the seal may allow engine oil to leak from the egr valve onto exhaust components.

Risk: The leaking of engine oil onto hot exhaust components, such as when the engine is under significant load, may create the possibility of a fire.

Fix: Dealers will replace the egr valve assembly on the subject vehicles equipped with the paccar mx engine. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 29, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth at 425-828-5440 and peterbilt at 940-591-4196.

Problem: Kenworth is recalling certain model year 2011 t660, t800, w900, c500, t440, and t470 vehicles manufactured from april 1, 2009, through august 30, 2010. One of the four harness spade terminal connections to the chassis load center may become completely unseated. A completely unseated connection may result in a power loss to a portion of the vehicle's exterior lighting.

Risk: Power loss of the vehicle's exterior lighting may reduce the visibility of the vehicle to other drivers increasing the risk of a crash with the vehicle.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the harness and re-seating the female connectors on the male spade terminals. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 29, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440.

Problem: Kenworth is recalling certain model year 2011 t270, t370, and t800 trucks manufactured from january 28 through march 19, 2010, equipped with dv-2 air governor containing part number g90-1070-2111111 on the t270/370 model trucks and part number g90-1070-11113111 on the t800 model trucks. The dv-2 air governor was misassembled with a blank plug instead of a breather. Without the breather installed, the air governor may not be able to detect the loss of air pressure in the air system during normal use. This condition may result in the slow activation of the emergency spring brakes.

Risk: Although the operator is warned of low air pressure by audible and visual low air pressure warning alarms, a vehicle crash or fire is possible if these warnings are not heeded.

Fix: Kenworth will notify owners and repair the vehicles by replacing the blank plug with a breather and inspect for proper function free of charge. The safety recall began on june 10, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440.