1999 Peterbilt 385 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 385 years
- Not enough data 1st of 21 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
NHTSA has received no owner complaints about the 1999 Peterbilt 385 so far. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 0owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
1999 Peterbilt 385 recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:hub
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
Risk: Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace all front axle hubs. Notification began july 16, 2003. The manufacturer has advised us that parts will not be available until september 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy with a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 940-591-4201 or kenworth 425-828-5440.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Problem: Heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain arvinmeritor and dana axles. Peterbilt will recall 1,434 vehicles equipped with arvinmeritor axles manufactured from december 11, 1999, to may 14, 2000, and from july 22 to september 30, 2000. Kenworth will recall 859 vehicles equipped with arvinmeritor vehicles manufactured from december 11, 1999, to may 23, 2000, and from july 27, 2000, to september 30, 2000 and kennworth will recall an additional 4,151 vehicles equipped with dana axles and manufactured from june 23 to december 6, 1999, and from may 23 to september 30, 2000. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.
Risk: This can lead to premature wear with possible separation of the ball stud from the socket, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will remove and replace all affected tie rods and drag links with different designed ends. Owner notification began july 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1-940-591-4201 or kenworth at 1-425-828-5440.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain meritor axles. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.
Risk: This can lead to premature wear with possible separation of the ball stud from the socket, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will remove and replace all affected tie rods and drag links with different designed ends. Owner notification began october 24, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1-940-591-4000 or kenworth at 1-425-828-5000.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. A change in the internal linkage of certain cab doors has created a possible binding condition.
Risk: If the linkage binds, full engagement of the door latch may not occur, allowing the door to open inadvertently.
Fix: Dealers will modify the door linkage to correct the potential of binding. Owner notification began june 22, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1-940-591-4000.
Seat belts:front:anchorage
Problem: Vehicle description: class 7 and class 8 vehicles. These vehicles do not comply with the requirements of fmvss no. 207, "seating system," and no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." some fasteners used to attach the shoulder belt anchor bracket to the cab structure were omitted during production.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the shoulder belt anchorage may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will add the necessary fasteners. Owner notification began march 19, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1-940-591-4000.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain meritor axles. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.
Risk: This can lead to premature wear with possible separation of the ball stud from the socket, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will remove and replace all affected tie rods and drag links with different designed ends.
Electrical system:ignition:module
Problem: Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with caterpillar engines and eaton autoshift transmissions. The engines can stall because of software problems.
Risk: Increased steering effort can occur.
Fix: Dealers will update these engines with software changes. Caterpillar is conducting the owner notification and remedy of this recall.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Other Peterbilt 385 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 385 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 385 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 385 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 385 | 0 | 2 |
| 2012 385 | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 385 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 385 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 385 | 0 | 4 |
| 2008 385 | 0 | 7 |
| 2007 385 | 0 | 7 |
| 2006 385 | 0 | 5 |
| 2005 385 | 0 | 4 |
| 2004 385 | 0 | 2 |
| 2003 385 | 0 | 3 |
| 2002 385 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001 385 | 0 | 5 |
| 2000 385 | 0 | 7 |
| 1999 | 0 | 7 |
| 1998 385 | 0 | 3 |
| 1997 385 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 385 | 0 | 2 |
See all Peterbilt 385 problems by year, every Peterbilt model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Peterbilt 385?
NHTSA has no owner complaints on file yet.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Peterbilt 385?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Peterbilt 385 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 385 model years, the 1999 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.