KENWORTH Complaints

Manufacturer hidden issues on vehicle on: Air system including compressor, air tank capacity volume and consumption, or valves. Automatic transmission air consumption and possible module or valves leaking air. Involved in crash and sensitive information available in black box and company Dash camera.

I drive a 2022 Kenworth T680 equipped with a Bendix collision mitigation / automatic emergency braking system. On multiple occasions, the system has applied the service brakes hard with no real obstacle in front of the truck, creating a serious rear-end collision risk for vehicles behind me. The events typically occur in rain, fog, or under overpasses and signs at highway speeds with cruise control engaged. The truck suddenly brakes without warning or driver input, dropping speed rapidly in the travel lane while traffic is following. I have documented dates, locations, weather, and traffic conditions for these incidents. In each case, there was no stopped or slowing vehicle in my lane that justified automatic emergency braking. This appears to be a “false positive” AEB activation similar to those NHTSA is already investigating on other Class 8 tractors, where the system misidentifies harmless objects or roadway features and commands an unnecessary stop. These false activations put me and other motorists at risk of a rear-end crash. The dealer has indicated they are limited in how much they can disable the system for liability reasons, so I am submitting this as a safety defect report and requesting that NHTSA investigate this behavior on Kenworth T680 trucks with this collision mitigation system.

The contact owns a 2024 Kenworth T680. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and pressing the wiper fluid button, the wiper fluid did not immediately spray, and the contact was unable to immediately clean the front windshield. The contact stated that after several attempts, the wiper fluid sprayer operated normally. Later, the front windshield wipers malfunctioned. The contact stated that when the front windshield wipers were activated in the continuous setting, the wipers were randomly delayed. Also, while activating the turn signal the wipers were erroneously delayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed an electrical short in the wiper and turn signal mechanism, and that the mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2023 Kenworth T680. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and pressing the wiper fluid button, the wiper fluid did not immediately spray, and the contact was unable to immediately clean the front windshield. The contact stated the after several attempts the wiper fluid sprayer operated normally. Later, the front windshield wipers malfunctioned. The contact stated that when the front windshield wipers were activated in the continuous setting, the wipers were randomly delayed. Additionally, while activating the turn signal and the wipers the features were delayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed an electrical short in the wiper and turn signal mechanism, and that the mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 205,000. The VIN was invalid.

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2024 Kenworth W900. The contact, who is a fleet manager, stated that while one of the drivers was driving uphill, the vehicle stalled. The driver called and the contact went to the location where the vehicle was pulled over. The contact stated that there was fuel spewing from the injection pump. Upon further inspection, the contact became aware that the fuel pump barrel was fractured. The contact repaired the vehicle on-site. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E078000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL). The failure mileage was 110,230.

I have 2 Kenworth trucks VIN [XXX] and [XXX] both on recall NHTSA 24V190. The recalls have been performed my issue is with reimbursement for prior replacement for the recalled parts. I have attached emails from Paccar as well as the invoices for the replacement of the recalled parts. Any help you can provide is appreciated as I'm not getting anywhere with Paccar or the dealers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2022 Kenworth T680. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the Engine Control Module (ECM) or the Engine Control Unit (ECU), started to lose power, eventually displaying a black screen. When attempting to drive and accelerate up to 50 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost power. The contact stated that a timer displayed a countdown from one hour, and once the timer reached 0 minutes, the vehicle automatically shut off. The contact would coast to the side of the road and wait before restarting the vehicle to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the ECM/ECU and oxygen sensors both failed and needed to be replaced. The ECM/ECU was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 450.

The contact owns a 2023 Kenworth T680 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Endurance, Tire Size: 297/75/R22.5, DOT Number: 1MC37L1BW0624. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle, and afterwards, the contact felt heavy vibrations coming from the steering wheel. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the front passenger’s side tire casing had separated from the tread. The tires were taken to an independent mechanic, who failed to provide a diagnosis. The tire was replaced by Roadside Assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was 362,000, and the tire failure mileage was 50,000.

Injector system keeps truck constantly wanting to do a regen. Too much fuel is being pushed into the particulate filter.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Kenworth T880. The contact stated that while driving, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 130,000 and at the time of the failure, it was discovered that the mileage was 700,000.