KENWORTH Complaints

I BROUGHT A SET OF COOPER STEER TIRES FOR MY SEMI TRUCK FROM A FLYING J IN BLACK RIVER FALLS WI. THE TIRES SHORTLY AFTER STARTED WEARING UNEVENLY, CUPPING BADLY AND SEEM TO BE FALLING APART. THIS BEGAN AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30K MILES, I TRIED EFFORTLESSLY TO CONTACT COOPER TO INFORM OF THE DEFECTS AND ISSUES AND WAS BLOWN OFF. I CONTACTED THE FLYING J I PURCHASED THEM FROM AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE RECALLED AND THAT COOPER HAD COME AND TAKEN THE TIRES FROM THE STORE AND THAT NEITHER THE FLYING J OR COOPER TIRE HAD ANY INTENTION OR THOUGHT ABOUT CONTACTING THE PURCHASERS OF THESE TIRES. AFTER I SPOKE TO SOMEONE IN THERE CORPORATE OFFICE THEY WERE NOT RECALLED TIRES THEY WERE SIMPLY JUST KNOWN "FOR PROBLEMS" AND THEY REFUSED TO EXPLAIN WHY NO ONE WAS CONTACTED. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THEY WOULD GIVE ME 75% CREDIT FOR THE TIRES THAT THEY KNEW HAD SAFETY ISSUES AND WOULD BE GIVEN A NATIONAL DISCOUNT I AGREED AND ASSUMED I WOULD FOLLOW UP EVEN MORE SO WITH COOPER. WHEN I CONTACTED COOPER AGAIN VIA EMAIL AND EXPLAINED THIS TO THEM AGAIN I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DON'T WARRANTY SAFETY AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT A DEALER FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. THESE TIRES ARE A MAJOR SAFETY RISK TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND AFTER I WAS TOLD BY THE FLYING J PERSONNEL IN THERE CORPORATE OFFICE THAT THESE ARE THE 13TH SET OF STEER TIRES JUST FROM THAT LOCATION ALONE THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE DUE TO THE SAME DEFECTS I THINK THAT WARRANTS SOMEONE DOING OR SAYING SOMETHING!!!!! THINK HOW MANY ACCIDENTS THESE TIRES MAY HAVE CAUSED OR COULD HAVE CAUSED RECENTLY, HOW MANY FAMILIES MUST LOSE LOVED ONES DUE TO COOPERS OUTRIGHT NEGLIGENCE. *TR

2005 KENWORTH T600 LAST 8 OF VIN 099664 AIR BRAKE CHAMBER MOUNTING BRACKET FAILED/CRACKED IN HALF,BRAKE CHAMBER HANGING BY HOSES ONLY, DRIVER SIDE REAR AXLE. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 KENWORTH T600. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE EXPERIENCES INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND DECREASED PARKING BRAKE HOLD CAPABILITY. HE THEN RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE # 09V239000 (SERVICE BRAKES, AIR). HOWEVER HE HAS ALREADY PAID AN EXPENSE OF $2500.00 TO REPLACE VARIOUS BRAKING COMPONENTS, AND YET THE FAILURES HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 360,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 690,000.

'95 KENWORTH -RIGHT FRAME "BROKE" JUST IN FRONT OF THE SPRING HANGER ON PASSENGER SIDE - THE DRIVER DISCOVERED IT ON A PRETRIP INSPECTION, HE WAS ON THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA FROM MINNESOTA THIS COULD HAVE BROKEN ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. WE HAD IT REPAIRED @COLOR COUNTRY DIESEL,CEDAR CITY UTAH. - THE MECHANIC WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ACROSS THE PARKING LOT , AS THERE WOULD BE NO CONTROLLING THE TRUCK AND THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE DROPPED OUT- ONLY THE TOPMOST 2 ' WERE HOLDING THE FRAME TOGETHER. *TR

A TRACTOR UPDATE PROGRAM WAS INITIATED BY KENWORTH EARLY IN 2009 THAT INVOLVED THE 2008 T-800 TRACTORS. THE UPDATE REQUIRED THE INSTALLATION OF A 150 A "MEGAFUSE" INTO THE MAIN POSITIVE CONDUCTOR SUPPLYING ALL TRACTOR ELECTRICAL POWER (NOT TO THE STARTER MOTOR SOLENOID). SINCE THE "MEGAFUSE" WAS INSTALLED INLINE, OPENING OF THE FUSE EFFECTIVELY DE-ENERGIZED ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE TRACTOR INCLUDING THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) RESULTING IN IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. FURTHER, ALL SIGNAL, WARNING, VISIBILITY AND HEAD LIGHTS CEASED OPERATION. MORE IMPORTANTLY (AND THE REASON FOR THIS REPORT), WITH IMMEDIATE SHUTDOWN OF THE DIESEL ENGINE, ALL POWER ASSISTED STEERING CAPABILITIES ARE ELIMINATED. WITHOUT POWER ASSIST, A TRACTOR BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL, AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH. WE INVESTIGATED JUST SUCH AN OCCURRENCE FOR ONE OF OUR CLIENTS. HISTORICALLY, OUR TRUCKING COMPANY CLIENT HAS NOW RECORDED TWO SUCH ELECTRICAL FAILURES WITH ONE RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED WHILE BACKING INTO A LOADING DOCK AT LOW SPEED. THE SECOND OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING ALONG A NORTHERN ONTARIO HIGHWAY CURVE AT NIGHT. THE SECOND FUSE FAILURE RESULTED IN A CRASH AS THE DRIVER COULD NOT NEGOTIATE THE CURVE IN THE DARK, WITHOUT THE POWER ASSISTED STEERING (FAR NORTHERN ONTARIO). THE MEGAFUSE IS HOUSED WITHIN THE KENWORTH BATTERY BOX, LOCATED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE LEFT SIDE FUEL SADDLE TANK. AT PRESENT, WE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE MEGAFUSE OPENING (FAILURE). PRELIMINARY HYPOTHESIS INCLUDED INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL FAULT(S) WITHIN THE MAIN SUPPLY CONDUCTOR OR MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE MEGAFUSE DUE TO VIBRATION DAMAGE. ASIDE FROM THE FAILURE MECHANISM OF THE FUSE, IT IS OUR ENGINEERING OPINION THAT A FUSE THAT NULLIFIES THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM IS DANGEROUS TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE TRACTOR OCCUPANTS AND OTHERS THAT MAY COME INTO CONTACT WITH A MISDIRECTED TRACTOR-TRAILER COMBINATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KENWORTH T600. WHILE DRIVING 60MPH IN LIGHT RAIN, SNOW AND HEAVY WIND WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE STRONG WIND PUSHED THE VEHICLE OVER ONTO THE DRIVER SIDE, BEGIN SLIDING DOWN A HILL AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACTS HEAD HIT THE STEERING WHEELS AND WAS CUT BY BROKEN GLASS. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO KICK THE PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW OUT TO ESCAPE FROM VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN AN AMBULANCE. DURING THE CRASH, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK WHEN AIR BAGS DO NOT DEPLOY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,241 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,241.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 KENWORTH W900. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HOOD WAS KNOCKING ON THE MAIN CAB AND WAS NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CHASSIS WAS CRACKED AND DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT LIABLE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 158,117. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN UPDATED 03/19/09. *JB UPDATED 05/03/12. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 KENWORTH W900L STUDIO. WHEN THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MISSISSIPPI, HE WAS INFORMED THAT ALL OF THE DOT SAFETY STANDARDS WERE FINE. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IN TEXAS, THE DOT REGULATION AND AIR SYSTEM FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY BREAK DOWN. THE CONTACT WANTS TO RETURN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. HE ALSO WANTS ALL OF HIS LEASE PAYMENTS RETURNED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 142,500.

TRUCK PULLED AWAY FROM A DOCK. LR BRAKE CHAMBER LOCKED UP AND SUPER SINGLE TIRE SLID AND THEN BLEW OUT. SERVICE TRUCK HAD TO COME AND BRAKE CHAMBER WAS REPLACED. THIS REPLACED BRAKE CHAMBER IS AVAILABLE AT OUR WAREHOUSE. UPDATE 10/01/08 *CW THE AXLE LOCKED UP. UPDATED 10/02/08.

LEFT REAR BRAKE CHAMBER BROKEN AT MOUNTING STUDS AND S-CAM BROKEN. DEALER WELDED UP MOUNT ON S-CAM AND INSTALLED NEW BRAKE CHAMBER. *TR