PETERBILT Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 PETERBILT 377 TRUCK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRAG LINKS HAVE PREMATURELY WORN OUT WHICH ARE THE STEERING LINKS THAT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE REPAIR PARTS AND REPAIRED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE REPAIR DIDN'T CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, NO ONE RETURNED HIS CALL. THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR WARRANTIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 481,000. UPDATED 02/17/10. *LJ

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PETERBILT 386 TRACTOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REGENERATION CYCLE RELATED TO THE DIESEL ENGINE (USED TO BURN SOOT FROM THE EXHAUST) WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT NONE OF THE REMEDIES WERE SUFFICIENT. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V487000; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,680 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

THE DRIVE SHAFT ON A 2007 PETERBILT MALFUNCTIONED AND DROPPED OUT OF THE TRACTOR, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TRACTOR AND TO 5 VEHICLES FOLLOWING WHO HIT THE SHAFT IN THE ROADWAY. THE PETERBILT HAS 267,009 MILES ON IT AND THE SHAFT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THIS WAS A DANA CORPORATION DRIVESHAFT AND THEY FIXED THE TRACTOR UNDER WARRANTY AND ARE HANDLING THE CLAIMS OF THE 5 VEHICLES WHO ENCOUNTERED THE DEFECTIVE SHAFT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 PETERBILT 387. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DPS INJECTORS WOULD NOT REGENERATE ON THE VEHICLE. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY DECELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND THEY STATED THAT THE DIESEL ENGINE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V019000(ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL) AND IS CURRENTLY WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

I DRIVE A TRACTOR TRAILER FOR R.L. SMITH TRUCKING 169 ENTERPRISE DR. WENTZVILLE MO. I HAVE BEEN TELLING RICHARD & ERIC SMITH THAT I HAVE BEEN SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING IN MY TRUCK. THEY KEEP BLOWING ME OFF SAYING "YOU & YOUR SMELLS". FINALLY I TOOK IT TO KENWORTH OF JOPLIN MO & THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE GASKET ON THE MAIN PART OF THE EXHAUST BEHIND THE TWIN TURBOS. I CALLED RICHARD (1-3-09) & TOLD HIM WHAT THEY FOUND. RICHARD SAID HE IS NOT GETTING IT FIXED UNTIL I FINISH MY RUN & HE WILL LOOK AT IT WHEN I GET IN. KENWORTH OF JOPLIN SAID THEY COULD HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM THAT NIGHT, BUT I WAS TOLD NOT TO HAVE IT FIXED. I ALSO TOLD RICHARD THAT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 12-31-08 & HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE ERIC PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER. THEY NEVER DID. IT SEAMS THAT RICHARD SMITH FIXES ALL THE MEN'S TRUCKS, BUT PUTS MINE OFF ALL THE TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 PETERBILT 386. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE FELT AS IF HE HAD BEEN DRUGGED WHENEVER HE AWOKE FROM SLEEPING IN THE VEHICLE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, HE BECAME SLEEPY FOR NO APPARENT REASON. HE PURCHASED A TESTER TO TEST THE VEHICLE FOR NITRIC OXIDE AND THE LEVELS READ OVER 5,000 PPM. THE COMPANY THAT THE CONTACT WORKS FOR STATED THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF A SEMI-TRUCK LEAKING NITRIC OXIDE. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED PROPERLY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 485,037 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 435,000.

DRIVER OF 2000 PETERBILT CONVENTIONAL HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TRAILER. *NJ OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0340-89. *JB

STEERING LINKAGE IS A CRITICAL FAILURE IN THE PETERBILT 387. I HAVE A 2009 MODEL, AND ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD, IT NOW MAKES SCARY POPPING AND CREAKING NOISE. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING FROM OTHER DRIVERS OF THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE, STEERING SEIZES TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT MAKING IT HARD TO BREAK IT LOOSE. MY OPINION IS THAT PACCAR NEEDS TO MODIFY AND IMPROVE THE STEERING COMPONENTS. FOR ME, THE POPPING AND CREAKING NOISE GETS LOUDER AND LOUDER EVERY DAY. I'M THINKING ITS THE MATERIAL USED THAT'S A COMPLETE FAIL. PETERBILT ISN'T WILLING TO HONOR THEIR MISTAKE ON MY TRUCK, TELLING ME THIS IS NORMAL. PLEASE DO LOOK INTO THIS COMPONENT. PEOPLES LIVES ARE AT RISK WHEN IT COMES TO AN 80,000LB ROAD HAZARD. THANKS. *TR

2005 PETERBILT 379 CAUGHT FIRE. CONSUMER HEARD A HISSING NOISE AND PULLED OVER AND NOTICE THE TIRES WERE ON FIRE. *NJ THE DRIVER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE DRIVE AXLES. OHIO TRAFFIC REPORT # 10-0196-89 UPDATED 04/15/10 *BF

2008 PETERBILT 386 ROAD TRACTOR WITH A CUMMINS ISX 550 HP ENGINE. PURCHASED 9-10-07. ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THE DOOR LOCKS WERE BLOWING FUSES, THE GPS AND RADIO WOULD GO OFF AND ON, THE POWER WINDOWS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING, THE DASH LIGHTS AND BUZZERS WOULD FLASH AND ALARM WHEN ON ROUGH ROADS, THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT STAYING ON. SOME SENSORS;FUSES REPLACED. IN JANUARY HAVING OIL PRESSURE ISSUES. PRESSURE WOULD DROP TO 0 AND TRUCK WOULD SHUT OFF. TOLD THIS A CLOGGED OIL FILTER. CHANGED THE FILTER. CONTINUED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM. IN FEBRUARY WE TOOK THE IT IN FOR THIS, AND THE ELECTRICAL; THEY COULD FOUND NOTHING. WE PICKED IT UP, DROVE ABOUT 3 MILES AND THE OIL PRESSURE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE. TOOK IT BACK, IT WAS KEPT SEVERAL DAYS AND THEY STILL FOUND NOTHING. THEN THE FUEL WAS NOT EQUALIZING BETWEEN TANKS AND THE TRUCK WOULD RUN OUT OF FUEL. WE BROUGHT IT IN ON 4-23-08. WE NOTED THE OIL PRESSURE, THE ELECTRICAL AND THE FUEL NOT EQUALIZING. AFTER 2 DAYS, AGAIN NOTHING WAS FOUND. PICKED IT UP ON 4-25-08, PICKED UP A LOCAL LOAD TO DELIVER ON THE 28TH. 5:30PM THE TRUCK BROKE DOWN. IT WAS TOWED TO THE SHOP. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE WITH THE OIL PRESSURE SYSTEM. THE NEXT MORNING A MECHANICAL GAUGE WAS PUT ON THE TRUCK AND SHOWED NO OIL PRESSURE. A GEAR HAD SHEARED OFF THE OIL PUMP. IT WAS REPLACED. WE PICK UP THE TRUCK ON 5-2-08, WOULD NOT START AND HAD TO BE JUMP STARTED. DROVE APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES THE ENGINE THREW A ROD THROUGH THE SIDE. IT IS STILL IN THE SHOP. CUMMINS OPTED TO REBUILD THE ENGINE RATHER THAN REPLACE IT. THE TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH A SLEEPER WHICH WE ARE AFRAID TO USE BECAUSE OF THE WIRING. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT OUR TRUCK IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH OIL PUMP FAILURES. THEREFORE WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A FULL INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER. *TR