PETERBILT Complaints

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKES THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED, DUE TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES, THE ENGINE BRAKE ONLY WORKS SOMETIMES. NLM *NLM

WHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY SAW GREASE LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS LEAKING. MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

THE VEHICLE?S FRONT END SHAKES AND THE VEHICLE WANDERS WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPY ROADS. THE RIGHT FRONT AND LEFT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS, STEERING U JOINT, STEERING WHEEL NUT WERE REPLACED AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE SHAKING BUT THE PROBLEM STILL CONTINUED. ALSO KING PINS AND BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *YH

OUR 1998 PETERBILT 379 CAUGHT FIRE INSIDE USS POSCO STEEL MILL IN PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA ON THURSDAY 5-16-2002. AFTER LOOKING AT YOUR WEB SITE I FOUND A RECALL THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V029000 . NOW OUR TRUCK IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TOTALED OUT. HOW DO WE FIND OUT IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED FIRE. ON OUR ESTIMATE DAMAGES WE HAVE LOSS OF THE OF OUR TRUCK, OUR LIVELY HOOD, AND ANY CLAIMS WHICH USS POSCO MAY MAKE, FOR HAVING TO BE SHUT DOWN. MY HUSBAND IS DEFINITELY TRAMATIZED, HE HAS NOT SLEPT WELL SINCE THIS OCCURED AND WHEN HE DOES HE HAS DREAMS OF THE TRUCK GOING UP IN FLAMES. HE HAD JUST BE LOADED AND WAS PULLING FORWARD TO CHAIN DOWN STEEL COILS ON TRAILER, THE TRUCK HAD BEEN SHUT OFF. HE STATRED TRUCK AND PULLED FORWARD ABOUT 200 FEET WHEN HE HEARD SHOUTING, HE STOPPED SUT OFF TRUCK, AND JUMPED OUT AT THIS TIME FLAME WERE ERUPTING FROM UNDER HOOD ON DRIVER'S SIDE AS WELL AS FROM BEHIND DRIVERS SIDE BATTERY BOX AND STEP., AND UNDERNEATH THE FENDERWELL. BY THE TIME AN EXTINGUISHER WAS GOTTEN THERE WAS NO WAY TO SHOOT IT UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WITHOUT OPENING THE HOOD THEREBY SUPPLYING OXYGEN TO THE FIRE. AT THAT POINT WE WERE TOLD TO STAY BACK AND WAIT FOR FIRE TRUCKS WHICH WERE ON SITE. USS POSCO HAS THERE OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT. A FEW MINUTES INTO FIRE THE TRUCK RESTARTED ITSELF AND WAS SHOOTING FLAMES INTO RAFTERS ON THE BUILDING AND FREE REVING TO THE MAXIMUM IT COULD UNTIL IT DIED, AT THIS POINT EVERYONE RAN FOR COVER BECAUSE WE JUST WERE'NT SURE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED DAMAGE TO ENGINE ALL WIRING THE CAB AND INTERIOR , AND ESPECIALLLY THE HOOD WAS SUSTAINDED. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO IMPOUND YARD. THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS IN THE PROCESS OF TOTALING OUT THE TRUCK, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW HOW DO WE SEE IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PACCAR IDUSTRIES, BECAUSE I WANT OUR TRUCK BACK THE WAY IT WAS. WE HAVE GREAT WEST CASUALTY COMPANY FOR INSURANCE. OUR CLAIM NUMBER IS 778-268 OUR CLAIMS GUY IS BILL HEMPHILL OR ASK FOR DARCEY AT 1-800-343-3966 EXT 1.

ELECTRIC WIRES ON BOTH DOORS AT BOTTOM SHORTED OUT INTERIOR LIGHTS. BARE WIRES WERE EXPOSED AND RUBBED AGAINST INSULATION. WIRES WERE WRAPPED WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

TRUCK WAS PARK INSIDE OF A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.THERE WAS A RUBBING BETWEEN MAIN WIRE ON STARTER AND ALTERNATOR RUBBED AGAINST ABRAIDED FUEL LINE, WEARING A HOLE IN IT, STARTING A FIRE. *AK

VEHICLE WOULD WANDER WHEN DRIVING 60-65 MPH, VEHICLE BEEN IN DEALER SHOP ON TWO OCCASIONS, AND ROBLEM STILL OCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE REQUIRED TIGHTENING NUMEROUS TIMES. THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE BEARINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED DUE TO SPINDLES. *JG

PASSENGER'S SIDE AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOORS RATTLE WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER FEELS DOORS ARE TRYING TO FORCE THEIR WAY OPEN. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY READJUSTED THE LINKAGE. IT HAS BEEN BACK TO DEALER FOUR TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND GOING OVER A POT HOLE IN THE PAVEMENT THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR UNEXPECTEDLY OPENED. THE CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. NLM