PETERBILT Complaints

THE MAIN ELECTRICAL HARNESS COMING OUT OF THE MAIN COMPUTER AND RUNNING THE ENTIRE SPAN UNDERNEATH THE CAB HAD LITTLE TO NO PROTECTIVE SHEATHING/CORD WRAP/ALUMINUM WRAP PROTECTING THE WIRES. THE HARNESS IS ROUTED THROUGH A U-BOLT TYPE FLANGE AS WELL AS HANGS NEAR SEVERAL METAL PARTS THAT, WHILE IN MOTION, RUB AGAINST THE WIRES CAUSING THEM TO FRAY. THIS IN TURN CAUSED SEVERAL ITEMS TO BEGIN TO SHORT OUT AND ALSO CAUSED NUMEROUS WIRES TO HEAT UP AND MELT. IT WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED AND THE SAME SIDE RUNNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. THIS ALSO CAUSED THE WASHER FLUID PUMP TO TURN ON AND RUN CONSTANTLY, HEATING IT TO THE POINT OF SCALDING TO THE TOUCH. NOT HAVING ANY TYPE OF PROTECTIVE WRAP AROUND THE HARNESS COULD CAUSE FRAYING AND A POTENTIAL FIRE AS WELL AS SEVERAL MODULES TO FAIL AS IT DID IN THIS CASE. *DT CONSUMER STATED PETERBILT WARRANTY(1 YEAR/100,000 MILES) WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*JB

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN WHEEL END FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE ATTACHED TRAILER AND LOAD. DAMAGE TO TRACTOR WAS CONTAINED TO THE REAR CHASSIS AND BACKSIDE OF THE CAB. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE DRIVER SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE TRACTOR DRIVE WHEELS. TIRE BLEW SOON AFTER AND FIRE COULD NOT BE EXTINGUISHED BY ON BOARD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE FIRE PREVENTED ACCESS TO FIFTH WHEEL RELEASE. DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SEPARATE TRAILER FROM TRACTOR TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE AND LOAD LOSS. TOTAL DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF $250K FORMAL FIRE INVESTIGATION AT STORAGE LOT AND SUBSEQUENT LAB INSPECTIONS CONCLUDED THAT A HALDEX 3030 GOLDSEAL CHAMBER TO BE THE ROOT CAUSE. THE PARKING SPRING HAD FAILED AND PUNCTURED PARKING SIDE DIAPHRAGM. THE SUBSEQUENT LEAK CAUSED PARKING BRAKES TO PARTIALLY APPLY WHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. THE PRIVATE FIRE INVESTIGATION FIRM HIRED BY THE FLEET PROVIDED X-RAYS SHOWING THE SPRING FAILURE PRIOR TO DISASSEMBLY. THIS FLEET HAS DOCUMENTED NUMEROUS HALDEX GOLDSEAL 3030 CHAMBER FAILURES ON ITS OTHER SAME YEAR,MAKE MODEL TRACTORS. FAILURES ARE OCCURRING AT ABNORMALLY HIGH RATES AND WITHIN THE FIRST 2 YEARS FROM DATE OF IN-SERVICE.

THE CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE FOR THE CAB, AND THE BUNK KEEP SHORTING OUT. THE FAN SPEED CONTROL LITERALLY MELTS. THE CONTROL STICKS THEN STARTS SMOKING. I HAVE HAD PETERBILT REPLACE IT, BUT IT KEEPS GOING OUT. I'M AFRAID IT'S GOING TO BURN THE TRUCK UP WHILE I'M ASLEEP.

HEAT FROM THE NEW DEF REQUIREMENTS ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS. THE HEAT OFF OF THE DEF SYSTEM STAYS TRAPPED UNDER THE VEHICLE. WHICH IS CAUSING EARLY WEAR ON ELECTRICAL HARNESSES ALONG WITH AXLE SEALS. I'VE REPLACED 3 WHEEL SEALS AND 2 FRONT DIFFERENTIAL SEALS. THE DEF HARNESS HAS FAILED TWICE NOW. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. THE HEAT STAYS UNDER THESE VEHICLES. AND THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *DT*JB

A DRIVER PURCHASED THIS TRUCK USED IN NOVEMBER OF 2017, BUT WE STEARMAN TRANSPORTATION NOW HOLDS TITLE TO VIN # , ORIGINAL CUMMINS ENGINE SERIAL # AND CURRENT CUMMINS RECON ENGINE SERIAL # .TRUCK HAS SPENT MORE TIME IN SHOP THAN ON ROAD SINCE PURCHASE. TAKEN TO [XXX] COMPLAINING OF A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE WHERE REPAIR SHOP VERIFIED COMPLAINT BY REMOVING VALVE COVER AND FOUND THAT THE CAM WAS PITTED AS WELL AS THE ROCKER ARM ROLLERS. FOUND TAPPETS PITTED. FOUND OIL CONTAMINATED WITH FINE COPPER AND METAL PARTICLES.FOUND BEARINGS FOR THE MAINS SCRATCHED AND FIRST LAYER GONE AND COPPER LAYER ON THE CRANK SCRATCHED. TOLD BY [XXX] THAT CUMMINS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 5411180 EXPLAINS PROBLEMS. TOLD CRANKSHAFT COULD NOT BE REUSED. ALL OTHER COMPONENTS DAMAGED AS RESULT OF OIL CONTAMINATION. POSSIBLE CARBON PACKING ON PISTON, TIMING GEARS BUSHINGS AND SHAFT, OIL COOLER, HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP AND TURBO CHARGER REPLACED RECENTLY. BASED ON REC WE HAD TO REPLACE AS TOLD OUR ONLY OPTION BECAUSE "THE OLD STYLE FUEL PUMP IT HAS CERAMIC PLUNGERS WHICH EVENTUALLY BRAKE OFF AND GET INTO THE OIL SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE TAPPETS WHICH WERE SOFTER IN MATERIAL BUT THEN LATER UPDATED TO DIAMOND COATED IF THE OLD STYLE WAS NOT REPLACED THIS COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ENGINE EVENTUALLY CAUSING TO HAVE THE WHOLE ENGINE REPLACED." TRIED TO GET CUMMINS TSB 541180 WITHOUT SUCCESS FROM SELLER, CUMMINS OR [XXX] W/OUT SUCCESS. STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRUCK EVEN AFTER PUTTING IN A CUMMINS RECON ENGINE. WE HAVE SPENT OVER $80K AT LEAST IN REPAIRS SINCE PURCHASING THE TRUCK IN NOVEMBER 2017. PLEASE AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE TELL US IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS TRUCK OR ITS PARTS AND PROVIDE US WITH CUMMINS TSB 5411180. ALL PROBLEMS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE THE TRUCK IS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I PURCHASED A 2019 PETERBILT TRUCK IN MAY OF 2018. THE FRONT LEFT STEER TIRE FAILED ON JUNE 18,2018 AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. RAPID AIR PRESSURE LOSS, AND HAVING TO TAKE EMERGENCY EVASIVE ACTION. THE TIRE HAD ONLY 10,580 MILES. I CHOCKED IT UP TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A ROAD HAZARD, AND LEFT IT AT THAT. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY OCTOBER 11,2018. RIGHT SIDE STEER TIRE FAILED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. TRUCK NOW HAS 54,653 MILES ON IT. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE TIRE TODAY AND IT STRUCK ME AS ODD THAT THE SIDEWALL ON ONE SIDE SEPARATED CLEANLY FROM THE TREAD. THE OTHER SIDE ALSO SEPARATED, BUT IT SHOWS SIGNS OF TEARING THE PLYS THAT I ASSUME ARE THERE TO STRENGTHEN THE JOINT BETWEEN THE FACE AND THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, COMMERCIAL VEHICLES LOSING STEER TIRES IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WE COULD ENCOUNTER. I AM WORKING ON REPAIRS AS I TYPE THIS COMPLAINT. I WILL BE REPLACING THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND A BRAKE LINE THAT BECAME KINKED DUE TO THE TIRE. *DT *TR

ONE ARMED TRASH TRUCK FIRE. HOT HYDRAULICS CAUGHT FIRE FROM DEBRIS HITTING THEM WHEN EMPTYING TRASH. VERY WINDY AND COLD DAY, RIGHT AFTER LONG HOLIDAY BREAK - LOTS OF LOOSE WRAPPING PAPER AND TUBES IN TRASH FROM HOLIDAYS. THE OLDER MODELS HAVE NO COVER OR SHIELD TO PROTECT THE HOT HYDRAULIC LINES FROM FLYING DEBRIS! THEY ALSO DO NOT HAVE A MIRROR TO SEE BETWEEN THE CAB AND THE HOPPER TO ENSURE NO DEBRIS HAS LANDED ON HOT HYDRAULICS. MORE RECENT MODELS HAVE A SHIELD OR A COVER TO PROTECT HYDRAULIC LINES FROM RECEIVING FLYING DEBRIS AND CATCHING FIRE. I HAVE MANY MORE PICTURES SHOULD THEY BE NEEDED THAT I COULD NOT ATTACH. I ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION ON SIMILAR INCIDENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST, SAFETY RECALLS AND /OR ALERTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. NEED THIS INFO ASAP, AS MY HUSBAND WAS SUSPENDED FROM WORK WITHOUT PAY FOR AN "ACCIDENT"!

VEHICLE WOULD WANDER LEFT AND RIGHT WITHIN THE LANE ONCE UP TO ABOUT 40 MPH. SYMPTOMS FELT AS IF ALIGNMENT WAS OFF, OR AS IF TIRES WERE FOLLOWING A RUT IN THE PAVEMENT. ONCE VEHICLE WAS LOADED, STEERING WHEEL WOULD BE CLOCKED ABOUT 10-15 DEGREES TO THE LEFT WHILE VEHICLE TRACKED STRAIGHT. DRIVER WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY APPLY CORRECTIVE INPUT TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM DIVING LEFT AND RIGHT WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ISSUE WAS DETERMINED TO BE STEERING BOX FAILURE, DUE TO INCORRECT LENGTH OF ONE OF THE STEERING BOX MOUNTING BOLTS INSTALLED AT MANUFACTURING FACILITY. *TT *TR

THESE ARE GOVERNMENT OWNED REFUSE VEHICLES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION BOUNCES SO VIOLENTLY THAT THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. THIS OCCURS ON ROADS WHERE THERE SEEMS TO BE NO ABNORMALITY AND AT ANY RATE OF SPEED. THE GOVERNMENT ENTITY HAS REMAINED UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO RESOLVE THIS WITH THE MANUFACTURER.

FUEL PUMP WENT OUT GOING DOWN INTERSTATE AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. NO PREVIOUS SIGNS OF FAULTY PUMP. LOST ALL POWER AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TRUCK TO STEER. THIS TRUCK HAS A 12/2012 CUMIN'S MOTOR. IN SHOP NOW FOR REPAIRS.