What Peterbilt 389 owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Peterbilt 389 safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| 2015 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 37 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Peterbilt 389 complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
ABS tone rings are prone to premature corrosion and rust jacking causing the ABS system to fail along with the traction control. This corrosion causes the rings to warp prematurely. Not only is this an expensive and time-consuming fix, but it is also an extreme safety hazard. This condition has been noted on several trucks in the Fleet along with other local companies in the area.
OEM pressed-on cast iron/stamped rings fail prematurely due to regional rust jacking, disabling the vehicle's ABS. Explicitly mention that the current design creates a systemic safety risk in cold-weather states and that a recall mandating corrosion-resistant materials (like stainless steel) is required. This cost thousands of dollars to repair and only lasts 2-3 years. Almost everyone I know with these trucks have experienced this problem. Peterbilt is highly aware of the situation, but they refuse rectify it because it only affects cold weather states.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2021 Peterbilt 389. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle after running out of diesel, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The contact stated that while restarting the vehicle, the fuel filters needed to be refilled with diesel. The contact stated that whenever a trailer was serviced, the date and mileage were written on the filters. The contact stated that the mileage was significantly higher as written on the filter than what was written on the sales contract and shown on the odometer. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 411,000, and while refilling the fuel filters, th…
The contact owns a 2022 Peterbilt 389 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Marathon LHS, Tire Size: 11R22.5, DOT Number: 1MY3TTYBW0324. The tires had been replaced prior to the failure. While driving, the driver's side front tires had a blowout. The local dealer was contacted, where it was diagnosed that the tread had separated. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and declined the claim. The manufacturer stated that the tires were either underinflated or overinflated. The tires were sent for X-ray. The contact stated that the vehicle carried propane fuel, and the air pressure was set at 110. The tire failure mileage was 37,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approxi…
The contact owns a 2024 Peterbilt 389. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced an inaccurate reading of the adaptive cruise control, causing the cruise control to disengage. Additionally, the contact stated after driving for an hour, the ABS, traction control, and electronic stability control warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V915000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical System), which the contact related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair had been performed. The contact stated upon test-driving the ve…
Digital dash/display and the whole cluster freezes while driving. The recall 22v-779 update was done on the truck 4 weeks ago and it still have the same issue.
Whenever the truck goes over mildly rough road the steering wheel shakes and the tires follow the ruts of the road . When this happens steering wheel jerks out of hand and have to be overcorrected to keep in lane . With the shaking of steering wheel the steering wheel itself came loose one time and was repaired by peterbilt by applying locktite to the bolt.truck have been to peterbilt dealership 4 time and the problem still persists. According to them its normal for a class 8 truck to do this. This is a big safety issue as the truck can loose control really easily Truck was brought brand new and the issue showed up at 10,000 miles. I have video of the issue that i can share which was record…
- The steering arm on the driver side of the Dana D-Series axle that was installed from the Peterbilt factory on a new 2019 Peterbilt 389 that was purchased new by Acord Transportation, Inc. is what failed. The steering arm on the D-Series axle bolts to the steering knuckle with two bolts as opposed to being one solid cast piece as in other families of Dana axles - such as the E-Series. When backing into a parking space the two bolts holding the steering arm to the steering knuckle broke, causing the steering arm to come free from the steering knuckle - ultimately causing a catastrophic failure and a complete loss of steering. Peterbilt took the steering arm for inspection following the fail…
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
"Kenworth: Dealers should check the chassis list and SIR weekly for VIN changes. 2 chassis added to the chassis list. Peterbilt: Dealers should check the chassis list and SIR weekly for VIN changes. 10 chassis added to the chassis list."
An exhaust manifold slip joint seal kit is now available for EPA 2017-2024 PACCAR MX-13 engines.
Updated Sheppard Steering Gear Classification Tool link in Inspection Procedure
The verbiage in the Introduction section has been updated.
The procedure has been updated to include additional steps for verifying the software level on the vehicle electronic control unit (VECU2) and digital display (DD). Steps have also been added to the PACCAR Common Rail Injection 2 (PCI2) software verification.
235 chassis have been removed from the chassis list and unflagged in PRWS due to expiration of applicable warranty coverage. 5 chassis have been added to the chassis list. The total chassis population is now 15,637.
105 chassis have been removed from the chassis list and unflagged in PRWS due to expiration of applicable warranty coverage. Total chassis population is 732.
This optional software update is now available for chassis equipped with EMY 2021B-2023 PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 engines. This update provides customers with additional time to service their trucks before a DEF-related derate occurs. The software is being offered to customers in alignment with recently updated regulatory agency guidance.
The Condition, Chassis Affected, Service Action, Warranty, and Procedure sections have been updated to include the latest prognostics bulletin verbiage. The Warranty section has also been updated to include Peterbilt specific SRT codes for filing cross-division repairs.
The Condition, Chassis Affected, Service Action, Warranty, and Procedure sections have been updated to include the latest prognostics bulletin verbiage.
The Condition, Chassis Affected, Service Action, Warranty, and Procedure sections have been updated to include the latest prognostics bulletin verbiage.
"The software is not yet available. The bulletin will be updated when more information is available."
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE21-015) based on one Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) and supporting fleet reports. The reports indicated that the subject quarter fenders were prone to cracking and/or separation.After a comprehensive review of the data related to the quarter fender failures on the subject vehicles, ODI did not identify the existence of a safety-related defect trend. Quarter fender failures resulted in a warranty claim rate less th
On May 1, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE20006 to investigate complaints of intermittent loss of power steering assist in Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), Volvo Trucks of North America (Volvo) and PACCAR vehicles equipped with a ZF/TRW (TRW) THP60 steering gear. The investigation focused on 2010-2020 DTNA Freightliner Cascadia, M2 and WST; Volvo VN, VAH and VHD and PACCAR 337, 365, 389, 567, 579 model vehicles.Field reports and interviews with fleet drivers allege
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2010–2025, owners most often name: electrical system, steering, tires. 20 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.