Model year record

2021 PETERBILT 389

6 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 2 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 24V915000

Electrical system: software

Component
Electrical system: software
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Vehicles affected
220,764
Reported to NHTSA
2024-12-09
Owners notified
2025-02-03

Defect description

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Peterbilt and Kenworth vehicles, equipped with Bendix EC80 Advanced Electronic Control Units (ECU). Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. Electrical noise and low signal to the power line carrier may cause the ECU to incorrectly process commands or stop functioning.

Safety risk

Safety systems that depend on the ECU (Automatic Traction Control, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Active Cruise Control, and Collison Mitigation System) may not function properly or at all, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and Peterbilt's customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24KWL and 24PBL.

Recall campaignNHTSA 24V190000

Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift

Component
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Vehicles affected
70,509
Reported to NHTSA
2024-03-20
Owners notified
2025-12-15

Defect description

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Peterbilt 365, 367, 389, 535, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, and 2021-2025 Kenworth T180, T280, T380, T480, T680, T880 and W990 trucks. The right-hand gear shifter stalk connectors may have been improperly crimped, resulting in a loss of communication.

Safety risk

A loss of communication between the gear shifter and the transmission may result in the vehicle becoming disabled after coming to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the gear shifter assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 15, 2025, then phased after that. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBE and 24KWE.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V906000

Electrical system: software

Component
Electrical system: software
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Vehicles affected
908
Reported to NHTSA
2021-11-19
Owners notified
2022-01-03

Defect description

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Kenworth T880, W990, Peterbilt 567, 579, 389, and 2022 Peterbilt 536, 537 wrecker and auto hauler vehicles. The work brake (winch brake) may unintentionally disengage the service brakes during winching operations, causing the vehicle to roll.

Safety risk

Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 3, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth); or 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWG and 21PBM.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V648000

Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Component
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Vehicles affected
163
Reported to NHTSA
2021-08-19
Owners notified
2022-03-11

Defect description

PACCAR, Inc. (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Peterbilt 367, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles. The cross member mounted Hill Start Assist valve assembly may have insufficient clearance to the rear axle, causing damage to the rear brake hose and loss of the rear brake signal.

Safety risk

If loss of the rear brake signal occurs, the vehicle could experience reduced rear braking capability or loss of brakes to the rear axle(s), increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Dealers will inspect for clearance and re-work the assembly to conform with an updated design, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 24, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 11, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR's customer service at 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's number for this recall is 21PBJ.

Recall campaignNHTSA 21V080000

Engine

Component
Engine
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Vehicles affected
132
Reported to NHTSA
2021-02-17
Owners notified
2021-03-29

Defect description

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Kenworth T680, T880, W990, T800, W900 and Peterbilt 579, 567, 389, 367 vehicles equipped with a Cummins X15 engine. The capscrews that attach the flywheel to the crankshaft may have been improperly torqued, allowing the flywheel to detach.

Safety risk

A detached flywheel can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, driveline pieces may be ejected from the engine compartment, increasing the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will properly torque the capscrews and the engine will also be inspected for damage and, if necessary, repaired, free of charge. The recall began on March 29, 2021. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth) or 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWA and 21PBB.

Recall campaignNHTSA 20V506000

Power train: axle assembly

Component
Power train: axle assembly
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Vehicles affected
1,097
Reported to NHTSA
2020-08-26
Owners notified
2020-09-29

Defect description

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Peterbilt 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 567 and Kenworth T800, T880, W900, W990 vehicles equipped with Watson and Chalin steerable lift axle suspension systems (model SL2065). The axles may have lower rear pivot bolts that are not long enough to sufficiently engage the locking feature of the corresponding nuts.

Safety risk

The short screws can cause the hardware to separate from the suspension system and become road hazards, increasing the risk of a crash and/or injury.

Manufacturer remedy

PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will inspect suspect chassis and replace the pivot bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2020. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall is 20PBE and 20KWC.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Electrical system: instrument panel: speedometer/odometer2671,000 mi

The 2022 model has about a quarter as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.