2016 Kenworth T680 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Visibility/Wiper (1) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:drum (1) · Service Brakes (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kenworth T680 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (16)
Service Brakes, Air:supply:reservoir/Tank 2024-02-23 · campaign 24V145000 · 936 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2009-2021 Kenworth C500, 2012-2021 Kenworth T440, 2009-2015 Kenworth T660, 2015-2024 Kenworth T680, 2009-2024 Kenworth T800, 2009-2020 Kenworth T370, 2014-2023 Kenworth T880, 2011-2016 Kenworth T470, 2023 Kenworth T480, and 2009-2019 Kenworth W900 vehicles. The air tanks have an insufficient volume of air for the brake system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air
Risk: Insufficient air volume can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install the correct volume air tanks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 12, 2024. Additional owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2025. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's number for this recall is 24KWD.
Electrical System:wiring 2021-12-29 · campaign 21V00N000 · 1,107 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Peterbilt 567, 579, 2021-2022 Peterbilt 536, 2017-2021 Kenworth T880, 2016-2022 Kenworth T680, 2018-2020 Kenworth T440, 2020 Kenworth T270, and 2021 Kenworth T280 vehicles. The methane detection system will not function if the system loses power.
Risk: The operator may be unaware of a system malfunction or the presence of excessive methane levels, increasing the risk of injury or fire.
Fix: Dealers will re-wire the warning alarm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 1, 2022. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220, and Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWH and 21PBN.
Service Brakes, Air:antilock 2020-09-28 · campaign 20V593000 · 1,416 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Kenworth T680 trucks equipped with a 2.1m Cab and WABCO 6S/6M ABS brake system with drum brakes. The brake systems were manufactured with a standard rear-brake ABS modulator valve instead of a quick release valve, which may exceed the intended service-brake release timing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
Risk: Longer than expected service-brake release timing may lengthen vehicle stopping distance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will replace the standard rear-brake, ABS modulator valve with a quick release valve, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2020. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's number for this recall is 20KWD.
Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 2020-04-06 · campaign 20V199000 · 460,515 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2008-2019 Peterbilt 330, 335, 337, 340, 348, 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388, 389, 567, 579 and 587 vehicles and 2008-2020 Kenworth T170, T270, T370, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 vehicles equipped with NAMUX Software. In the event that the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) loses battery and/or ignition power to the controller, the dash warning light for the ABS may not illuminate to warn the driver of the loss of ABS. As such, these vehicles fail
Risk: If the driver unknowingly operates the vehicle without the ABS functioning, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will update the NAMUX software within the cab control module, free of charge. PACCAR issued owners an interim notification on June 4, 2020. The recall began May 26, 2020. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 20pbc AND 20KWB.
Exterior Lighting 2018-11-16 · campaign 18V816000 · 1,619 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Kenworth T680 and T880 and Peterbilt 579 trucks, greater than 30 feet long and equipped with side extender mounted intermediate marker lamp/turn signals that do not include a reflex reflector. Since both intermediate side marker lamps and reflex reflectors are required, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Missing reflex reflectors can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners and dealers will install reflex reflective tape, free of charge. The recall began January 15, 2019. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-918-259-3258. PACCAR's number for this recall is 18KWF, and 18PBC.
Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 2018-06-01 · campaign 18V368000 · 85,626 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks and 2015-2018 Kenworth T660, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks. In the event that the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) loses battery and/or ignition power to the controller, the dash warning light for the ABS may not illuminate to warn the driver of the loss of ABS. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems," and
Risk: If the driver unknowingly operates the vehicle without the ABS functioning, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will update the NAMUX software within the cab control module, free of charge. PACCAR issued owners an interim notification on July 30, 2018. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-918-259-3258 or Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000.
Steering:linkages:tie Rod Assembly 2017-09-22 · campaign 17V593000 · 17,737 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016 Peterbilt 220, 320, 325, 330, 337, 348, 365, 367, 382, 384, 386, 389, 389G, 567, 579 and 587 trucks and Kenworth K170, T170, T270, T370, T440, T470,T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 trucks equipped with certain Spicer D or E series steer axles. The castellated nut on the steer axles may not be properly torqued, allowing the tie rod to loosen.
Risk: If the tie rod loosens, it may disconnect from the steering knuckle, causing a complete loss of steering and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the torque of the castellated nut and tie rod, tightening it as necessary. If the tie rod stud and knuckle on units cannot be sufficiently torqued, the dealer will replace the knuckle and tie rod end assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 13, 2017. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000 or Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. PACCAR's number for this recall is P817-C.
Exterior Lighting 2017-07-25 · campaign 17V471000 · 5,731 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Peterbilt 567 and 579 Kenworth T680 and T880 trucks equipped with optional spotlights. The spotlight circuit may not be adequately protected in the event of a short.
Risk: A short in the spotlight circuitry may increase the risk of a fire at the cab fuse block.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will change the polyfuse switch in the spotlight circuit to a standard fuse, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2017. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 17KWC and 717-B.
Fuel System, Other:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2017-02-15 · campaign 17V103000 · 465 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Kenworth K370, T680, T880 and 2017-2018 Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks. The plastic fuel tee fittings on these trucks may leak fuel.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kenworth and Peterbilt will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect fuel tees, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2017. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 and Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. PACCAR's numbers for this recall is 17KWA and 217-A.
Power Train:manual Transmission 2015-10-09 · campaign 15V639000 · 27 vehicles
Defect: Paccar (Paccar Incorporated) is recalling certain 2016 Kenworth T680, T800, and T880 trucks manufactured January 5, 2015, to January 7, 2015 and 2016 Peterbilt 367, 384, 567, and 579 trucks manufactured January 2, 2015, to January 9, 2015 and equipped with Eaton Fuller FR 10-speed manual transmissions. In the affected vehicles, when the transmission shift lever is moved from reverse to neutral, the reverse gear may stay engaged. When the transmission shift lever is moved from reverse to a forw
Risk: Even though the transmission has been shifted out of reverse into neutral, the vehicle may unexpectedly move backwards, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Paccar will notify the owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the affected transmissions if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. Paccar's numbers for this recall are 15KWM (Kenworth) and 1015N (Peterbilt).
Electrical System:ignition:module 2015-09-24 · campaign 15V597000 · 354 vehicles
Defect: Paccar Incorporated (Paccar) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kenworth T370, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 vehicles manufactured July 31, 2015, to August 12, 2015, and 2016 Peterbilt 337, 348, 365, 367, 382, 386, 389, 567, 579, and 587 vehicles manufactured August 4, 2015, to August 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Engine Control Module (ECM) may short circuit, causing the engine to stall without warning.
Risk: An engine that stalls without warning increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will replace the defective engine control modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 22, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. Paccar's numbers for this recall are 15KWM (Kenworth) and 915-L (Peterbilt).
Service Brakes, Air 2015-07-22 · campaign 15V457000 · 334 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kenworth T440, T470, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 trucks manufactured February 16, 2015, to March 9, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with an SR-7 spring brake valve assembly that may have had the primary and secondary service brake applications installed in reverse. In the event of a failure in the primary or secondary circuit, the redundant circuit would not provide adequate service brake functionality. As such, t
Risk: A loss of braking ability would increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kenworth will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and correct the air line installations as required, free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. PACCAR's number for this recall is 15KWK.
Exterior Lighting:hazard Flashing Warning Lights 2015-07-22 · campaign 15V458000 · 12,551 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Kenworth T440, T470, T660, T680, and T880 trucks manufactured January 14, 2010, to May 22, 2015, and equipped with HID Headlamps and the option for Daytime Running Lamps (DRL). The DRLs are required to deactivate when the hazard warning lights are activated, however, the DRLs on these vehicles override the hazard flashing functionality after the brake pedal is pushed for more than two seconds. Normal hazard flashing functio
Risk: If the hazard warning lamps are overridden by the DRL, oncoming vehicles may fail to be warned, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kenworth will notify owners, and dealers will update the cab controller software, free of charge. The recall began on September 167, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. Kenworth's number for this recall is 15KWL.
Wheels:lugs/Nuts/Bolts/Studs 2015-05-11 · campaign 15V272000 · 49 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kenworth T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 trucks manufactured February 1, 2015, to April 20, 2015. During assembly, the affected vehicles did not undergo the rear wheel mounting torque verification process, and thus the rear wheels may be loose.
Risk: If the rear wheel lug nuts are undertorqued, the wheels may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kenworth will notify owners, and dealers will verify that the rear wheel lug nuts are correctly tightened, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. Kenworth's number for this recall is 15KWG.
Electrical System:alternator/Generator/Regulator 2015-05-08 · campaign 15V270000 · 1,494 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Kenworth T660, T680, T880 trucks manufactured February 18, 2013, to April 10, 2015, and 2011-2016 Peterbilt 386, 389, 567, 579, and 587 trucks manufactured December 13, 2010, to April 20, 2015. The affected trucks, equipped with PACCAR MX-13 engines and Delco-Remy 40SI alternators, have alternator charge cables that may chafe against a formed metal freon discharge line.
Risk: If the alternator cable rubs through its insulation, an electrical short may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the alternator charge cable away from the metal freon line, free of charge. PACCAR issued an interim notification to owners on July 10, 2015. The recall began on September 16, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 15KWE and 515-F.
Power Train:axle Assembly 2015-04-03 · campaign 15V196000 · 24 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Kenworth T680 and T880 trucks manufactured November 17, 2014, to January 5, 2015. The affected vehicles are equipped with Meritor MT-40-14X rear drive axles that may circulate an inadequate amount of lubricant to the wheel end hub assembly.
Risk: Without adequate lubrication to the wheel end hub assembly, the bearings may fail prematurely, increasing the risk of a wheel-end fire or crash.
Fix: Kenworth will notify owners, and dealers will replace the defective rear drive axle and inspect the wheel ends for damage, replacing them, as needed, free of charge. The recall began May 29, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. PACCAR's number for this recall is 15KWB.
Service bulletins (64)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-09-11 · P001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
"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."
Electrical System 2026-07-16 · E324 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the campaign expiration date has been changed to 03/01/2027.
Electrical System 2026-05-06 · 02-177 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
troubleshooting procedures for 2.1m cab power windows are now available.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-21 · E304 · Emissions
carb chassis update - chassis list updated with 5 kw and 31 pb additional chassis.
Service Brakes, Air 2024-04-09 · 24KWD · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
certain c500/t440/t470/t660/t680/t800/t880/w900 chassis may have air tank reservoirs that do not meet air volume requirements per fmvss/cmvss 121 ã¢ââair brake systemsã¢ââ. this bulletin will be updated when repair parts and procedures are available.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2023-10-18 · E304 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
e304: paccar mx-11 and mx-13 emy2016 nox and n2o exceedance emissions recall certain vehicles with paccar mx-11 and mx-13 emy2016 engines with less than 300,000 miles (482,803 km) have been shown, in testing, to exceed regulatory limits for nox and n2o emissions. this bulletin now applies to both
Showing the 6 most recent of 64 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2020-11-05 · Seat Belts“seat belt cable becomes frayed and breaks. will break completely if in an accident. with nothing holding driver in driver will become injured and possibly death. replace with a better constructed device…”
2018-08-16 · Service Brakes · 250,000 mi“driver driving down road i-35 truck developed massive air leak and brakes applied could not relase brakes along side of interstate service call found haldex brake chamber failed replaced brake chamber…”
2018-01-13 · Unknown Or Other · 319,220 mi“have someone remotely hacking into ecm board turning off things on trucks had freightliner years back they kept remotely shutting off opt idle an jake brake had international in 2014 they threw on trailer brakes trying to wreck truck straightened out then they did again in snow storm? on i-80 in iowa *bf *tr …”
2017-04-04 · Fuel/Propulsion System“there are numerous service bulletins on quantum's website, www.qtww.com , under products and service bulletins that say many different parts of their fuel systems will fail. it also states that their bracket system holding the tanks in place will allow the high pressure tanks to move laterally that could cause a rupture in the fuel lines or the ta…”
2017-01-31 · Visibility/Wiper · 165,462 mi“the defrost doors in the t680 is weak and breaks often leaving the driver without any defrost causing his visibility to decrease in an unsafe manner. kenworth has been unwilling to address this issue and repair it. when i contacted our district service manager he knew the part number of the replacement door assembly from memory and stated in an em…”
2016-07-12 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:drum:drum · 20,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2016 kenworth t680. while driving 65 mph, the steel drum from the tire fractured in pieces when the brake pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steel plate drum was not welded correctly. the steel plate drum was replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.