2024 Peterbilt 389 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes, Hydraulic (1) · Service Brakes (1)
Safety recalls (5)
Electrical System:software 2024-12-09 · campaign 24V915000 · 220,764 vehicles
Defect: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm 2024-12-03 · campaign 24V908000 · 68 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024 Peterbilt 367, 389, 548, Kenworth T480, T800, 2024-2025 Peterbilt 520, 567 and Kenworth T880 vehicles with PACCAR 20k steer axles. The steering arm and/or tie rod bracket fasteners may fail, resulting in a loss of steering control.
Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install new correctly torqued fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2025. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt's customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24KWK and 24PBK.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:lever And Linkage:column Shift 2024-03-20 · campaign 24V190000 · 70,509 vehicles
Defect: 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.
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.
Fix: 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.
Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm 2024-01-25 · campaign 24V043000 · 68 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024 Peterbilt 367, 389, 520, 567, and Kenworth T800, T880, W900, and W990 trucks. The bearing journals may not be fully seated in the steering knuckle assemblies, preventing the proper installation of the wheel end hub assemblies.
Risk: An improperly installed wheel end hub assembly can leak oil, causing the axle spindles to loosen or fracture and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering knuckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed February 23, 2024. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220 and/or Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBB and 24KWB.
Steering 2024-01-25 · campaign 24V044000 · 45,887 vehicles
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Kenworth T280, T380, T480, T680, T880, L770, W990, and 2024-2025 Peterbilt 389, 520, 535, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, 589 trucks. The steering gear assemblies may have been assembled incorrectly with fewer recirculating balls than are required, which may result in a loss of steering control.
Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering gears as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 20, 2024. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220 and/or Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBC and 24KWC.
Service bulletins (40)
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."
Engine 2026-09-05 · E343 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
an exhaust manifold slip joint seal kit is now available for epa 2017-2024 paccar mx-13 engines.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings 2026-08-13 · 24KWL/PBL · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the verbiage in the introduction section has been updated.
Engine 2026-08-13 · 43-088 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Engine 2026-08-01 · E316 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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.
Engine 2026-07-21 · 43-088 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 recentl
Showing the 6 most recent of 40 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-21 · Service Brakes“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 o…”
2025-02-26 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 180,000 mi“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 …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.