RoadVitals

2016 Kenworth C500

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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Latest Feb 23, 2024
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2016 Kenworth C500. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 19 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
24V145000

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:RESERVOIR/TANK

Feb 23, 2024
936 units potentially affected
The 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 Brake Systems."
The risk: Insufficient air volume can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: 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.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 24KWDView on NHTSA.gov
18V555000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

Aug 22, 2018
11,429 units potentially affected
The defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Kenworth C500, T660, T800, and W900 vehicles, equipped with 1.9M ISX15 engines. The engine harnesses may have been manufactured without check engine light (CEL) and stop engine light (SEL) circuits, preventing the driver from being warned of a serious engine problem.
The risk: If the driver is not warned of a serious engine problem, the engine may unexpectedly fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will inspect or test the ISX15 engine harness, and install an overlay jumper harness to supply the missing CEL and SEL circuits, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-918-259-3258. PACCAR's number for this recall is 18KWE.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 18KWEView on NHTSA.gov
15V271000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

May 8, 2015
104,807 units potentially affected
The defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Kenworth T270, T370, T440, T470, C500, C540, C550, T660, T800, W900, and 963 trucks manufactured November 1, 2010, to April 6, 2015. In the affected trucks, water may leak into the wiper motor.
The risk: As water leaks in, the wiper may cease to function on the 'intermittent' setting, reducing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, the water may cause corrosion which, over time, may result in an electrical short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy: PACCAR is still developing and testing a remedy. The recall is expected to begin in July 2015. An interim letter was sent to owners on July 2, 2015. The recall began on September 2, 1015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. PACCAR's number for this recall is 15KWF.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 15KWFView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

24KWD

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

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 “Air Brake Systems”. This bulletin will be updated when repair parts and procedures are available.

43-072

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

Certain chassis with Engine Model Year 2016-2021 PACCAR MX-11/MX-13, or EPA13 and EPA21 Cummins ISX12/ISX15/X15 engines that had a previously failed DEF sensor and with DEF sensor software disabled due to industry DEF sensor shortages will now be able to receive a replacement DEF sensor, DEF tank heater coolant control valve, and re-enabled DEF diagnostic software. Please note that chassis equipped with PACCAR PX engines will be eligible for this repair at a future date when software is available.

43-071

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

Fix-As-Fail – Due to undersupply issues, only a limited supply of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensors are available. As a temporary solution, after PACCAR confirms a DEF sensor is not available, a temporary software update will allow a vehicle to continue operation with a failed DEF sensor by disabling the DEF sensor diagnostics.

02-160

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; VISIBILITY; VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

Information Only – Windshield washer pumps have a high No Trouble Found rate. Washer pumps may fail to spray due to a clogged filter.

26-037

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY; POWER TRAIN

Fix-As-Fail - Prior versions of Eaton Endurant transmission software may be prone to setting Linear Clutch Actuator (LCA) fault codes leading to possible LCA hardware replacement.

13-054

SERVICE BRAKES

Fix-As-Fail - Bendix New-Gen Lightweight Steer Axle Drum Brake Spider Cracking

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kenworth C500 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025010—
2024000—
2023010—
2022010—
2021010—
2020010—
2019040—
2018050—
2017040—
2016Viewing030—
2015030—
2014040—
2013020—
2012130—
2011060—
2010140—
2009050—
2008090—
2007160—
2006151—
2005050—
2004040—
2003030—
2002020—
2001040—
2000070—
1999170—
1998030—
1997030—
1996040—
1995010—
1994010—
1993010—
1992010—
1991030—
1990010—
1989010—
1981010—
1980010—
1979010—
1978020—
1977020—
1976020—
1975020—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.