RoadVitals

2021 Kenworth T440

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
1
Latest Mar 15, 2022
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.
4
Latest Dec 9, 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.
0
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.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2021 Kenworth T440, most frequently naming the brakes category. 4 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 10 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Brakes1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

4 campaigns cover this model year

View all 4

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
24V915000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

Dec 9, 2024
220,764 units potentially affected
The 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.
The 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.
The 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.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 24KWL 24PBLView 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
21V601000

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Aug 3, 2021
688 units potentially affected
The defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Peterbilt 536, 537, 548 and Kenworth T270, T280, T370, T380, T440, T470, and T480 vehicles equipped with Cummins L9 diesel engines. A fuel leak may occur from the fuel hose between the fuel pump and the remote fuel filter head.
The risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy: Cummins will replace the fuel hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in October 2021. Owners may contact PACCAR's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth) and 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21PBG and 21KWF.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 21PBG and 21KWFView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed Mar 15, 2022

While driving the factory floor mat can slide under the rear of the brake pedal while it is being applied. Once pedal is released it will still hold brake pressure causing brakes to remain engaged while still allowing vehicle to move down the road in turn causing brakes to heat up and either lockup/ catch fire or once cooled become inoperable. We have heat marks on exterior of front drums and pads were glazed over.

NHTSA ID
11456828
Incident
Mar 10, 2022

Manufacturer communications

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

24KWD

SERVICE BRAKES

SAFETY RECALL Additional chassis have been included. The chassis list has been updated. Certain T370 / T440 / T470 / T480 / T660 / T680 / T800 / T880 / W900 / C500 chassis may be equipped with air tank reservoirs that have less than twelve times the combined volume of all service brake chambers which fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No.121, Air Brake Systems.

45-064

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Info Only - PACCAR is introducing Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates for engine MY17 and newer chassis equipped with Cummins X15, X12, ISX12, ISX12N, L9N, PX-7, and PX-9 engines The technology will leverage the existing Remote Diagnostic cs hardware to deliver secure software updates remotely. This will reduce downtime and save on maintenance costs for eligible vehicles.

22KWB

STEERING

Safety Recall – Interim Notification - The Dana D-Series front axle steer arm fasteners that attach the steer arm to the steering knuckle may fail, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Repair information will be added when a repair procedure and parts are available.

51-013

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Due to major data carriers phasing out 3G networks, chassis currently utilizing first generation Peoplenet Mobile Gateway (PMG001) will experience severe 3G service degradation as early as January of 2022. Chassis currently utilizing 3G antennas as a primary antenna may experience this degradation

E282

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Information Only: Due to differences between the PACCAR MX-11 or MX-13 2021A and 2021B engines, technicians must be able to identify which of these engines are in a chassis.

S007

VISIBILITY

Non-Safety Campaign - Convex mirrors are available. Parts will be shipped to dealers.

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 T440 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2023030—
2022040—
2021Viewing140—
2020040—
2019051—
2018051—
2017021—
2016060—
2015070—
2014090—
2013070—
2012090—
2011070—
2010010—

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.