2019 Kenworth T680

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE21018) based on eleven Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ). These VOQs included seven wheel-end fires on various Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks.Several of the VOQs were submitted by a maintenance facility stating that the fires were due to power spring fractures within brake chambers manufactured by Haldex Commercial Vehicle Systems (Haldex). According to the reports, the fractured spring punctured the brake chamber diaphragm, resulting in a partial loss of compressed air to the park brakes, causing the brakes to drag and overheat. ODI sent an information request letter to Haldex on August 3, 2021. On October 17, 2021, Haldex submitted a complete response. In this investigation, ODI analyzed thousands of warranty claims as well as fleet reports of brake chamber replacements. ODI gathered information from multiple vehicle manufacturers and reviewed legal testimony alleging defects and laboratory reports that raised concerns about spring failures initiated by corrosion. ODI found that spring failures were often detectable as soon as they occurred. In the subject incidents, after detecting the failures, some operators continued driving to a maintenance facility rather than stopping and waiting for a mobile technician to address the issue, increasing the risk of fire. While over twenty entities purchased the subject component from Haldex, the VOQs that ODI received involved only PACCAR vehicles. Haldex completed replacement campaigns for several fleets operating PACCAR vehicles, reducing the risk of further failures. Brake chambers have a limited service life. Industry guidance generally recommends replacement every two to four years depending on operating conditions, with some manufacturers and fleets recommending even shorter intervals. Vehicles operating in salt-belt states—where the majority of VOQs originated—require more frequent replacement than vehicles in less corrosive environments. Haldex’s standard warranty is four years and unlimited mileage. ODI determined that the average time in service for warranty claims was 4.9 years and 260,000 miles. Currently, all of the chambers subject to this investigation are between five and ten years old. Given the absence of recent failures and because the subject components are now older than their expected service life, ODI is closing this investigation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

When I was driving on the highway the transmission fault error came on and my truck came to a stop on on the highway. It changed gears weirdly and kept the rpm’s high. Once it came to a stop I turned the truck off and on and it work fine. This has happened multiple times and a nationwide failure of the MTM and transmission is the cause of this. Many of my fellow drivers are having this same issues and are having to replace the whole transmission due to the MTM failing and destroying the transmission.

NHTSA ID

11639536

Incident

Dec 18, 2024

The Eaton 12 speeds that these trucks come equipped with are failing just after the warranty expires. Lots of drivers with the same problem.

NHTSA ID

11630873

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

We have under hood fire during operating the truck. The driver was driving in TX. The police and fire department need to be involved to extinguish the fire. The truck need to be towed to terminal. The two dealers were doing estimate and the try to look up the causes of the fire, but is seems they not able to find it. We asked some privet mechanics and they think that fire could start from starter. The truck is 2019 T680 455,972 miles with engine Paccar MX-13. The truck is available fot inspection.

NHTSA ID

11544747

Incident

May 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Kenworth T680. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was an abnormal popping noise detected and the vehicle decelerated and the fuel system detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the pump bolt had fractured. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 432,549.

NHTSA ID

11469311

Incident

May 13, 2022

Mileage

432,549 mi

UNIT DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND BRAKE CHAMBER FAILED CAUSING BRAKES TO SLOWLY APPLY WITHOUT OPERATOR BEING AWARE UNTIL SEEN SMOKE COMING FROM DRIVE AXLE BRAKES. THE LOW AIR PRESSURE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE, STAYED HIGH ENOUGH NOT TO ILLUMINATE A LOW AIR WARNING. 2 INDEPENDENT FIRE INSPECTIONS PROVED THIS WAS A HALDEX BRAKE CHAMBER FAILURE. THE CHAMBER WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND IT IS IN THE RANGE WHERE HALDEX HAD MANUFACTURING DEFECTS OF THE POWER COIL IN THE PARKING CHAMBER, HALDEX CONFIRMED THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE 3030 CHAMBER, AND NOT ISSUING A RECALL EVEN THOUGH PUBLIC SAFETY AS RISK. SPRING BRAKE BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE RUBBER DIAPHRAGM CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND CAUSING ANOTHER TOTAL LOSS OF TRUCK AND TRAILER. ENTIRE INTERSTATE HAD TO BE SHUTDOWN FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. CAUSING MORE RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY THE HALDEX CHAMBER HAS A FATAL DESIGN FLAW THAT HALDEX HAS ADMITTED TO AND CAN LEAD TO LOSS OF BRAKING AND BRAKE FIRES, CAUSING TIRE EXPLOSIONS AND CARGO EXPLOSIONS, WHEN THE SPRING COMPRESSES THE POWER COAT PROTECTIVE COATING IS DAMAGED AND CAUSES THE POWER SPRING TO RUST THIS RUST THEN CAUSES THE SPRING TO BRAKE AND PUNCTURE THE INTERNAL DIAPHRAM OF THE CHAMBER. HALDEX IS ALSO AWARE THAT THE METAL USED IN MAKING THE SPRING CANNOT HANDLE THE PRESSURE FORCED UPON IT WITHOUT BREAKING EITHER BY TOOLING CAUSING MARKS AND FATIGUE IN THE METAL ITSELF. NHTSA HAS ALSO DONE ITS TESTING AND CONFIRMED ALL OF THESE FINDING AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11355468

Incident

Jan 20, 2020

Mileage

200,000 mi

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE COLLISION MITIGATION SYSTEM WILL GO OFF FOR NO REASON CAUSING A SUDDEN HARD BRAKING. THIS SEEMS TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IF VEHICLE IS TRAVELING ON WET OR ICY ROADS, IN CLOSE QUARTER CONSTRUCTION ZONES OR IF VEHICLE HAPPENS TO BE IN A TURN. UNFORTUNATELY IF ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE WOULD BE AN ACCIDENT, WHICH I HAVE HEARD HAS HAPPENED. I HAVE TAKEN TRUCK TO KENWORTH SERVICE TWICE AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. IT IS A REQUIRED SYSTEM AND ARE JUST VERY SENSITIVE. I SEE NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS SYSTEM. WHEN I COME UPON AN ACTUAL HAZARD IT DOESN'T GO OFF. IT IS STRESSFUL TO DRIVE AND WONDER AT ANY GIVEN TIME IF THE HARD BREAK AND LIGHTS ARE GOING TO GO OFF AND HOPE YOU ARE NOT AROUND OTHER VEHICLES THAT WOULD ALSO BE AFFECTED BY THIS UNEXPECTED STOPPING OF A 80000 POUND VEHICLE. HOPEFULLY DRIVERS WILL NOT FIND OUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN OF THIS OCCURRED ON WET OR ICED ROADS.

NHTSA ID

11339638

Incident

Jul 9, 2020

Mileage

245,000 mi

THE TRACTOR COMES WITH NO EMERGENCY TRAILER BRAKES HANDLE IN THE CAB LIKE THE REST OF TRUCKS IT MAKE IT VERY DANGEROUS WHILE HAULING 80,000 POUNDS AND THE SERVICE BRAKES TAKES FOREVER TO STOP THE TRUCK ALSO THE TOP OF THE CAB AT THE JOINTS IS LEAKING WATER NOT THE FIRST TO COMPLAIN BOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2019 KW THEY SAY THAT'S HOW THEY MAKE TRUCKS NOW WITHOUT THE TRAILER BRAKES HANDLE I JUST HAVE TO USE THE SERVICE BRAKES

NHTSA ID

11229322

Incident

May 18, 2018

MY FATHER WAS FUELING THIS BRAND NEW TRUCK WITH CNG (COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS) WHEN ONE OF THE TANKS EXPLODED. THE TRUCK WAS STATIONARY AT THE ANG (AMERICAN NATURAL GAS) STATION IN BUTTONWILLOW CALIFORNIA AT THE INTERSECTION OF INTERSTATE 5 AND HWY 58. MY FATHER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT THE ICU IN UCLA WITH MULTIPLE BROKE BONES AS WELL AS BLEEDING AND SWELLING ON HIS BRAIN. I HAVE ATTACHED A PHOTO OF THE TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

11164528

Incident

Dec 21, 2018

Mileage

40 mi

The Condition, Chassis Affected, Service Action, Warranty, and Procedure sections have been updated to include the latest prognostics bulletin verbiage.

Updated Eaton's TAIB0885EN Bulletin link.

The PACCAR Powertrain Prognostics Webcast video link has been removed. It will be included with updated information at a later date.

Kenworth - The Warranty section has been updated to include Peterbilt-specific SRT codes for cross-division repair filing.

Troubleshooting procedures for 2.1m cab power windows are now available.

KW & PB DEF Quality Sensor part number Q21-6127-001 for PACCAR PX-7 and Cummins X15 engines has been added to this warranty policy.