2004 Peterbilt 378 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2004 Peterbilt 378, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine1100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) LOW ENGINE HEAT AND COOLANT LEAKING FROM OIL COOLER, STARTED ON COLD DAY BACK DECEMBER 14TH 2009, TOOK TRUCK TO DEALERSHIP. WANTED OIL COOLER RESEALED AND TWO THERMOSTATS REPLACED. VEHICLE HAS THIRD PARTY WARRANTY. DEALER ASKED PERMISSION TO TEAR DOWN, WE DENIED ACTION, SAID TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO WARRANTY PROTOCOL. DEALER COMPLETELY DISMANTLES MOTOR INCORRECTLY CAUSING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. NOW DEALER IS HOLDING VEHICLE HOSTAGE SINCE WE WILL NOT SIGN RELEASE OF LAW SUIT FOR DAMAGE. DEALER NEVER TOLD US THEY WERE DOING THIS. AS AN ALTERER OF MANUFACTURED VEHICLES MY SELF, I DO REMEMBER THAT A REPAIR SHOP HAS NO AUTHORITY TO PLACE A VEHICLE IN AN UNSAFE OR INOPERABLE CONDITION. AFTER THE FACT OF THIS, I HAVE SEEN VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN MODIFIED FROM THE ORIGINAL DESIGN, THAT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY DONE OR EVEN HAVE AN ALTERERS DECAL SHOWING CHANGES TO SUSPENSION, DRILLING AND CUTTING OF FRAMES AND SO ON. I AM WRITING YOU ON THIS FOR A POSSIBLE INVESTIGATION OF THE DEALER. I HAVE ALSO SINCE FOUND THIS IS A NORMAL PRACTICE WITH THIS DEALER. I HAVE CONTACTED THE BBB AND THEY HAVE AN F RATING FOR THIS COMPANY ON COMPLAINTS. THE DEALER NEVER RESPONDS. I DO HAVE AN ATTORNEY INVOLVED, AND WOULD ALSO LIKE SOME ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I FEEL THIS COMPANY COULD BE PLACING PEOPLE IN HARMS WAY FOR FAULTY REPAIRS, AND MODIFICATIONS. [XXX] *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .