1998 Peterbilt 379 Problems

OUR 1998 PETERBILT 379 CAUGHT FIRE INSIDE USS POSCO STEEL MILL IN PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA ON THURSDAY 5-16-2002. AFTER LOOKING AT YOUR WEB SITE I FOUND A RECALL THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V029000 . NOW OUR TRUCK IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TOTALED OUT. HOW DO WE FIND OUT IF THIS IS WHAT CAUSED FIRE. ON OUR ESTIMATE DAMAGES WE HAVE LOSS OF THE OF OUR TRUCK, OUR LIVELY HOOD, AND ANY CLAIMS WHICH USS POSCO MAY MAKE, FOR HAVING TO BE SHUT DOWN. MY HUSBAND IS DEFINITELY TRAMATIZED, HE HAS NOT SLEPT WELL SINCE THIS OCCURED AND WHEN HE DOES HE HAS DREAMS OF THE TRUCK GOING UP IN FLAMES. HE HAD JUST BE LOADED AND WAS PULLING FORWARD TO CHAIN DOWN STEEL COILS ON TRAILER, THE TRUCK HAD BEEN SHUT OFF. HE STATRED TRUCK AND PULLED FORWARD ABOUT 200 FEET WHEN HE HEARD SHOUTING, HE STOPPED SUT OFF TRUCK, AND JUMPED OUT AT THIS TIME FLAME WERE ERUPTING FROM UNDER HOOD ON DRIVER'S SIDE AS WELL AS FROM BEHIND DRIVERS SIDE BATTERY BOX AND STEP., AND UNDERNEATH THE FENDERWELL. BY THE TIME AN EXTINGUISHER WAS GOTTEN THERE WAS NO WAY TO SHOOT IT UNDERNEATH THE HOOD WITHOUT OPENING THE HOOD THEREBY SUPPLYING OXYGEN TO THE FIRE. AT THAT POINT WE WERE TOLD TO STAY BACK AND WAIT FOR FIRE TRUCKS WHICH WERE ON SITE. USS POSCO HAS THERE OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT. A FEW MINUTES INTO FIRE THE TRUCK RESTARTED ITSELF AND WAS SHOOTING FLAMES INTO RAFTERS ON THE BUILDING AND FREE REVING TO THE MAXIMUM IT COULD UNTIL IT DIED, AT THIS POINT EVERYONE RAN FOR COVER BECAUSE WE JUST WERE'NT SURE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED DAMAGE TO ENGINE ALL WIRING THE CAB AND INTERIOR , AND ESPECIALLLY THE HOOD WAS SUSTAINDED. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO IMPOUND YARD. THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS IN THE PROCESS OF TOTALING OUT THE TRUCK, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW HOW DO WE SEE IF WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PACCAR IDUSTRIES, BECAUSE I WANT OUR TRUCK BACK THE WAY IT WAS. WE HAVE GREAT WEST CASUALTY COMPANY FOR INSURANCE. OUR CLAIM NUMBER IS 778-268 OUR CLAIMS GUY IS BILL HEMPHILL OR ASK FOR DARCEY AT 1-800-343-3966 EXT 1.

WHILE DRIVING THE FAULTY FUEL LINE ROUTING AND ENGINE WIRING SPARKED CAUSING A FIRE WITHOUT WARNING PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 00V-029 (EQUIPPED WITH 1998 CATERPILLAR 3406E ENGINES). NLM

THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED WITH THIS COMPLAINT. THIS IS REGARDING PETERBILTS RECALL #303-A I HAVE A 1998 379 THAT WAS PURCHASED 10/5/01 SINCE THEN I HAVE REPLACED THE HUB BEARINGS ON THE STEER AXLE ONCE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND THREE TIMES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AFTER THE THIRD TIME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE I REPLACED EVERYTHING ( SPINDLE,HUB,AND DRUM ) ACCORDING TO PETERBILT MY TRUCK DOES NOT FALL INTO THEIR RECALL. I BELIEVE IT DOES AND IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT BECAUSE AFTER REPLACING THE FOREMENTIONED PARTS IT SEEMS TO HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. *TR

I'VE HAD THE TRUCK IN THE SHOP FOUR TIMES TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM AN IS STILL NOT FIXED.AT THE TIME IT WAS VERY DANGROUS THE PROBLUM IS A LITTLE BIT FIXED BUT , I WENT IN THERE TO BUY A NEW TRUCK AN I GOT A TRUCK THAT LEANS TO RIGHT TIRES GOING BAD I'VE PUT TWO SET'S OF STEARING TIRES ON BEEN IN FRONT END SHOP ABOUT SEVEN TIMES TIRES STILL GOING BAD , AN ALL SORT'S OF OTHER THING'S AS WELL. AN THIS IS A NEW 98.000.00 DOLLAR TRUCK I BOUGHT , AN I CAN'T FIND ANYBODY TO HELP ME. *AK

I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING WITH PACCAR FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW. MY HUSBANDS TRUCK, LISTED ON THE INCLUDED FORM, WAS ALMOST BRAND NEW WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNT BEYOND REPAIR. WE HAVE RECENTLY HIRED A LAYWER TO HELP US IN THIS CASE. THAT IS WHY I DON'T WANT YOU TO NOTIFY PETERBILT . OUR INSURANCE COMPANY HIRED A FIRE INVESTIGATOR AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY BRAKE SPRING. WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET THE REPORT FROM OUR INSURANCE COMPANY. THEY HAVE THE REPORT AND THEY WON'T RELEASE A COPY OF IT TO US. OUR HANDS ARE TIRED AT THIS POINT. PLEASE SEND US ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE OBTAINED ON ANY SIMILAR FIRES IN PERTERBILTS (OR MERITOR BRAKES). WE ARE DESPERATE TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. MY HUSBAND WAS ALMOST KILLED! HE ALSO ALMOST LOST HIS HAND WHEN THE TRUCK TIRE BLEW FROM THE HEAT AND THE BUMPER FELL ON HIS HAND, SQUISHING IT. PLEASE HELP US! WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF PACCAR AND/OR PETERBILT FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, BUT THEY ONLY REPONDED WITH ONE LETTER STATING, "IT IS OUR CONCLUSION THAT WORK COMPLETED AFTER THE VEHICLE LEFT OUR CONTROL MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED OR CAUSED THE FIRE." (THERE WAS FEW MORE THINGS STATED IN THE LETTER, BUT NOTHING MUCH OF SENSE.) I WOULD AGREE WITH THEM IF MY HUSBAND WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING TO THE TRUCK. THE ONLY THINGS DONE TO IT WERE THREE (3) RUETINE SERVICES. WHICH WE HAVE PROOF OF. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT US ANYTIME. WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. KATIE SALE. *AK