2015 Peterbilt 389 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 2015 Peterbilt 389, 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
- Other / unspecified436.4%
- Body & structure218.2%
- Tires & wheels218.2%
- Driver assistance19.1%
- Electrical19.1%
- Visibility19.1%
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
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
6 PETERBILT MY COMPANY OPERATES ARE 2014 AND 2015 CAR HAULERS. ALL ARE CONSISTENTLY DESTROYING REAR AXEL TIRES BOTH SIDES DRIVER AND PASSENGER (THREAD IS COMING OUT). DAMAGED SEEMS TO HAPPEN DUE TO OVERHEAT OF TIRES. WE TRIED USING DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES, BUT BLOW OUT DID NOT STOP. WE TOOK TRUCKS TO [XXX] AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUES. WITH EACH OCCURRENCE THREAD FROM DRIVE TIRE IS COMING OFF AND TIRE STILL HOLDS AIR. IT DAMAGES ALL LIGHTS ON TRUCK THEN IT DAMAGES MUD GUARDS AND BREAKS SAFETY WINGS ON THE TRAILER. EACH TIME COSTS ABOUT 2000$ PLUS ROAD SERVICE. ONLY SOLUTION WE FOUND AT THIS TIME TO RUN ALL POSITION TIRES ON DRIVE TIRES. SO FAR WE DID NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES FOR PAST 30 DAYS. LAST TRUCK WE PURCHASED FROM [XXX], THEY AGREED TO SWAP TIRES AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE TO ALL POSITION... NO SOLUTION IS OFFERED TO US. WE HAVE LOST OVER $40,000 SO FAR ON BRAND NEW TRUCKS... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
6 PETERBILT MY COMPANY OPERATES ARE 2014 AND 2015 CAR HAULERS. ALL ARE CONSISTENTLY DESTROYING REAR AXEL TIRES BOTH SIDES DRIVER AND PASSENGER (THREAD IS COMING OUT). DAMAGED SEEMS TO HAPPEN DUE TO OVERHEAT OF TIRES. WE TRIED USING DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES, BUT BLOW OUT DID NOT STOP. WE TOOK TRUCKS TO [XXX] AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIND ANY ISSUES. WITH EACH OCCURRENCE THREAD FROM DRIVE TIRE IS COMING OFF AND TIRE STILL HOLDS AIR. IT DAMAGES ALL LIGHTS ON TRUCK THEN IT DAMAGES MUD GUARDS AND BREAKS SAFETY WINGS ON THE TRAILER. EACH TIME COSTS ABOUT 2000$ PLUS ROAD SERVICE. ONLY SOLUTION WE FOUND AT THIS TIME TO RUN ALL POSITION TIRES ON DRIVE TIRES. SO FAR WE DID NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES FOR PAST 30 DAYS. LAST TRUCK WE PURCHASED FROM [XXX], THEY AGREED TO SWAP TIRES AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE TO ALL POSITION... NO SOLUTION IS OFFERED TO US. WE HAVE LOST OVER $40,000 SO FAR ON BRAND NEW TRUCKS... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
PETERBILT 389 SLEEPER CAB HAS NO REAR WINDOW, BACKUP ALARM OR BACKUP CAMERA. LED TO FATALITY IN MARCH 2016.
4 BRAND NEW TRUCKS PETERBILT AND WESTERN STAR WITH MICHELIN TIRES 295/60/R22.5 AND 275/70/22.5. FRONT TIRES BLEW UP WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT END. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE OPERATE 6 BRAND NEW PETERBILT 388 CAR HAULERS. EVERY TRUCK RANDOMLY BLOWS DRIVE INSIDE TIRE. ONCE TIRE BLOWS IT CAN BLOW ADJACENT TIRE. SO FAR WE HAD ABOUT 20 BLOW OUT IN 2 MONTH TIME. ONLY SOLUTION SO FAR WE FOUND WAS TO REROUTE EXHAUST PIPE TO THE SIDE AND REPLACE TIRES TO ALL POSITION TIRES. NO REIMBURSEMENT FROM PETERBILT. CALLED EVERY POSSIBLE NUMBER, BUT NO RESPONSE. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT AND EXHAUST CAUSES INSIDE TIRE TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE BLOW OUT. TIRES BLOW EVERY 1000-3000 MILES. WE HAVE SPEND OVER 30,000$ ON ROAD CALLS AND TIRE REPLACEMENT SO FAR. *TR
4 BRAND NEW TRUCKS PETERBILT AND WESTERN STAR WITH MICHELIN TIRES 295/60/R22.5 AND 275/70/22.5. FRONT TIRES BLEW UP WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT END. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
WE OPERATE 6 BRAND NEW PETERBILT 388 CAR HAULERS. EVERY TRUCK RANDOMLY BLOWS DRIVE INSIDE TIRE. ONCE TIRE BLOWS IT CAN BLOW ADJACENT TIRE. SO FAR WE HAD ABOUT 20 BLOW OUT IN 2 MONTH TIME. ONLY SOLUTION SO FAR WE FOUND WAS TO REROUTE EXHAUST PIPE TO THE SIDE AND REPLACE TIRES TO ALL POSITION TIRES. NO REIMBURSEMENT FROM PETERBILT. CALLED EVERY POSSIBLE NUMBER, BUT NO RESPONSE. THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT AND EXHAUST CAUSES INSIDE TIRE TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE BLOW OUT. TIRES BLOW EVERY 1000-3000 MILES. WE HAVE SPEND OVER 30,000$ ON ROAD CALLS AND TIRE REPLACEMENT SO FAR. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
PURCHASED NEW 2015 PETE ON 7/29/2014 FROM RUSH PETERBILT SEALY TEXAS WITH @ 3 MILES SHOWING ON ODOMETER. ON @ 7/31/2014 STOPPED IN WACO TEXAS WITH VEHICLE TO CHECK SECUREMENT OF LOAD AND WHEN RELEASED PARKING BRAKE THE PARKING BRAKE INDICATOR REMAINED ON, ENGINE DERATED, SPEEDO FAILED TO WORK AND VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN CURRENT CONDITION. I DROVE @ 2 MILES TO RUSH PETERBILT WACO AND WAITED FOR SERVICE TO OPEN. RESTARTED VEHICLE AFTER @ 1 HOUR AND ISSUE WASN'T OCCURRING. DEALER SAID NOTHING THEY COULD DO. DELIVERED IN IRVING TX AND WENT TO RUSH IRVING AND ADVISED THEY WERE TO BUSY TO LOOK AT IT FOR AT LEAST 4-5 DAYS. RETURNED TO BERTRAM TX. VEHICLE WAS SENT TO RUSH PETERBILT SEALY UNTIL 8/7/2014 AND FAILED TO REPAIR ISSUE. VEHICLE ANS SINCE BEEN IN PETERBILT SEALY AND PETERBILT BUDA TEXAS FOR 26 DAYS WITHOUT BEING REPAIRED. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
PETERBILT 389 SLEEPER CAB HAS NO REAR WINDOW, BACKUP ALARM OR BACKUP CAMERA. LED TO FATALITY IN MARCH 2016.
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 .