RoadVitals

2024 Peterbilt 389

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.
2
+1 complaint in 30 days
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.
5
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2024 Peterbilt 389, most frequently naming the brakes and electrical categories. 5 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 39 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

  • Brakes266.7%
  • Electrical133.3%

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

5 campaigns cover this model year

View all 5

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
24V908000

STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM; STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

Dec 3, 2024
68 units potentially affected
The defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024 Peterbilt 367, 389, 548, Kenworth T480, T800, 2024-2025 Peterbilt 520, 567 and Kenworth T880 vehicles with PACCAR 20k steer axles. The steering arm and/or tie rod bracket fasteners may fail, resulting in a loss of steering control.
The risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will install new correctly torqued fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 21, 2025. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt's customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24KWK and 24PBK.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 24KWK and 24PBKView on NHTSA.gov
24V190000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

Mar 20, 2024
70,509 units potentially affected
The defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Peterbilt 365, 367, 389, 535, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, and 2021-2025 Kenworth T180, T280, T380, T480, T680, T880 and W990 trucks. The right-hand gear shifter stalk connectors may have been improperly crimped, resulting in a loss of communication.
The risk: A loss of communication between the gear shifter and the transmission may result in the vehicle becoming disabled after coming to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the gear shifter assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 15, 2025, then phased after that. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBE and 24KWE.
PACCAR IncorporatedManufacturer number 24PBE/24KWEView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

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

Brakes
Filed Sep 21, 2026

ABS tone rings are prone to premature corrosion and rust jacking causing the ABS system to fail along with the traction control. This corrosion causes the rings to warp prematurely. Not only is this an expensive and time-consuming fix, but it is also an extreme safety hazard. This condition has been noted on several trucks in the Fleet along with other local companies in the area.

NHTSA ID
11765751
Incident
Aug 15, 2026
BrakesElectrical
Filed Feb 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2024 Peterbilt 389. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced an inaccurate reading of the adaptive cruise control, causing the cruise control to disengage. Additionally, the contact stated after driving for an hour, the ABS, traction control, and electronic stability control warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V915000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical System), which the contact related to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the recall repair had been performed. The contact stated upon test-driving the vehicle, the failure persisted. The dealer was informed that the recall repair had not corrected the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired; however, the dealer charged a labor fee. The contact declined to pay the fee and the vehicle remained with the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ID
11645076
Incident
Feb 26, 2025
Mileage
180,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

E343

ENGINE

An exhaust manifold slip joint seal kit is now available for EPA 2017-2024 PACCAR MX-13 engines.

24KWL/PBL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

The verbiage in the Introduction section has been updated.

43-088

ENGINE

The procedure has been updated to include additional steps for verifying the software level on the vehicle electronic control unit (VECU2) and digital display (DD). Steps have also been added to the PACCAR Common Rail Injection 2 (PCI2) software verification.

E316

ENGINE

235 chassis have been removed from the chassis list and unflagged in PRWS due to expiration of applicable warranty coverage. 5 chassis have been added to the chassis list. The total chassis population is now 15,637.

43-088

ENGINE

This optional software update is now available for chassis equipped with EMY 2021B-2023 PACCAR MX-11 and MX-13 engines. This update provides customers with additional time to service their trucks before a DEF-related derate occurs. The software is being offered to customers in alignment with recently updated regulatory agency guidance.

E316

ENGINE

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

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

Peterbilt 389 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025020—
2024Viewing250—
2023060—
2022470—
2021160—
2020050—
2019362—
2018062—
2017172—
2016081—
20157101—
2014170—
2013080—
2012190—
2011070—
2010070—
20090121—
20083122—
2007051—
2006020—
2005010—
2004010—

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.