2015 Peterbilt 388: complaints, problems and recalls

2015 BRAND NEW PETE 388 CAR HAULER. FRONT ORIGINAL TIRE MICHELIN XZA 2 SIZE 295/60/22.5 BLEW UP. DAMAGED FRONT OF THE TRUCK AND 2 TIRES WERE DAMAGED ON DRIVE SAME SIDE. PAID $1500 FOR ROAD SERVICE. HOOD, BUMPER LIGHT ARE DAMAGED. TRUCK ONLY 3 MONTH OLD. 4TH BLOW OUT IN 2 MONTH ON 4 SEPARATE TRUCKS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 73,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10652394 at NHTSA ↗

TRACTOR BLEW A MICHELIN XZA (295/60/22.5) PASSENGER SIDE STEER TIRE. DRIVER FELT A VIBRATION AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PULLING OVER WHEN IT BLEW. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 83,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10653907 at NHTSA ↗

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 A…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10658773 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-05-29 (May 29, 2014)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2010-2015 Peterbilt 579, 388, 384, 367, 365, 348, and 337 trucks manufactured October 30, 2009, through May 21, 2014. In the affected vehicles, if power is interrupted to the seat electronic control unit (ECU), such as when the fuse for that circuit blows, the side air bag would be disabled but there will not be a warning lamp indicator to notify the operator of the malfunction.

Consequence: Without a warning of a problem existing in the side air bag system, the driver may continue to operate the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury from the side air bag not deploying in the event of a rollover.

Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will install a new electrical harness to correct them problem, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. Paccar's number for this recall is 514-F.

Reported: 2015-02-24 (February 24, 2015)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Peterbilt 320, 365, 367, 388, and 389 trucks manufactured July 21, 2008, to February 28, 2014. The front axle tie rod end clamp bolts may be improperly torqued.

Consequence: Undertorqued tie rod end clamp bolts are susceptible to corrosion, which may cause loose bolts to separate resulting in a loss of vehicle control and an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle tie rod assembly on any vehicle where the factory installed assembly has not been previously replaced, free of charge. Owners were mailed interim notices on May 11, 2015. The recall began on April 4, 2016. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 215-C.

Reported: 2015-03-06 (March 6, 2015)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2006-2016 Peterbilt 587, 579, 567, 389, 388, 387, 385, 382, 379, 378, 367, 365 and 357 trucks manufactured July 25, 2005, to February 26, 2016. The affected vehicles may be equipped with Tire and Rim Certification Labels that list a tire pressure below the actual correct amount. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 120, "Tire selection and rims and motor home/recreation vehicle trailer load carrying capacity information for motor vehicles with a GVWR of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds)."

Consequence: If the tires are underinflated due to the incorrect inflation pressure listed on the label, the truck may not be able to carry the maximum gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) load listed without experiencing tire failure which would increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Peterbilt will notify owners and mail them a corrected Tire and Rim certification label, free of charge. The recall began on June 19, 2015. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. PACCAR's number for this recall is 215-D.

Reported: 2015-07-22 (July 22, 2015)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 Peterbilt 365, 367, 384, 386, 388, 389, 567, 579, and 587 trucks manufactured January 13, 2011, to April 20, 2015. The affected trucks, equipped with extended-body Leece Neville alternators, have alternator charge cables that may chafe against a formed metal freon discharge line.

Consequence: If the alternator cable rubs through its insulation, an electrical short may occur, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Peterbilt will notify owners, and dealers will reroute the alternator charge cable away from the metal freon line and install a plastic insulator on the cable end, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2015. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. Peterbilt's number for this recall is 715-K.

Reported: 2015-11-09 (November 9, 2015)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Peterbilt 340, 2010, 2012, and 2015-2016 Peterbilt 337, 2010 Peterbilt 335, 2011-2016 Peterbilt 348, 2009 and 2011-2016 Peterbilt 365, 2009 and 2012-2013 Peterbilt 386, 2009-2015 Peterbilt 388, 2015-2016 Peterbilt 389, and 2015 Peterbilt 567 auto hauler vehicles. The affected trucks are equipped with Michelin 295/60R22.5 XZA-2 front tires that have a speed rating less than the vehicle is governed to.

Consequence: Higher vehicle speeds and other factors such as tire load and road temperatures may result in premature tire failure, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Peterbilt will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the engine's vehicle speed parameters to limit the maximum vehicle speed to the tire speed rating, free of charge. The recall began on January 4, 2016. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. PACCAR's number for this recall is 1115P.

Reported: 2015-12-31 (December 31, 2015)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2015 Peterbilt model 388 vehicles manufactured from January 28, 2014, through February 3, 2014. The affected vehicles were built with Michelin MN295/60 R22.5 XZA front tires and 8.25" wheels and were certified to a GAWR greater than the maximum 12,350 lbs allowed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 120, "Tire Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles Other Than Passenger Cars."

Consequence: If the truck exceeds the load rating on the tire, the tire may suddenly fail, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Peterbilt will notify owners, and dealers will replace the 8.25" front wheels with 9.00" wheels and re-program the maximum vehicle speed to the appropriate settings, free of charge. The recall began on January 14, 2016. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. PACCAR's recall campaign number for this recall is 1115Q.

Reported: 2020-04-06 (April 6, 2020)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2008-2019 Peterbilt 330, 335, 337, 340, 348, 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388, 389, 567, 579 and 587 vehicles and 2008-2020 Kenworth T170, T270, T370, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 vehicles equipped with NAMUX Software. In the event that the Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) loses battery and/or ignition power to the controller, the dash warning light for the ABS may not illuminate to warn the driver of the loss of ABS. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 121, "Air Brake Systems," and 136, "Electronic Stability Control System on Heavy Vehicles."

Consequence: If the driver unknowingly operates the vehicle without the ABS functioning, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will update the NAMUX software within the cab control module, free of charge. PACCAR issued owners an interim notification on June 4, 2020. The recall began May 26, 2020. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 20pbc AND 20KWB.