The Recall Desk
SevereNHTSA·23V661000·Announced 2025-05-09

Commercial Trucks Recalled for Delayed Trailer Brake Release

PACCAR is recalling certain 2024 Kenworth T280 trucks and related Kenworth and Peterbilt models from 2020-2024 due to potential delays in trailer brake release, which can cause trailer instability and increase crash risk.

What this means for you

Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: This is a structural vehicle defect involving the air brake system, a critical safety component. Although no deaths or injuries have been reported, the delayed trailer brake release creates a direct risk of vehicle instability and crashes, meeting the criterion for Severe classification.

Plain-English summary

PACCAR Incorporated is recalling certain commercial trucks including the 2024 Kenworth T280, as well as Kenworth T380, T480, and Peterbilt 536, 537, and 548 models from various years between 2020 and 2024. A total of 254 vehicles are affected.

The issue involves the timing of trailer brake release. In the affected vehicles, the trailer brake release may be delayed beyond the expected timeframe. This delayed release can create instability in the trailer and increase the risk of a crash. The defect means these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 121, which establishes requirements for air brake systems.

To remedy the issue, authorized dealers will replace the fittings and hoses in the affected brake valves at no cost to owners. Owner notification letters were sent on January 15, 2024.

Owners of affected vehicles should contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220 to schedule service. PACCAR's internal recall numbers are 23KWJ for Kenworth and 23PBJ for Peterbilt. Owners may also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.nhtsa.gov for additional information.

The recalled product

Product
2024 KENWORTH T280
Brand
KENWORTH
Manufacturer
PACCAR Incorporated
Category
Vehicle — Commercial Trucks / Brake System
Hazard
  • brake-delay
  • crash-risk
  • vehicle-instability
Affected units
254

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (6)

  • T280
  • T480
  • 536
  • 548
  • 537
  • T380

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

Related recalls

Same brand · KENWORTH

Same category