2025 Kenworth T380
Several concerns worth a close look before buying.
Cons
Official recall campaigns exist for this vehicle. See the Safety Recalls section for what failed and how it's fixed.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Safety Recalls
At least one recall is serious enough that owners are told to park away from buildings. Treat this as urgent.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Safety Recalls
1 of 2 owner complaints are about the steering. Tap it in the heatmap to read the real reports.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Owner Complaints
1 complaint(s) involved a crash and 0 involved a fire.
Why we say this — NHTSA — Owner Complaints
Pros
Nothing in this category from the official data.
Neutral
The government hasn't published a crash-test rating for this exact vehicle. We won't invent one.
Why we say this — NHTSA — 5-Star Safety Ratings
ℹ️ Recalls & complaints are reported per model — the same across every trim & engine. Fuel economy (and crash ratings by body style) can vary — use the pickers in those sections.
Safety Recalls
Official recall campaigns. Tap one to see the danger and the fix.
What is a recall, really?
A recall means the government made the manufacturer admit a safety defect — and the fix is free at any dealer, forever, even for used cars. Recalls range from a software update to "the steering wheel can detach," so read the danger line on each one. Buying used? Ask the seller for proof each recall was completed, or have a dealer run the VIN. Recalls also have a quieter cousin worth reading: technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Campaign 24V044000
What's wrong: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Kenworth T280, T380, T480, T680, T880, L770, W990, and 2024-2025 Peterbilt 389, 520, 535, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, 589 trucks. The steering gear assemblies may have been assembled incorrectly with fewer recirculating balls than are required, which may result in a loss of steering control.
The danger: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering gears as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 20, 2024. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220 and/or Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBC and 24KWC.
NHTSA Campaign 24V233000
What's wrong: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2025 Peterbilt 536, 548, 567, 579, and Kenworth T280, T380, T480, T680, T880, and W990 vehicles. The steering gear sector shaft may have been improperly heat-treated, which can cause the gear teeth to crack or fracture.
The danger: Fractured steering gear teeth can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect the serial numbers, and replace the steering gears as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2024. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBF and 24KWF.
NHTSA Campaign 24V433000
What's wrong: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2025 Kenworth K270, K370, L770, T280, T380, T480, T680, T880, W900, W990, 2025 Peterbilt 220, 520, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, and 589 trucks. The tie rod or drag link assembly may contain an improperly heat-treated ball stud, causing the ball stud to break.
The danger: A broken ball stud can cause a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the tie rod and drag link assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 6, 2024. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24KWG and 24PBG.
NHTSA Campaign 24V903000
What's wrong: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024 Peterbilt 537, 2024-2025 Kenworth T380, T480, Peterbilt 548, and 2025 Peterbilt 536 trucks, equipped with certain Meritor 10-16K and 18-23K front steer drive axles. The front steer drive axles may have insufficient wheel bearing lubricant.
The danger: Insufficient lubrication may cause the wheel hub to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire, or result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the wheel end with new parts and lubricate the bearings as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed July 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 24KWJ and 24PBJ.
NHTSA Campaign 24V915000
What's wrong: 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 danger: 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 fix: 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.
NHTSA Campaign 25V041000
What's wrong: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2025 Kenworth T180, Peterbilt 535, 567, 2025-2026 Kenworth T280, 2023-2026 Kenworth T380, 2024-2026 Kenworth T480, 2024-2026 Peterbilt 536, 537, and 548 trucks. The exterior lighting switch may fail, resulting in the hazard lights and the instrument display back-light brightness adjustment not functioning. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."
The danger: Inoperative hazard lights cannot alert other drivers as intended. In addition, the inability to adjust the brightness on the instrument panel display can make it difficult to see critical safety information or distract the driver. Both scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dealers will update the vehicle cab controller unit (VECU) software, free of charge. Owners are advised that a non-responsive switch can be temporarily reset by a key cycle. Owner notification letters were mailed March 26, 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 25KWB and 25PBB.
NHTSA Campaign 25V436000
What's wrong: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Kenworth T480, T680, T880, W990, Peterbilt 520, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, 589, 2025 Kenworth T180, Peterbilt 535, 2025-2026 Kenworth T280, T380 and L770 vehicles. The tail brake light, upper and lower beam headlights, reverse light, and turn signal may not illuminate as intended. In addition, the lift axles, if lowered, may revert to a raised position, or oscillate up and down when the signal warning lights are activated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated Equipment."
The danger: Delayed and unsteady headlights can result in insufficient illumination of the road, decreasing the driver's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an unexpected position change of the lift axles may increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will update the VCU software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 19, 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 number for this recall is 25PACF.
NHTSA Campaign 24V190000
What's wrong: 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 danger: 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 fix: 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.
Source: NHTSA — Safety Recalls · re-checked about every 24 hours
Where Owners Report Problems
Where owners report the most trouble — based on 2 complaints (1 involved a crash, 0 a fire). Tap a part to read the real reports.
Raw count — best-sellers naturally log more complaints than rare cars, so judge it against the peer comparison below, not on its own.
Why don't we show complaints per vehicle sold?
Because no official source publishes sales counts per model — that data is sold by private firms, and the free numbers online are guesses. A rate built on a guessed denominator is a guess wearing a lab coat, so we refuse to show one. Instead we show comparisons where fleet size cancels out or is disclosed: the same model across its own years, the crash/fire severity mix, and the peer ranking below — each with its methodology attached.
Of 1 reports about this part, 1 involved a crash and 0 a fire.
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Real owner reports filed with NHTSA (showing 1 of 1):
Color = how serious (crash/fire involvement) · number = how many (share of all this car's reports). Tap any part to read real owner complaints.
Source: NHTSA — Owner Complaints · re-checked about every 24 hours
Crash-Test Safety Ratings
Official U.S. government 5-star crash-test results.
How to read these stars
These come from the government physically crash-testing this vehicle — front, side, and rollover — and scoring it 1 to 5 stars. Ratings are per body style, so a sedan and its coupe twin can differ. If a vehicle shows no rating, it usually means the government never tested that exact configuration — untested is not the same as unsafe, and we'll never blur that line.
We couldn't find this vehicle in NHTSA's crash-test catalog, so we have no official star rating to show. That may mean it was never tested, or that NHTSA lists it under a different name — we won't guess either way, and we won't invent a rating. Check NHTSA's official ratings search →
Source: NHTSA — 5-Star Safety Ratings · re-checked about every 24 hours
Fuel Economy (MPG)
Official EPA estimates — the real numbers, not the brochure.
No official EPA fuel-economy match for this exact model. Rather than show a guess, we're leaving it blank.
Source: U.S. EPA / DOE — fueleconomy.gov · re-checked about every 24 hours