Vehicle Safety Data

2021 KENWORTH T280 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

Check any vehicle history by VIN - Free vehicle history report

N/A

Safety Rating

0

Owner Complaints

6

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

2

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2021 KENWORTH T280

The 2021 KENWORTH T280 has received a total of 0 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 6 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT, SERVICE BRAKES, AIR. 2 technical service bulletins have been issued by PACCAR Incorporated for this model year.

Recalls for the 2021 KENWORTH T280

NHTSA has recorded 6 recalls for the 2021 KENWORTH T280, potentially affecting up to 80,968 vehicles.

Recall 24V190000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

| 70,509 vehicles affected

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.

Consequence: 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.

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...

View full details →

Recall 23V661000 — SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

| 254 vehicles affected

Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Kenworth T280, T380, 2020-2024 Peterbilt 548, 536, 2024 Peterbilt 537, and 2020-2024 Kenworth T480 trucks. The timing of the trailer brake release may be delayed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."

Consequence: A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fittings and hoses in the affected valves, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 15, 2024. 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...

View full details →

Recall 23V087000 — SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

| 8,008 vehicles affected

Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Kenworth T280, T380, T480, Peterbilt 536, 537, and 548 vehicles. When the brake pedal is fully applied and then released rapidly, the pedal plunger that connects the brake pedal to the brake valve may become disconnected, causing the service brakes to fail.

Consequence: Service brake failure can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will add a pedal restraint bracket, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2023. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1-425-828-588 and Peterbilt's customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 23KWB and...

View full details →

Recall 22V425000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

| 402 vehicles affected

Defect: PACCAR, Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2022 Kenworth T180, 2021-2023 Kenworth T280, 2022-2023 Kenworth T380, 2022-2023 Peterbilt 536, and 537 vehicles. Internal components of the transmission actuator may slip, causing the actuator to become miscalibrated.

Consequence: A miscalibrated actuator may cause the transmission to shift into an unexpected gear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the transmission actuator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 8, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth); 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's number for this recall is 22KWD and 22PBD.

View full details →

Recall 21V00N000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

| 1,107 vehicles affected

Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Peterbilt 567, 579, 2021-2022 Peterbilt 536, 2017-2021 Kenworth T880, 2016-2022 Kenworth T680, 2018-2020 Kenworth T440, 2020 Kenworth T270, and 2021 Kenworth T280 vehicles. The methane detection system will not function if the system loses power.

Consequence: The operator may be unaware of a system malfunction or the presence of excessive methane levels, increasing the risk of injury or fire.

Remedy: Dealers will re-wire the warning alarm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 1, 2022. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220, and Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWH and 21PBN.

View full details →

Recall 21V601000 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

| 688 vehicles affected

Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Peterbilt 536, 537, 548 and Kenworth T270, T280, T370, T380, T440, T470, and T480 vehicles equipped with Cummins L9 diesel engines. A fuel leak may occur from the fuel hose between the fuel pump and the remote fuel filter head.

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Cummins will replace the fuel hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed in October 2021. Owners may contact PACCAR's customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth) and 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21PBG and...

View full details →

Owner Complaints for the 2021 KENWORTH T280

No complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 KENWORTH T280.

Safety Rating for the 2021 KENWORTH T280

NHTSA has not yet tested the 2021 KENWORTH T280 in its New Car Assessment Program.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 KENWORTH T280

PACCAR Incorporated has issued 2 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 KENWORTH T280. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

24PBE/KWE — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The right-hand shift stalk may have an improper wire harness terminal crimp within the wire harness connector. Loss of communication between the right-hand shift stalk and the vehicle may result in the vehicle being disabled after it comes to a stop, thereby increasing the risk of crash or injury. A...

23KWJ — SERVICE BRAKES, AIR

Safety Recall Interim Notification Certain T280/T380/T480 chassis built with 2.1m Medium Duty End of Frame Trailer Connections may not meet the standard trailer brake release timing requirements by 0.5 seconds. A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash....

NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 KENWORTH T280

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the KENWORTH T280

View all KENWORTH T280 model years →

Other KENWORTH Models

View all KENWORTH models →

Check any vehicle history by VIN - Free vehicle history report