2018 PETERBILT 579 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
12
Owner Complaints
14
Recalls
4
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 PETERBILT 579
The 2018 PETERBILT 579 has received a total of 12 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 17 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING, STEERING:CRITICAL FASTENERS, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC). 4 technical service bulletins have been issued by PACCAR Incorporated for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (4 complaints), Service Brakes (3 complaints), and Steering (2 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 PETERBILT 579
NHTSA has recorded 17 recalls for the 2018 PETERBILT 579, potentially affecting up to 1,236,941 vehicles.
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 22V277000 — STEERING:CRITICAL FASTENERS
| 17,641 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Kenworth T270, T370, T440, T470, T660, T680, T880, T800, W900, W990; and 2018-2020 Peterbilt 330, 337, 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 567, and 579 vehicles. The Dana D-Series axle steer arm fasteners that attach the steering arm to the steering knuckle may fail.
Consequence: Fastener failure can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace and torque the steer arm fasteners, at no charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2022. 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...
View full details →Recall 20V199000 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
| 460,515 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 20V199000 — SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT
| 460,515 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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...
View full details →Recall 18V368000 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
| 85,626 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks and 2015-2018 Kenworth T660, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks. 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,...
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 July 30, 2018. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-918-259-3258 or Kenworth customer...
View full details →Recall 18V368000 — SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:ABS WARNING LIGHT
| 85,626 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks and 2015-2018 Kenworth T660, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks. 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,...
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 July 30, 2018. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-918-259-3258 or Kenworth customer...
View full details →Recall 20V130000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY:CABLES
| 35,671 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Peterbilt 365, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles equipped with a left-hand under hood jumper terminal (option code 2539410). The positive battery jumper terminal cable may be too long, allowing it to chafe against the left front suspension spring and result in an electrical short circuit.
Consequence: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the battery jumper terminal cables, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 30, 2020. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall...
View full details →Recall 19V657000 — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
| 12 vehicles affected
Defect: Transportation Power, Inc. (TransPower) is recalling certain 2017-2018 electric trucks built on Peterbilt 579 chassis. The vehicles do not have stabilization hardware and software that interacts with the braking system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 136, "Electronic Stability Control Systems on Heavy Vehicles."
Consequence: Without a Electronic Stability Control system, there is a greater chance of loss of stability control, which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: TransPower will notify owners, and dealers will install an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system, free of charge. The recall began September 26, 2019. Owners may contact TransPower customer service at 1-858-248-4255.
View full details →Recall 18V870000 — SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
| 6,857 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2018 Kenworth T680 and T880, and Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks. The seat belt buckle assemblies on these vehicles may have been glued and not sewn during manufacturing, possibly causing the assembly to come apart under load, such as in the event of a crash.
Consequence: If the seat belt buckle assembly separates, it can prevent the occupant from being properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assemblies that were not sewn, free of charge. PACCAR issued owners an interim notification on February 4, 2019. The recall began February 28, 2019. Owners may contact PACCAR...
View full details →Recall 18V931000 — POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
| 25,556 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Peterbilt 337, 348, 365, 367, 389, 567, 579 and 587 trucks and 2018-2019 Kenworth C500, T270, T370, T440, T660, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks equipped with automated manual transmissions. An internal component in the clutch assembly may fail, possibly resulting in unintended vehicle movement.
Consequence: Unintended movement of a vehicle can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will update the transmission control module, free of charge. The recall began February 23, 2019. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 18PBE and 18KWH.
View full details →Recall 18V816000 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING
| 1,619 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Kenworth T680 and T880 and Peterbilt 579 trucks, greater than 30 feet long and equipped with side extender mounted intermediate marker lamp/turn signals that do not include a reflex reflector. Since both intermediate side marker lamps and reflex reflectors are required, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle...
Consequence: Missing reflex reflectors can reduce the vehicle's visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners and dealers will install reflex reflective tape, free of charge. The recall began January 15, 2019. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-918-259-3258. PACCAR's number for this recall is 18KWF, and 18PBC.
View full details →Recall 18V657000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
| 48,896 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Kenworth C500, T600, T660, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks, as well as Peterbilt 367, 386, 389, 567, 579 and 587 trucks, equipped with Cummins ISX15 or X15 diesel engines. In certain driving conditions, such as on a long down-hill grade, the fuel line may burst if the fuel pump cooling circuit screen...
Consequence: If the fuel line bursts, fuel may leak onto the road resulting in a roadway hazard for other motorists. The engine may also stall without warning, resulting in the vehicle's inability to restart, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Cummins will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect fuel pump cooling circuit screen, free of charge. The recall began November 21, 2018. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 18E081.
View full details →Recall 18V092000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
| 1,938 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kenworth T680 and T880 trucks, and Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks, all equipped with an automated Eaton UltraShift Plus or Eaton Advantage Transmission with right hand stalk shifter. The display that indicates which transmission gear the driver selected may display incorrectly. The display can indicate 'N' when the shifter is set into 'D'...
Consequence: A truck that does not move as expected can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will install a transmission software update, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this...
View full details →Recall 18V092000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
| 1,938 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Kenworth T680 and T880 trucks, and Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks, all equipped with an automated Eaton UltraShift Plus or Eaton Advantage Transmission with right hand stalk shifter. The display that indicates which transmission gear the driver selected may display incorrectly. The display can indicate 'N' when the shifter is set into 'D'...
Consequence: A truck that does not move as expected can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will install a transmission software update, free of charge. The recall began on March 9, 2018. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 or Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's numbers for this...
View full details →Recall 17V840000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
| 1,222 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2018 Peterbilt 567, 579, Kenworth T680, and T880 trucks, equipped with certain Eaton Endurant and PACCAR AMT transmissions. The transmission control module (TCM) may allow the engine to crank briefly even if the transmission shifter is not in neutral. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety...
Consequence: If the transmission is not in neutral when the engine begins running, there may be unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will update the TCM software, free of charge. The recall began February 6, 2018. Owners may contact Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000, or Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are...
View full details →Recall 17V443000 — FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
| 1,737 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Peterbilt 367, 389, 567, 579 and 587 trucks, and 2018 Kenworth C500, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks equipped with Cummins ISX 15L engines. These engines have a fuel pump whose drive gear could possibly slip on its drive shaft, causing a fuel pump function loss, resulting in an engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Cummins will notify the vehicle purchaser, and Cummins dealers will replace the fuel pumps, free of charge. The recall began July 1, 2017. Owners may contact Cummins customer service at 1-800-286-6467 or PACCAR customer service at 1-425-468-7400. PACCAR's number for...
View full details →Recall 17V103000 — FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
| 465 vehicles affected
Defect: PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Kenworth K370, T680, T880 and 2017-2018 Peterbilt 567 and 579 trucks. The plastic fuel tee fittings on these trucks may leak fuel.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kenworth and Peterbilt will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect fuel tees, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2017. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5000 and Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4000. PACCAR's numbers...
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 PETERBILT 579
12 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 PETERBILT 579. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
See attached document for complaint.
See attached document for complaint.
This vehicle about 6-8 weeks ago started throwing codes for all systems above (over 100 codes). This issue affected all systems of the vehicle including but not limited to the speed and braking of the vehicle, plus the fuel system and adaptive driving systems. We took it to the dealer Performance Peterbilt in Tifton, GA. They cleared the codes and said they resolved it by replacing a NOX sensor. We left the repair shop and within 50-100 miles the exact same issue started up again. We took it back to the same shop, they worked with Paccar and determined it needed a new ECM (Computer), this was changed out and still did not resolve issue. They then changed out the main wire harness. This resolved some issues but not all issues. Now the repair dealer is stating it needs a dash wire harness. This vehicle has relatively low miles 500K and has only been serviced by Peterbilt dealers through it's life. This issue causes the vehicle to accelerate and brake randomly plus many other issues by stopping power in hauling. We have another IDENTICAL vehicle which is now doing the same thing but have not brought it into the shop yet until manufacturer can get this 1st truck fixed properly to ensure safety.
This vehicle about 6-8 weeks ago started throwing codes for all systems above (over 100 codes). This issue affected all systems of the vehicle including but not limited to the speed and braking of the vehicle, plus the fuel system and adaptive driving systems. We took it to the dealer Performance Peterbilt in Tifton, GA. They cleared the codes and said they resolved it by replacing a NOX sensor. We left the repair shop and within 50-100 miles the exact same issue started up again. We took it back to the same shop, they worked with Paccar and determined it needed a new ECM (Computer), this was changed out and still did not resolve issue. They then changed out the main wire harness. This resolved some issues but not all issues. Now the repair dealer is stating it needs a dash wire harness. This vehicle has relatively low miles 500K and has only been serviced by Peterbilt dealers through it's life. This issue causes the vehicle to accelerate and brake randomly plus many other issues by stopping power in hauling. We have another IDENTICAL vehicle which is now doing the same thing but have not brought it into the shop yet until manufacturer can get this 1st truck fixed properly to ensure safety.
This vehicle about 6-8 weeks ago started throwing codes for all systems above (over 100 codes). This issue affected all systems of the vehicle including but not limited to the speed and braking of the vehicle, plus the fuel system and adaptive driving systems. We took it to the dealer Performance Peterbilt in Tifton, GA. They cleared the codes and said they resolved it by replacing a NOX sensor. We left the repair shop and within 50-100 miles the exact same issue started up again. We took it back to the same shop, they worked with Paccar and determined it needed a new ECM (Computer), this was changed out and still did not resolve issue. They then changed out the main wire harness. This resolved some issues but not all issues. Now the repair dealer is stating it needs a dash wire harness. This vehicle has relatively low miles 500K and has only been serviced by Peterbilt dealers through it's life. This issue causes the vehicle to accelerate and brake randomly plus many other issues by stopping power in hauling. We have another IDENTICAL vehicle which is now doing the same thing but have not brought it into the shop yet until manufacturer can get this 1st truck fixed properly to ensure safety.
Safety Rating for the 2018 PETERBILT 579
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2018 PETERBILT 579 in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 PETERBILT 579
PACCAR Incorporated has issued 4 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 PETERBILT 579. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
45-066 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
A testing procedure has been created for the coolant level sensor on model 520.
E298 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)
Certain Engine Model Year 2018 PACCAR MX-11 engines must have the crankcase pressure sensor replaced due to contamination during assembly.
20PBA — EQUIPMENT
"Safety Recall: NHTSA recall number is 20V130. A defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, may exist in certain Model 365, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles manufactured between April 18, 2014 and March 09, 2020 with a left-hand under hood jumper start terminal. Jumper terminal battery cables may be too...
02-152 — STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Fix as Fail: Certain model 579 trucks manufactured between September 5, 2014 and May 25, 2018 may have a faux door panel on the fairing with an insufficient weld that could result in the panel loosening. Resolution is to replace the applicable door panel upon failure.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 PETERBILT 579
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the PETERBILT 579
- 2013 PETERBILT 579 — 1 complaint
- 2014 PETERBILT 579 — 5 complaints
- 2015 PETERBILT 579 — 6 complaints
- 2016 PETERBILT 579 — 4 complaints
- 2017 PETERBILT 579 — 2 complaints
- 2018 PETERBILT 579 (current)
- 2019 PETERBILT 579 — 4 complaints
- 2020 PETERBILT 579 — 4 complaints
- 2021 PETERBILT 579 — 1 complaint
- 2022 PETERBILT 579 — 6 complaints
- 2023 PETERBILT 579 — 3 complaints
Other PETERBILT Models
- PETERBILT 379 — 76 total complaints
- PETERBILT PETERBILT — 40 total complaints
- PETERBILT 388 — 36 total complaints
- PETERBILT 389 — 34 total complaints
- PETERBILT 357 — 19 total complaints
- PETERBILT 386 — 14 total complaints
- PETERBILT 387 — 14 total complaints
- PETERBILT 567 — 11 total complaints