RecallMyCar

2011 Kenworth C500 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

6 safety recalls list the 2011 Kenworth C500. Check your own VIN below.

6
safety recalls
0
owner complaints to NHTSA

6 safety recalls for the 2011 Kenworth C500

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Reservoir/tank (service brakes)

    NHTSA 24V145000 Reported 936 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2009-2021 Kenworth C500, 2012-2021 Kenworth T440, 2009-2015 Kenworth T660, 2015-2024 Kenworth T680, 2009-2024 Kenworth T800, 2009-2020 Kenworth T370, 2014-2023 Kenworth T880, 2011-2016 Kenworth T470, 2023 Kenworth T480, and 2009-2019 Kenworth W900 vehicles. The air tanks have an…

    Remedy: Dealers will install the correct volume air tanks, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 12, 2024. Additional owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2025. Owners may contact PACCAR…

  2. Motor (visibility)

    NHTSA 15V271000 Reported 104,807 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Kenworth T270, T370, T440, T470, C500, C540, C550, T660, T800, W900, and 963 trucks manufactured November 1, 2010, to April 6, 2015. In the affected trucks, water may leak into the wiper motor.

    Remedy: PACCAR is still developing and testing a remedy. The recall is expected to begin in July 2015. An interim letter was sent to owners on July 2, 2015. The recall began on September 2, 1015. Owners may contact Kenworth…

  3. Engine and engine cooling

    NHTSA 11V203000 Reported 5,831 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

    Paccar is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 kenworth c500, t2000, t600, and t660, as well as model year 2009-2011 peterbilt 387 and 388 trucks equipped with caterpillar c15 engine and manufactured from may 11, 2006, through september 17, 2010. Degradation of a combustion tube weld can cause radial heat impingement on the body which…

    Remedy: Caterpillar is handling the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Please see caterpillar's defect report 11e-006. Caterpillar will replace the single piece combustion tube with a thick wall combustion tube…

  4. Slack adjusters (service brakes)

    NHTSA 11V157000 Reported 280 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

    Paccar is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 kenworth t270/370, t440/t470, t800, t660, w900 and c500 vehicles manufactured between october 18, 2010, and january 28, 2011. Certain cast iron slack adjuster housings, which transmit braking force from the brake chamber push rod to the brake cam tube, may include a flow notch in the…

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the slack adjuster housing as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on march 30, 2011. Owners may contact kenworth at 425-828-5440.

  5. Exterior lighting

    NHTSA 10V452000 Reported 3,040 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

    Kenworth is recalling certain model year 2011 t660, t800, w900, c500, t440, and t470 vehicles manufactured from april 1, 2009, through august 30, 2010. One of the four harness spade terminal connections to the chassis load center may become completely unseated. A completely unseated connection may result in a power loss to a portion of…

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the harness and re-seating the female connectors on the male spade terminals. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 29, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth…

  6. Chamber (service brakes) and hood (structure)

    NHTSA 10V212000 Reported 10 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

    Kenworth is recalling certain model year 2009 through 2011 c500 trucks manufactured from october 24, 2008 through january 13, 2010. During maneuvers with certain combinations of wheel turn, articulation, and bump, the brake chamber can contact the rear hood support.

    Remedy: Kenworth will notify owners and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on june 8, 2010. Owners may contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440.

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 2011 Kenworth C500. For context, the average model year in NHTSA's database has dozens; a zero can mean a reliable vehicle, a rare one, or both.

Compare Kenworth C500 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Kenworth C500 model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1975 Kenworth C50020
1976 Kenworth C50020
1977 Kenworth C50020
1978 Kenworth C50020
1979 Kenworth C50010
1980 Kenworth C50010
1981 Kenworth C50010
1989 Kenworth C50010
1990 Kenworth C50010
1991 Kenworth C50030
1992 Kenworth C50010
1993 Kenworth C50010
1994 Kenworth C50010
1995 Kenworth C50010
1996 Kenworth C50040
1997 Kenworth C50030
1998 Kenworth C50030
1999 Kenworth C50071
2000 Kenworth C50070
2001 Kenworth C50040
2002 Kenworth C50020
2003 Kenworth C50030
2004 Kenworth C50040
2005 Kenworth C50050
2006 Kenworth C50051
2007 Kenworth C50061
2008 Kenworth C50090
2009 Kenworth C50050
2010 Kenworth C50041
2011 Kenworth C50060
2012 Kenworth C50031
2013 Kenworth C50020
2014 Kenworth C50040
2015 Kenworth C50030
2016 Kenworth C50030
2017 Kenworth C50040
2018 Kenworth C50050
2019 Kenworth C50040
2020 Kenworth C50010
2021 Kenworth C50010
2022 Kenworth C50010
2023 Kenworth C50010
2025 Kenworth C50010

Checking a specific 2011 Kenworth C500

How do I know if my 2011 Kenworth C500 has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2011 Kenworth C500; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Kenworth dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 10V212000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Kenworth models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.