2001 Kenworth T800 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

10 safety recalls list the 2001 Kenworth T800, and owners have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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10 safety recalls for the 2001 Kenworth T800

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

1. Unknown or other

   NHTSA 03V234000 Reported July 1, 2003 84 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

   On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with vertical tail pipes, the frame access grabhandle is mounted too high.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the grabhandle location and if determined to be mounted too high, the handle will be relocated to the proper height. Owner notification began july 29, 2003. Owners should contact kenworth at…

2. Fifth wheel assembly (trailer hitches)

   NHTSA 03V168000 Reported May 5, 2003 483 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

   On certain trucks equipped with jost international jsk 37u series fifth wheels, a fatigue crack can develop in the bracket pin weld under certain loading conditions.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the bracket pins and repair instructions free of charge. Peterbilt's owner notification began june 20, 2003. Kenworth's owner notification began june 12, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an…

3. Hub (suspension)

   NHTSA 03V125000 Reported April 1, 2003 154 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

   On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace all front axle hubs. Notification began july 16, 2003. The manufacturer has advised us that parts will not be available until september 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer…

4. Service brakes, air

   NHTSA 03V126000 Reported March 31, 2003 45 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR INCORPORATED

   Certain trucks equipped with meritor p 18x7 brakes with 36" brake chambers fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 121, "air brake systems." these trucks were manufactured with a combined air reservoir volume less than 12 times the combined volume of all service brake chambers.

   Remedy: Dealers will add an additional tank or change one of the existing air tanks to a larger size. Owner notification began on may 5, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service…

5. Suspension: rear

   NHTSA 02V061001 Reported February 27, 2002 116 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR, INCORPORATED

   On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with replacement dana spicer tandem drive axle models ds463 and ds521, installed on vehicles from may 1, 2001 through february 1, 2002, an undersized attachment weld may fracture without warning.

   Remedy: Dana is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. The dealers will remove the suspect bracket, inspect the axle housing, and reweld the bracket to the axle housing. Owners who take their vehicles…

6. Universal joint (power train)

   NHTSA 01V335000 Reported October 25, 2001 237 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR, INCORPORATED

   Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. The driveline u-joint fasteners at the output yoke of the transmission were improperly tightened.

   Remedy: Dealers will tighten the driveline fasteners to the proper specification. Owner notification began november 26, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not…

7. Defroster/defogger/hvac system (visibility)

   NHTSA 01V305000 Reported September 26, 2001 2,670 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR, INCORPORATED

   Vehicle description: certain heavy duty trucks fail to comply with the requirements of FMVSS no. 103, "windshield defrosting and defogging systems." the mode door in an HVAC system can become inoperable. The mode door cam and actuator could bind, causing the cam retaining tabs to shear off.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the mode door operation and replace the HVAC cab mode housing assembly if necessary. Owner notification began november 7, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed…

8. Labels (equipment)

   NHTSA 01V142000 Reported April 24, 2001 14 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR, INCORPORATED

   Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with meritor fg941 steer axles. The gross axle weight rating (gawr) was determined incorrectly and over-stated on the vehicle certification label. With the incorrect gawr listed, these labels do not meet the certification requirements of part 567, "requirements for manufacturers of motor…

   Remedy: Vehicles will be remedied either by assigning the proper weight rating or, if possible, by changing the necessary components to meet the currently assigned weight rating. Owner notification began june 22, 2001. Owners…

9. Suspension: lower arm

   NHTSA 01V051000 Reported February 20, 2001 209 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR, INCORPORATED

   Vehicle description: vehicles equipped with 54" rear axle spacing configuration of the airglide 200 suspension with the service application identified as logger, dump truck, or tanker. The rear suspension is regularly subjected to extreme articulation, resulting in flexing of the joint.

   Remedy: Dealers will replace the lower sway arm brackets. Owner notification began march 27, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within…

10. Fuses and circuit breakers (electrical system)

    NHTSA 01V021000 Reported February 5, 2001 1,992 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR, INCORPORATED

    Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with an optional firewall-mounted circuit breaker. The main cab power and battery power leads were attached incorrectly. This condition can result in the main cab power being unprotected.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and correct the problem, as needed. Owner notification began february 26, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…

1 owner complaint filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2001 Kenworth T800 have filed 1 complaint with NHTSA. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 421,244 miles. Complaints peaked in 2014 with 1 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Service brakes1

What owners are reporting

“We have 10 kenworth trucks and the left front mudflap is designed without any protection to stop it from rubbing on the air tanks which are placed directly behind the mudflap. After time the mudflaps”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 9, 2014 · Service brakes

Compare Kenworth T800 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Kenworth T800 model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 2001 Kenworth T800

Other Kenworth models

• T68077 complaints
• T200038 complaints
• W90032 complaints
• Kenworth23 complaints
• T60016 complaints
• Conventional10 complaints
• T88010 complaints
• T3007 complaints

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.