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2021 Peterbilt 536 Recalls, Complaints & Specs

6 safety recalls list the 2021 Peterbilt 536. Check your own VIN below.

6
safety recalls
0
owner complaints to NHTSA

6 safety recalls for the 2021 Peterbilt 536

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

  1. Column shift (power train)

    NHTSA 24V190000 Reported 70,509 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    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.

    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…

  2. Service brakes, air

    NHTSA 23V661000 Reported 254 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    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,…

    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…

  3. Service brakes, air

    NHTSA 23V087000 Reported 8,008 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    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.

    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…

  4. Electrical system: wiring

    NHTSA 21V00N000 Reported 1,107 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    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.

    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…

  5. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)

    NHTSA 21V601000 Reported 688 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    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.

    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…

  6. Software (engine and engine cooling) and engine

    NHTSA 21V181000 Reported 1 vehicles potentially affected PACCAR Incorporated

    PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling one 2021 Peterbilt 536 vehicle equipped with a Cummins Westport Inc. B6.7N engine that has certain engine control module calibrations. The engine control module software may be calibrated incorrectly, causing the engine to not limit engine speed or torque as intended for certain safety-related…

    Remedy: PACCAR owns the vehicle affected, and it was repaired as of March 3, 2021. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 21PBC.

No owner complaints on file

NHTSA has no owner complaints on file for the 2021 Peterbilt 536. 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 Peterbilt 536 model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Peterbilt 536 model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
2020 Peterbilt 53610
2021 Peterbilt 53660
2022 Peterbilt 53690
2023 Peterbilt 536100
2024 Peterbilt 536110
2025 Peterbilt 53670
2026 Peterbilt 53620
2027 Peterbilt 53610

Checking a specific 2021 Peterbilt 536

How do I know if my 2021 Peterbilt 536 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 2021 Peterbilt 536; 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 Peterbilt dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 21V00N000).

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 Peterbilt 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.