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2022 Peterbilt 389 Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2022 Peterbilt 389 with NHTSA, most often about the brakes (1) and the electrical system (1). It is covered by 7 recalls, the latest in December 2024 for the control unit / module. For comparison, the 2021 has 1 and the 2023 has 0.

NHTSA data checked

DMore problems than a typical 389 year, for its age

#256 most complained-about 2022 vehicle

Complaints
4
Recalls
7
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
0

Most common 2022 Peterbilt 389 problems

Share of all 4 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2022 Peterbilt 389 recalls 7

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Service brakes: control unit / module

24V915000220,764 vehicles affected

The problem
PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Peterbilt and Kenworth vehicles, equipped with Bendix EC80 Advanced Electronic Control Units (ECU). Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. Electrical noise and low signal to the power line carrier may cause the ECU to incorrectly process commands or stop functioning.
The risk
Safety systems that depend on the ECU (Automatic Traction Control, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Active Cruise Control, and Collison Mitigation System) may not function properly or at all, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2025. 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 are 24KWL and 24PBL.

Power train: column shift

24V19000070,509 vehicles affected

The problem
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.
The risk
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.
The fix
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 numbers for this recall are 24PBE and 24KWE.

Electrical system: instrument cluster / panel

22V77900074,730 vehicles affected

The problem
PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Kenworth T680, T880, W990, and Peterbilt 365, 367, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles. The digital display may freeze and not display critical safety information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 102, "Trans Shift Lever Seq/Starter Interlock/Trans Braking Effect."
The risk
The loss of display information, such as vehicle speed and warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 16, 2022. 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 are 22KWK and 22PBK.

Steering

22V54700047,500 vehicles affected

The problem
PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Kenworth T170, T270, T280, T370, T380, T440, T470, T480, T680, T800, T880, W900, W990, C500, and 2022-2023 Peterbilt 325, 330, 337, 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 536, 537, 548, 567, and 579 vehicles. The steering gears may have been assembled incorrectly, which can cause the gears to fracture.
The risk
A fractured steering gear can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will inspect the steering gear serial numbers, and replace the steering gears as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 26, 2022. 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 are 22PBE and 22KWE.

Service brakes

21V906000908 vehicles affected

The problem
PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Kenworth T880, W990, Peterbilt 567, 579, 389, and 2022 Peterbilt 536, 537 wrecker and auto hauler vehicles. The work brake (winch brake) may unintentionally disengage the service brakes during winching operations, causing the vehicle to roll.
The risk
Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix
Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 3, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth); or 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWG and 21PBM.

Service brakes: hoses, lines / piping, and fittings

21V648000163 vehicles affected

The problem
PACCAR, Inc. (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Peterbilt 367, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles. The cross member mounted Hill Start Assist valve assembly may have insufficient clearance to the rear axle, causing damage to the rear brake hose and loss of the rear brake signal.
The risk
If loss of the rear brake signal occurs, the vehicle could experience reduced rear braking capability or loss of brakes to the rear axle(s), increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
Dealers will inspect for clearance and re-work the assembly to conform with an updated design, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 24, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 11, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR's customer service at 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's number for this recall is 21PBJ.

Engine

21V080000132 vehicles affected

The problem
PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Kenworth T680, T880, W990, T800, W900 and Peterbilt 579, 567, 389, 367 vehicles equipped with a Cummins X15 engine. The capscrews that attach the flywheel to the crankshaft may have been improperly torqued, allowing the flywheel to detach.
The risk
A detached flywheel can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, driveline pieces may be ejected from the engine compartment, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix
PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will properly torque the capscrews and the engine will also be inspected for damage and, if necessary, repaired, free of charge. The recall began on March 29, 2021. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1-425-828-5888 (Kenworth) or 1-940-591-4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWA and 21PBB.

What owners say

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4 complaints about the 2022 Peterbilt 389

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.

Brakes

OEM pressed-on cast iron/stamped rings fail prematurely due to regional rust jacking, disabling the vehicle's ABS. Explicitly mention that the current design creates a systemic safety risk in cold-weather states and that a recall mandating corrosion-resistant materials (like stainless steel) is required. This cost thousands of dollars to repair and only lasts 2-3 years. Almost everyone I know with these trucks have experienced this problem. Peterbilt is highly aware of the situation, but they refuse rectify it because it only affects cold weather states.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11759348
Wheels & tires

The contact owns a 2022 Peterbilt 389 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Marathon LHS, Tire Size: 11R22.5, DOT Number: 1MY3TTYBW0324. The tires had been replaced prior to the failure. While driving, the driver's side front tires had a blowout. The local dealer was contacted, where it was diagnosed that the tread had separated. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and declined the claim. The manufacturer stated that the tires were either underinflated or overinflated. The tires were sent...

Read the full complaint

for X-ray. The contact stated that the vehicle carried propane fuel, and the air pressure was set at 110. The tire failure mileage was 37,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 439 087.

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 11690581
Electrical systemAcceleration & cruise control

Digital dash/display and the whole cluster freezes while driving. The recall 22v-779 update was done on the truck 4 weeks ago and it still have the same issue.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11515741
SteeringSuspension

Whenever the truck goes over mildly rough road the steering wheel shakes and the tires follow the ruts of the road . When this happens steering wheel jerks out of hand and have to be overcorrected to keep in lane . With the shaking of steering wheel the steering wheel itself came loose one time and was repaired by peterbilt by applying locktite to the bolt.truck have been to peterbilt dealership 4 time and the problem still persists. According to them its normal for a class 8 truck to do this. This is a big safety...

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issue as the truck can loose control really easily Truck was brought brand new and the issue showed up at 10,000 miles. I have video of the issue that i can share which was recorded after peterbilt failed to repair it 4 times and called it a normal steering of a class 8 truck.

Filed Incident Steering · SuspensionNHTSA 11512083

Peterbilt 389: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
20250200-C
20242500BrakesF
20230600-D
20224700BrakesD
20211600Electrical systemC
20200500-C
20193600Body, doors & structureC
20180600-C
All 389 years

2022 Peterbilt 389 vs rivals

VehicleComplaintsRecallsCrashesGrade
2022 Peterbilt 389470D
2022 Peterbilt 5797150FCompare
2022 Peterbilt 5672100DCompare

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2022 Peterbilt 389

Does the 2022 Peterbilt 389 have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2022 Peterbilt 389: control unit / module (December 2024); column shift (March 2024); instrument cluster / panel (October 2022); steering (July 2022) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2022 Peterbilt 389?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the brakes (1), electrical system (1), steering (1).

How many complaints has the 2022 Peterbilt 389 had?

4 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 15, 2023 and the latest on August 25, 2026. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.

Is the 2022 Peterbilt 389 a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 25 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Peterbilt 389 year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Peterbilt 389 years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2022 Peterbilt 389 has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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