The worst 2000 Kenworth C500 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
Recalls 7
Service brakes, air
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
- 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 date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 03V126000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
- What is wrong
- Heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain arvinmeritor and dana axles. Peterbilt will recall 1,434 vehicles equipped with arvinmeritor axles manufactured from december 11, 1999, to may 14, 2000, and from july 22 to september 30, 2000. Kenworth will recall 859 vehicles equipped with arvinmeritor vehicles manufactured from december 11, 1999, to may 23, 2000, and from july 27, 2000, to september 30, 2000 and kennworth will recall an additional 4,151 vehicles equipped with dana axles and manufactured from june 23 to december 6, 1999, and from may 23 to september 30, 2000. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.
- Risk
- This can lead to premature wear with possible separation of the ball stud from the socket, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove and replace all affected tie rods and drag links with different designed ends. Owner notification began july 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1‑940‑591‑4201 or kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 02V037003 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- On some heavy duty trucks equipped with alcoa fujikura ltd. (afl) power distribution boxes (pd box), the pd boxes were manufactured with insufficient torque applied to the nut of the main power feed-through stud.
- Risk
- Insufficient torque can lead to (1) electrical arcing of the wires inside of the pd box, or (2) an interrupted power supply to the vehicle's electrical system, either of which can lead to a loss of vehicle electrical power and possibly vehicle control without warning.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and tighten the nut on the main power feed-through stud. Owner notification began february 25, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 02V033000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with trw tie rod ends on certain meritor axles. The tie rod and drag link ball stud ends contain bearings that are below the specified case depth and/or hardness.
- Risk
- This can lead to premature wear with possible separation of the ball stud from the socket, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle.
- Remedy
- Dealers will remove and replace all affected tie rods and drag links with different designed ends. Owner notification began october 24, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1‑940‑591‑4000 or kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5000.
Recall number 01V140006 · Recall details
Suspension
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with chalmers 1000 series and 800 series suspension kits. These suspension kits may have insufficient penetration of the weld attaching the torque rod eye to the torque rod tube.
- Risk
- Failure of the weld could result in separation of the eye and tube, causing a lock of axle retention, which could result in loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace all chalmers fixed torque rods on these vehicles. Owner notification began july 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 a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 1‑940‑591‑4000 or kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5000.
Recall number 01V167001 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Failure of the lower sway arm attaching bolts could result in loss of vehicle control.
- 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 a reasonable time should contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5000.
Recall number 01V051000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If a wiring short occurred anywhere along the cab power circuit, the available battery power could arc and cause subsequent damage to the vehicle or a fire.
- 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 remedy within a reasonable time should contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5000.
Recall number 01V021000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2000 Kenworth C500 6
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Information Only – Windshield washer pumps have a high No Trouble Found rate
- Information Only: This bulletin provides dealers with a battery warranty quick reference guide to ensure...
- Information Only: Proper jump-starting voltage will eliminate high voltage related issues and equipment...
- Information Only: This bulletin provides guidance for repairing an air-conditioning system after internal...
- Kenworth trucks: reduced engine power from fuel starvation. any model kenworth equipped with the 2007...
- Technical information bulletin regarding low mileage failure of AG100 sway bar and aluminum torque rod...
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Questions about the 2000 Kenworth C500
Is the 2000 Kenworth C500 reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 2000 Kenworth C500.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Kenworth C500?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 2000 Kenworth C500 have?
7 recalls, covering service brakes, air, steering and electrical system.
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