The worst 2017 Kenworth C500 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
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Recalls 4
Service brakes, air: supply: reservoir/tank
- What is wrong
- 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 insufficient volume of air for the brake system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
- Risk
- Insufficient air volume can reduce braking performance and increase the risk of a crash.
- 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 customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888. PACCAR's number for this recall is 24KWD.
Recall number 24V145000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Kenworth C500, T600, T660, T680, T800, T880 and W900 trucks, as well as Peterbilt 367, 386, 389, 567, 579 and 587 trucks, equipped with Cummins ISX15 or X15 diesel engines. In certain driving conditions, such as on a long down-hill grade, the fuel line may burst if the fuel pump cooling circuit screen becomes restricted.
- Risk
- If the fuel line bursts, fuel may leak onto the road resulting in a roadway hazard for other motorists. The engine may also stall without warning, resulting in the vehicle's inability to restart, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Cummins will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect fuel pump cooling circuit screen, free of charge. The recall began November 21, 2018. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 18E081.
Recall number 18V657000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Kenworth C500, T660, T800, and W900 vehicles, equipped with 1.9M ISX15 engines. The engine harnesses may have been manufactured without check engine light (CEL) and stop engine light (SEL) circuits, preventing the driver from being warned of a serious engine problem.
- Risk
- If the driver is not warned of a serious engine problem, the engine may unexpectedly fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will inspect or test the ISX15 engine harness, and install an overlay jumper harness to supply the missing CEL and SEL circuits, free of charge. The recall began November 30, 2018. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1‑918‑259‑3258. PACCAR's number for this recall is 18KWE.
Recall number 18V555000 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: module
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2017 Kenworth C500, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 vehicles manufactured March 9, 2016, to April 26, 2016 and 2017 Peterbilt 320, 365, 367, 389, 567, 579, and 587 vehicles manufactured March 10, 2016, to May 6, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with Cummins ISX12 or ISX15 engines and have an engine control module (ECM) that may short circuit, causing the engine to stall without warning without the ability to restart it.
- Risk
- An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Cummins will notify owners, and Cummins dealers will replace the defective engine control modules, free of charge. The began on July 8, 2016. Owners may contact Cummins customer service at 1‑800‑343‑7357, Kenworth customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5000 or Peterbilt customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4000. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 16KWB (Kenworth) and 616-C (Peterbilt).
Recall number 16V426000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2017 Kenworth C500 23
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Due to supplier constraints, an authorized aftermarket surge tank has been made available.
- "Kenworth: Dealers should check the chassis list and SIR weekly for VIN changes
- The attached procedures document has been updated with more detail and explanations
- Procedure pictures updated for clarity
- Safety recall
- Certain C500/T440/T470/T660/T680/T800/T880/W900 chassis may have air tank reservoirs that do not meet air...
- Certain chassis with Engine Model Year 2016-2021 PACCAR MX-11/MX-13, or EPA13 and EPA21 Cummins...
- Info Only
- Fix-As-Fail – Due to undersupply issues, only a limited supply of Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) sensors are...
- Information Only – Windshield washer pumps have a high No Trouble Found rate
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Questions about the 2017 Kenworth C500
Is the 2017 Kenworth C500 reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 2017 Kenworth C500.
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Kenworth C500?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 2017 Kenworth C500 have?
4 recalls, covering service brakes, air, engine and engine cooling and electrical system.
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