While driving at night the headlights shut off without warning. This forced the driver to pull off the road, because lack of visibility. Consumer contacted the dealership, and mechanic determined headlight wiring melted.
The worst 2003 Kenworth T800 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Lights1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Lights1
Recalls 7
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks, the wiring, parts, or transmission programming required for the auto neutral feature to function as designed were either not installed, connected, or programmed properly.
- Risk
- If any of these conditions exists, the transmission will not automatically shift into neutral when left in drive with the parking brake set engaged. The vehicle could move without warning increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the affected vehicles to ensure the auto neutral feature functions properly and, if needed, will make the necessary repairs free of charge. The recall began on may 9, 2007. Owners may contact kenworth at 425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 07V107000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks equipped with eaton fuller ultrasonic transmissions fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock and transmission braking effect." the cab transmission harness could have been incorrectly wired during production installation.
- Risk
- This could cause the neutral start feature of the transmission to disable allowing the vehicle to start in gear increasing the potential for a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will repair the connections in the wiring harness if necessary. Owner notification began on may 7, 2004. Owners should contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 04V174000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- On certain heavy duty trucks, the main cab wiring harness was incorrectly connected to the 50 amp circuit breaker instead of the 135 amp breaker.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the vehicles and the wiring will be corrected if necessary. Owner notification began september 16, 2003. Owners should contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 03V285000 · Recall details
Unknown or other
- What is wrong
- On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with vertical tail pipes, the frame access grabhandle is mounted too high.
- Risk
- This condition could cause a person to slip and/or fall and could lead to personal injury.
- 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 1‑425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 03V234000 · Recall details
Trailer hitches: fifth wheel assembly
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If left undetected or corrected it could lead to the separation of the fifth wheel top plate from its mounting structure, possibly resulting in a crash.
- 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 authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 940‑591‑4201 or kenworth 425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 03V168000 · Recall details
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
Exterior lighting
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks equipped with trailer connections fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standards (fmvss) no. 121, "air brake systems," and no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the supplier removed a rubber grommet from the trailer light line connector. The vehicles are experiencing corrosion at the 7-way trailer connection. This causes intermittent flashing/flickering of the trailer lights.
- Risk
- This could cause an electrical short and/or possible fire hazard.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install the missing grommet on all affected chassis. If a connector is found defective, it will be replaced with a new connector. Owner notification is began on march 14, 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 03V045000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Kenworth T800 14
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Updated the warranty section for PRWS compatibility.
- 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
- Information Only – Windshield washer pumps have a high No Trouble Found rate
- This SKU is a Climate Control Module
- Information Only:
- Information Only: Proper jump-starting voltage will eliminate high voltage related issues and equipment...
- Information Only:
- Kenworth: some trucks failed to meet company standards for air volume lift axle and the company will...
- Kenworth: oil collection at cac intake pipe is caused by an imbalance in turbocharger pressures
What 2003 Kenworth T800 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Compare the 2003 Kenworth T800
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Questions about the 2003 Kenworth T800
Is the 2003 Kenworth T800 reliable?
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2003 Kenworth T800, close to a typical T800 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Kenworth T800?
Lights, with 1 complaint.
How many recalls does the 2003 Kenworth T800 have?
7 recalls, covering power train, electrical system and unknown or other.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Kenworth T800 lights?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V045000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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