The worst 2008 Peterbilt 320 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 8
Exterior lighting: tail lights
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 1990-2020 Peterbilt 320 and 520 vehicles built with specific amber rear turn signals. The turn signals may also light up with the stop/tail lights when the brakes are applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- Rear Turn signals that illuminate at the same time as the brake lights may create confusion and impair the effectiveness of the brake lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- PACCAR will notify owners, and for trucks with rear amber lights, dealers will add a jumper harness between the chassis electrical harness and amber tail lights, free of charge. The recall began August 1, 2019. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220. PACCAR's number for this recall is 19PBC.
Recall number 19V452000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2010-2016 Kenworth T440, T800, and W900 trucks manufactured August 31, 2009, to April 20, 2015, and 2008-2015 Peterbilt 320, 337, 348, 365, 382, and 384 trucks manufactured July 27, 2007, to April 28, 2015, and equipped with certain Cummins Westport ISL G engines. Excessive engine crankcase pressures may cause the 90-degree elbow of the vent tube assembly to detach from the crankcase ventilation breather, possibly allowing engine oil to come into contact with hot surfaces.
- Risk
- If engine oil comes into contact with a hot surface, there is an increased risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Cummins will notify owners on behalf of PACCAR, and Cummins service centers will administer the repairs which include securing the ends of the 90-degree elbow and reprogramming the electronic control module (ECM) with software that can adjust the engine output under misfire conditions to limit crankcase pressures. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on June 12, 2015. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5000, Peterbilt customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4000 or Cummins Inc. at 1‑800‑343‑7357. PACCAR's number for this recall is 15KWH and 515-G.
Recall number 15V309000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: diesel
- What is wrong
- Paccar is recalling 60 my 2008-2009 320 trucks equipped with caterpillar c13 diesel engines. The extension pipes attached to the aftertreatment regeneration device (ard) may develop a hole, and heat and flame may escape during a regeneration of the diesel particulate filter.
- Risk
- This may result in a fire hazard.
- Remedy
- Paccar is working with caterpillar to repair this vehicle (please see 08e054). Owners may contact caterpillar at 1‑800‑447‑4986 or peterbilt at 940‑591‑4196.
Recall number 08V510000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: supply: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks equipped with eaton synflex eclipse brand extruded nylon air brake hose tubing fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 106, "brake hoses." the tubing was manufactured with only four layers of nylon material, instead of the specified five layers.
- Risk
- The diameter of the hose affects the fittings which may allow air to leak from the brakes and create the potential for a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the air brake hoses and, if necessary, replace the hoses. The recall began on february 22, 2008. Owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact kenworth at 1‑425‑828‑5440 or peterbilt at 1‑940‑591‑4196.
Recall number 08V002000 · Recall details
Steering: gear box: shaft sector
- What is wrong
- On certain kenworth and peterbilt heavy duty trucks equipped with tas-85 trw steering gears, the inner surface of the outer sector shaft teeth of the steering gears may have an incorrect involute profile, which may lead to chipping and damage of the gearing system.
- Risk
- This type of damage may cause a "bind/stick" condition in the vehicle steering during a turn increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will repair and replace any suspect tas-85 steering gear assembly free of charge. The recall began on january 9, 2008. Owners may contact kenworth at 425‑828‑5440 and peterbilt at 940‑591‑4201.
Recall number 07V591000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks built with cummins ism c876 engines, the electronic control module fails to recognize inputs of the vehicle electronic control unit or from a driver actuated dash switch thereby increasing the risk of unintended (or unexpected) elevated exhaust temperatures.
- Risk
- While this condition does not involve a risk of fire in the vehicle itself, it could present a fire hazard in a situation where the vehicle's exhaust is in close proximity to materials or substances that can melt, burn, or explode.
- Remedy
- Cummins, in conjunction with paccar, will conduct the remedy campaign. Cummis will install new ECM software. Owners can contact cummins at 1‑800‑343‑7357, peterbilt at 940‑591‑4201 or kenworth at 425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 07V287000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- Certain trucks equipped with bendix sr-7 spring brake modulating valves. The internal rubber check valve may leak causing a delay in the application of the spring brakes to park the vehicle after the operator pulls the dash valve button.
- Risk
- This could delay or failure in applying the parking brakes potentially resulting in a vehicle roll away.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a check valve repair kit for the affected sr-7 spring brake modulating valve free of charge. The recall began on august 22, 2007. Owners may contact peterbilt at 940‑591‑4201.
Recall number 07V276000 · Recall details
Power train: axle assembly
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks, the axle housings may have been manufactured with steel that was out of specification which could result in a fatigue failure over time.
- Risk
- If a fatigue failure occurs and is left unattended, the axle may lock up or the end of the axle could come off, which may result in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the axles free of charge. The recall began on may 9, 2007. Owners may contact kenworth at 425‑828‑5440 and peterbilt at 1‑940‑591‑4196.
Recall number 07V132000 · Recall details
See all 8 recalls for the 2008 Peterbilt 320
Defect investigations
Driveshaft separates from tractor
SummaryOn July 13, 2010, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened an investigation on model year (MY) 2007-2009 Peterbilt tractors equipped with the (SPL170XL extended lube inter-axle driveline).ODI opened this investigation based on one Vehicle Owners Questionnaire (VOQ) and certain Peterbilt field reports.During the course of the investigation, ODI reviewed PACCAR's IR (October 22, 2010) response with associated data related to Warranty and complaint information, mined field data, interviewed customers and visited local dealers within the Washington Metropolitan area.PACCARconducted testing regarding torsional loading and identified various causative factors contributed to this safety defect finding.The Defect is a consequence of the bearing surfaces of the SPL170XL extended lube universal joint that attaches the inter-axle driveline to the drive axle becoming prematurely worn due to a breakdown of lubrication and/or excessive heat.Prematurely worn bearing surfaces may result in the u-joint becoming loose and/or binding.This condition may result in universal joint failure, allowing the inter-axle driveline to detach from the axle, which may cause the drive shaft to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of personal injury or property damage hazard.ODI learned that the affected population of the alleged defect extended to peer models within PACCAR.In summary, the following vehicles are being recalled: MY 2007 and 2008 Kenworth trucks, models T600, T660, T2000, T800 and W900 and MY 2007/2008 Peterbilt trucks, models357, 378, 379, 385, 386, 387, 388, and 389 allequipped with extended lube inter-axle drivelines manufactured by Dana Corporation.The recall affects vehicles manufactured between February 2, 2006 and April 30, 2007.At this time PACCAR has not yet identified a fix for the inner-axle safety defect and is currently conducting testing with the intent to provide a solution to the failure.ODI will monitor the development of PACCARS testing and ensure a timely repair for the consumer.This investigation is closed.
PE10029
Horton Fan Hub Failures
PACCAR is conducting an Owner Notification Program (ONP) for select vehicles within the subject and peer populations.The ONP are attached to the closing report and can be found in the federal safety agency Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) database. (TSB: 10033585, 10033584)See Closing report for investigation details.
EA09008
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Peterbilt 320 21
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- "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
- Fix as Fail: For all conventional models, except 387/587, equipped with Side-of-Cab (“SOC”) exhaust and...
- Information Only: This bulletin provides dealers with a battery warranty quick reference guide to ensure...
- Information only: Hendrickson Softek front axle maintenance intervals and requirements.
- Information Only: Proper jump-starting voltage will eliminate high voltage related issues and equipment...
- Information Only – Vehicles may have the connector seals on the wheel speed sensor incorrectly installed,...
- Information Only: Vehicles may have the connector seal on the wheel speed sensor incorrectly installed,...
- Information only: Some model 320 and 520 vehicles built before 3/11/2019 may experience loss or loosening...
- Information Only: This bulletin provides guidance for repairing an air-conditioning system after internal...
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Questions about the 2008 Peterbilt 320
Is the 2008 Peterbilt 320 reliable?
Owners have filed 0 complaints about the 2008 Peterbilt 320.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Peterbilt 320?
There are not enough complaints to tell.
How many recalls does the 2008 Peterbilt 320 have?
8 recalls, covering exterior lighting, engine and engine cooling and service brakes, air.
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