The crankshaft broke when slowing for a scale house, leaving the truck disabled. The truck was towed to a shop. The cluch and transmission input shaft had to be replaced.
The worst 1999 Peterbilt 379 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine2
- Fuel system2
- Steering1
- Transmission1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine2
- Fuel system2
- Steering1
- Transmission1
Recalls 6
Suspension: front: hub
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
- Risk
- Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace all front axle hubs. Notification began july 16, 2003. The manufacturer has advised us that parts will not be available until september 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy with a reasonable time should contact peterbilt at 940‑591‑4201 or kenworth 425‑828‑5440.
Recall number 03V125000 · 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
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
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks. A change in the internal linkage of certain cab doors has created a possible binding condition.
- Risk
- If the linkage binds, full engagement of the door latch may not occur, allowing the door to open inadvertently.
- Remedy
- Dealers will modify the door linkage to correct the potential of binding. Owner notification began june 22, 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.
Recall number 01V179000 · Recall details
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with tie rod assemblies manufactured by trw. The suspect tie rods contain 24-dl model ball sockets. Certain of the tie rod ball-socket bearings have a below-specification case depth and/or hardness, which can lead to premature wear of the socket.
- Risk
- If this condition occurs, the driver can lose partial control of the right front wheel, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the defective ball sockets and/or drag links. Owner notification began on april 10, 2001, to kenworth owners and on april 25, 2001, to peterbilt owners. 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, peterbilt at 1‑940‑591‑4000 or trw customer service at 1‑866‑280‑3287.
Recall number 01V044005 · Recall details
Electrical system: ignition: module
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with caterpillar engines and eaton autoshift transmissions. The engines can stall because of software problems.
- Risk
- Increased steering effort can occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update these engines with software changes. Caterpillar is conducting the owner notification and remedy of this recall.
Recall number 99V181001 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Peterbilt 379 10
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: Hendrickson Softek front axle maintenance intervals and requirements.
- 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...
- Information Only
- Information Only: Proper instructions for closure of power distribution box cover to prevent corrosion.
- Information: Bendix ACOM Software version 6.16.5.0 for diagnostics may introduce an unrecoverable error
- Information
- Air disc brakes for model 379-FAMILY vehicles. peterbilt. tt
What 1999 Peterbilt 379 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Vehicle fire ignited in engine compartment.*mr while driving the driver noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. The driver pulled the vehicle over and drifted about 1/2 mile with the engine off. The consumer exited the vehicle and saw flames under the engine area. The driver retrieved a fire extinguished and attempted to put out the fire but was unsuccessful. The cab of the semi sustained heavy fire, smoke and water damage. *ph
Fault in fuel line equalizing and if you fill your fuel tanks the fuel ends up returning into one tank and the tank over flows. This causes two problems the first is creating an environmental hazard the second is a safty problem making the roadway slippery worst than driving on ice.
I own a 1999 peterbilt 379 with less than 700,000 miles. Today I had to replace a fuel tank strap that broke. Based on the age of the truck, it appears to me that it is a little premature to be replacing a strap, especially on something as critical as a fuel tank. I have also read there is a problem with the steering linkage, however I have never received any recall notice from peterbilt or anyone else. What do I need to look for to see if it applies to my truck?
There is an inch of dead play in the steering wheel. Consumer has to turn the steering wheel an ich one way to get it to start turning in the opposite direction. This causes no control of the vehicle when driving at high speed. The dealer has been contacted.
Compare the 1999 Peterbilt 379
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Questions about the 1999 Peterbilt 379
Is the 1999 Peterbilt 379 reliable?
Owners have filed 5 complaints about the 1999 Peterbilt 379, fewer than a typical 379 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Peterbilt 379?
Engine and cooling, with 2 complaints. Next is fuel system (2).
How many recalls does the 1999 Peterbilt 379 have?
6 recalls, covering suspension, steering and latches/locks/linkages.
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