OEM pressed-on cast iron/stamped rings fail prematurely due to regional rust jacking, disabling the vehicle's ABS. Explicitly mention that the current design creates a systemic safety risk in cold-weather states and that a recall mandating corrosion-resistant materials (like stainless steel) is required. This cost thousands of dollars to repair and only lasts 2-3 years. Almost everyone I know with these trucks have experienced this problem. Peterbilt is highly aware of the situation, but they refuse rectify it because it only affects cold weather states.
The worst 2022 Peterbilt 389 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Steering1
- Suspension1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration1
- Brakes1
- Electrical1
- Steering1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
Recalls 7
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Peterbilt and Kenworth vehicles, equipped with Bendix EC80 Advanced Electronic Control Units (ECU). Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. Electrical noise and low signal to the power line carrier may cause the ECU to incorrectly process commands or stop functioning.
- Risk
- Safety systems that depend on the ECU (Automatic Traction Control, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Active Cruise Control, and Collison Mitigation System) may not function properly or at all, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888 and Peterbilt's customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24KWL and 24PBL.
Recall number 24V915000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Peterbilt 365, 367, 389, 535, 536, 537, 548, 567, 579, and 2021-2025 Kenworth T180, T280, T380, T480, T680, T880 and W990 trucks. The right-hand gear shifter stalk connectors may have been improperly crimped, resulting in a loss of communication.
- Risk
- A loss of communication between the gear shifter and the transmission may result in the vehicle becoming disabled after coming to a stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the gear shifter assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 15, 2025, then phased after that. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888 or Peterbilt customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 24PBE and 24KWE.
Recall number 24V190000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Kenworth T680, T880, W990, and Peterbilt 365, 367, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles. The digital display may freeze and not display critical safety information. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 102, "Trans Shift Lever Seq/Starter Interlock/Trans Braking Effect."
- Risk
- The loss of display information, such as vehicle speed and warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 16, 2022. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888 and Peterbilt's customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 22KWK and 22PBK.
Recall number 22V779000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Kenworth T170, T270, T280, T370, T380, T440, T470, T480, T680, T800, T880, W900, W990, C500, and 2022-2023 Peterbilt 325, 330, 337, 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 536, 537, 548, 567, and 579 vehicles. The steering gears may have been assembled incorrectly, which can cause the gears to fracture.
- Risk
- A fractured steering gear can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the steering gear serial numbers, and replace the steering gears as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 26, 2022. Owners may contact Kenworth's customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888 and Peterbilt's customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220. PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 22PBE and 22KWE.
Recall number 22V547000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2019-2022 Kenworth T880, W990, Peterbilt 567, 579, 389, and 2022 Peterbilt 536, 537 wrecker and auto hauler vehicles. The work brake (winch brake) may unintentionally disengage the service brakes during winching operations, causing the vehicle to roll.
- Risk
- Unintended vehicle movement can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the vehicle software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 3, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888 (Kenworth); or 1‑940‑591‑4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWG and 21PBM.
Recall number 21V906000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- PACCAR, Inc. (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Peterbilt 367, 389, 567, and 579 vehicles. The cross member mounted Hill Start Assist valve assembly may have insufficient clearance to the rear axle, causing damage to the rear brake hose and loss of the rear brake signal.
- Risk
- If loss of the rear brake signal occurs, the vehicle could experience reduced rear braking capability or loss of brakes to the rear axle(s), increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for clearance and re-work the assembly to conform with an updated design, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 24, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 11, 2022. Owners may contact PACCAR's customer service at 1‑940‑591‑4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's number for this recall is 21PBJ.
Recall number 21V648000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Kenworth T680, T880, W990, T800, W900 and Peterbilt 579, 567, 389, 367 vehicles equipped with a Cummins X15 engine. The capscrews that attach the flywheel to the crankshaft may have been improperly torqued, allowing the flywheel to detach.
- Risk
- A detached flywheel can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, driveline pieces may be ejected from the engine compartment, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will properly torque the capscrews and the engine will also be inspected for damage and, if necessary, repaired, free of charge. The recall began on March 29, 2021. Owners may contact PACCAR customer service at 1‑425‑828‑5888 (Kenworth) or 1‑940‑591‑4220 (Peterbilt). PACCAR's numbers for this recall are 21KWA and 21PBB.
Recall number 21V080000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2022 Peterbilt 389 68
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- "KW & PB 14 fuel injector part numbers (seven for MX-11 and seven for MX-13 engines) have been added to...
- Fuel Injection Pump part number 2344776PEX for MX-13 engines has been added to this warranty policy.
- Certain chassis equipped with an engine model year 2019
- "RMI procedures have been updated to reduce the risk of progressive damage to the rocker arms
- "Kenworth: Dealers should check the chassis list and SIR weekly for VIN changes
- An exhaust manifold slip joint seal kit is now available for EPA 2017-2024 PACCAR MX-13 engines.
- The procedure has been updated to include additional steps for verifying the software level on the vehicle...
- The verbiage in the Introduction section has been updated.
- 235 chassis have been removed from the chassis list and unflagged in PRWS due to expiration of applicable...
- This optional software update is now available for chassis equipped with EMY 2021B-2023 PACCAR MX-11 and...
What 2022 Peterbilt 389 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2022 Peterbilt 389 equipped with Goodyear Tires, Tire Line: Marathon LHS, Tire Size: 11R22.5, DOT Number: 1MY3TTYBW0324. The tires had been replaced prior to the failure. While driving, the driver's side front tires had a blowout. The local dealer was contacted, where it was diagnosed that the tread had separated. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and declined the claim. The manufacturer stated that the tires were either underinflated or overinflated. The tires were sent for X-ray. The contact stated that the vehicle carried propane fuel, and the air pressure was set at 110. The tire failure mileage was 37,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 439 087.
Digital dash/display and the whole cluster freezes while driving. The recall 22v-779 update was done on the truck 4 weeks ago and it still have the same issue.
Whenever the truck goes over mildly rough road the steering wheel shakes and the tires follow the ruts of the road . When this happens steering wheel jerks out of hand and have to be overcorrected to keep in lane . With the shaking of steering wheel the steering wheel itself came loose one time and was repaired by peterbilt by applying locktite to the bolt.truck have been to peterbilt dealership 4 time and the problem still persists. According to them its normal for a class 8 truck to do this. This is a big safety issue as the truck can loose control really easily Truck was brought brand new and the issue showed up at 10,000 miles. I have video of the issue that i can share which was recorded after peterbilt failed to repair it 4 times and called it a normal steering of a class 8 truck.
Compare the 2022 Peterbilt 389
Other model years
Questions about the 2022 Peterbilt 389
Is the 2022 Peterbilt 389 reliable?
Owners have filed 4 complaints about the 2022 Peterbilt 389, 1.3 times a typical 389 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2022 Peterbilt 389?
Acceleration and speed control, with 1 complaint. Next is brakes (1).
How many recalls does the 2022 Peterbilt 389 have?
7 recalls, covering service brakes, hydraulic, power train and electrical system.
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