Recall Register

2003 Peterbilt 385: recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2003 Peterbilt 385. The newest campaign is 03V410000. NHTSA received the report on 20 Oct 2003. The NHTSA record gives the component Steering / Linkages / Knuckle / Spindle / Arm. NHTSA has no complaint on file for this model year.

The NHTSA recall file shows no do-not-drive advisory and no park-outside advisory on these campaigns.

This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.

Remedy of the newest campaign, 03V410000, in the NHTSA record

Dealers will inspect and replace the knuckle and steer arm assemblies. Owner notification began january 5, 2004. Owners should contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440 or peterbilt at 1-940-591-4201.
NHTSA VIN lookup

Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.

NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .

Since the last update

No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks

All updates to the register

Recall campaigns

3 campaigns, newest first. 1,802 units in total.

  1. 03V410000Received . 1,187 units.

    Steering / Linkages / Knuckle / Spindle / Arm

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    On certain trucks equipped with dana spicer integral knuckle and steer arm assemblies, the steer axle assemblies may have a longitudinal crack in the steer arm.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    If the crack should propagate over time, the ball could become loose resulting in a loss of steering, which could result in a crash.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will inspect and replace the knuckle and steer arm assemblies. Owner notification began january 5, 2004. Owners should contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440 or peterbilt at 1-940-591-4201.

    Report filed by PACCAR INCORPORATED. Manufacturer campaign number 1003G/03KWA. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  2. 03V288000Received . 132 units.

    Power Train / Axle Hubs

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    On certain heavy duty trucks, the locking tab that locks the outer spindle nut onto the spindle was not engaged or properly bent over.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    Failure to properly engage the locking feature into the nut could cause the nut to loosen which will eventually cause the wheel bearing to over heat and fail if undetected. If the loose nut is not detected, the outer end (tire, wheel and hub assembly) could become separated from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy, in the NHTSA record
    Dealers will inspect the hubs to determine if the locking tabs are properly bent. If the locking tabs are not bent, then dealers will inspect the appropriate components for premature wear and replace such components as required and properly secure the retaining nut by bending over the locking tab. Owner notification began september 17, 2003. Owners should contact kenworth at 1-425-828-5440 or peterbilt at 940-591-4201.

    Report filed by PACCAR INCORPORATED. Manufacturer campaign number 03KW8/803-D. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

  3. 03V168000Received . 483 units.

    Trailer Hitches / Fifth Wheel Assembly

    Defect, in the NHTSA record
    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.
    Consequence, in the NHTSA record
    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, in the NHTSA record
    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.

    Report filed by PACCAR INCORPORATED. Manufacturer campaign number 03KW4/403-C. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .

The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.

Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.

Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.

Complaints by component

The NHTSA complaint file has no complaint for this model year.

Investigations

The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.

Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.

Other model years

The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.

  1. 19962
  2. 19971
  3. 19983
  4. 19997
  5. 20007
  6. 20015
  7. 20022
  8. 20033
  9. 20042
  10. 20054
  11. 20065
  12. 20077
  13. 20087
  14. 20094
  15. 20102
  16. 20112
  17. 20122
  18. 20132
  19. 20141
  20. 20151
  21. 20161

A year without a link has fewer than 2 campaigns and fewer than 25 complaints. It has no page.

Official channels

Cite this page

Recall Register. 2003 Peterbilt 385: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/peterbilt/385/2003/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .

Sources

Source
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Licence
US government work, public domain
Recall file through
29 Sep 2026
Complaint file through
15 May 2019
First complaint in the file
1 Jan 1995
Manufacturer in the recall file
PACCAR INCORPORATED

The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.

Questions

How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2003 Peterbilt 385?
1,802 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
How many recall campaigns does the Peterbilt 385 have for all model years?
NHTSA lists 25 recall campaigns for the Peterbilt 385, model years 1996 to 2016. 3 of them name the 2003 model year.
Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2003 Peterbilt 385 open?
The NHTSA investigation file has no investigation that names this model year.