Model line

Kenworth C500

Every Kenworth C500 model year on file, 1975 to 2025. Pick a year for its recalls, investigations, service bulletins and the full text of owner complaints.

Owner complaints, all model years52 involved a crash, fire, injury or death
Model years441975 to 2025
Recall campaigns48Distinct campaigns listing it
Service bulletins322Summed across model years
By model year

The 1999 model year drew the most complaints, 1, 20% of the model's total

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, all years filed, by model year.

00.250.50.751197519791990199419981200220062010201420182025
Source: NHTSA ODI. Complaints are not verified by NHTSA, and NHTSA publishes no sales volumes, so counts are not rates.
Components

Electrical system leads the Kenworth C500 complaint record

Owner complaints across all model years, by component.

Electrical system
1
Trailer hitches
1
Tires
1
Wheels
1
Source: NHTSA ODI complaints file.
Model years

The record for each Kenworth C500 model year

Peer index compares complaints with the median vehicle of the same model year and body class (100 is the median). It corrects for age, not for how many were sold.

Kenworth C500 by model year
YearBodyComplaintsSeverity indexPeer indexRecallsInvestigationsBulletins
2025Not decoded0NoneNone105
2024Not decoded0NoneNone008
2023Not decoded0NoneNone1013
2022Not decoded0NoneNone1011
2021Not decoded0NoneNone107
2020Not decoded0NoneNone106
2019Not decoded0NoneNone4020
2018Not decoded0NoneNone5023
2017Not decoded0NoneNone4022
2016Not decoded0NoneNone3020
2015Not decoded0NoneNone3015
2014Not decoded0NoneNone4012
2013Not decoded0NoneNone2011
2012Heavy truck10.0503014
2011Not decoded0NoneNone6016
2010Not decoded1100.01004015
2009Not decoded0NoneNone5011
2008Not decoded0NoneNone9010
2007Not decoded10.0100608
2006Not decoded1100.0100519
2005Not decoded0NoneNone5011
2004Not decoded0NoneNone408
2003Not decoded0NoneNone307
2002Not decoded0NoneNone207
2001Not decoded0NoneNone405
2000Not decoded0NoneNone706
1999Heavy truck10.033705
1998Not decoded0NoneNone305
1997Not decoded0NoneNone305
1996Not decoded0NoneNone404
1995Not decoded0NoneNone102
1994Not decoded0NoneNone101
1993Not decoded0NoneNone100
1992Not decoded0NoneNone100
1991Not decoded0NoneNone300
1990Not decoded0NoneNone100
1989Not decoded0NoneNone100
1981Not decoded0NoneNone100
1980Not decoded0NoneNone100
1979Not decoded0NoneNone100
1978Not decoded0NoneNone200
1977Not decoded0NoneNone200
1976Not decoded0NoneNone200
1975Not decoded0NoneNone200
Source: NHTSA ODI. Body class from NHTSA's VIN decoder where decoded.
Latest recalls

Recent campaigns covering the Kenworth C500

  • 24V-789 Oct 23, 2024
    Fuel pump barrels may fracture and cause a fuel leak, which can result in an engine stall
    Fuel system · 5,690 vehicles
  • 24V-145 Feb 23, 2024
    Air tanks have an insufficient volume of air for the brake system
    Brakes · 936 vehicles
  • 22V-547 Jul 28, 2022
    Steering gears may have been assembled incorrectly, which can cause the gears to fracture
    Steering · 48k vehicles
  • 18V-931 Dec 21, 2018
    Internal component in the clutch assembly may fail, possibly resulting in unintended vehicle movement
    Powertrain · 26k vehicles
  • 18V-657 Sep 21, 2018
    In certain driving conditions, such as on a long down-hill grade, the fuel line may burst if the fuel pump cooling circuit screen becomes restricted
    Engine and cooling · 49k vehicles
  • 18V-555 Aug 22, 2018
    Engine harnesses may have been manufactured without check engine light (CEL) and stop engine light (SEL) circuits, preventing the driver from…
    Electrical system · 11k vehicles
  • 17V-443 Jul 13, 2017
    These engines have a fuel pump whose drive gear could possibly slip on its drive shaft, causing a fuel pump function loss, resulting in an engine…
    Fuel system · 1,737 vehicles
  • 16V-426 Jun 10, 2016
    Affected vehicles are equipped with Cummins ISX12 or ISX15 engines and have an engine control module (ECM) that may short circuit, causing the…
    Electrical system · 3,227 vehicles
  • 15V-271 May 8, 2015
    In the affected trucks, water may leak into the wiper motor
    Visibility and wipers · 105k vehicles
  • 14V-722 Nov 10, 2014
    Affected vehicles may have been produced with an undersized wire gauge for the trailer stop lamp circuit in the instrument panel harness
    Electrical system · 1,380 vehicles
Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file.