- Vehicles
- 45
- Built between
- Jan 1991 – Feb 2003
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 5 May 2003
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 1991 and February 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 1991-2003 Kenworth C500Built January 1991 to February 2003
- 1991-2003 Kenworth T800Built January 1991 to February 2003
What the defect is
Certain trucks equipped with meritor p 18X7 brakes with 36" brake chambers fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (FMVSS) no. 121, "air brake systems." these trucks were manufactured with a combined air reservoir volume less than 12 times the combined volume of all service brake chambers.
What could happen
This does not meet the requirements of the standard.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL ADD AN ADDITIONAL TANK OR CHANGE ONE OF THE EXISTING AIR TANKS TO A LARGER SIZE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MAY 5, 2003.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 1991 to February 2003
- Recall reported to NHTSA31 March 2003
- Owners notified5 May 2003
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 31 March 2003.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
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 1-425-828-5440.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 03KW3
- Recalling manufacturer
- PACCAR INCORPORATED
- Safety standard
- FMVSS 121
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Kenworth recall no. 03KW3. Customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.