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NHTSA campaign 26V485000 · manufacturer recall 26PACD

2027 Kenworth and Peterbilt: electrical system recall

A loss of lighting, windshield wipers, ABS function, or a loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

high 5,925 vehicles affected FMVSS 103 11% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2027 Peterbilt and Kenworth vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. The power distribution center (PDC) box may be contaminated with oil, which could result in a loss of drive power, Antilock Brake System (ABS) functionality, exterior lighting, windshield wipers, or the defogging system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems," 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems," and 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk A loss of lighting, windshield wipers, ABS function, or a loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect the PDC serial numbers, and replace the PDC boxes as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 23, 2026. Owners may contact Peterbilt's customer service at 1-940-591-4220 and Kenworth's customer service at 1-425-828-5888. PACCAR's number for this recall is 26PACD.

Reported to NHTSA Jul 27, 2026 by PACCAR Incorporated, owners notified Sep 22, 2026.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

Oil contamination in the PDC can cause loss of ABS function and drive power in traffic, directly enabling a crash, though no stop-drive order was issued and the defect is conditional on contamination being present.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Yes: the bulletin says the vehicle may not be sold or delivered until repaired
Remedy No availability line in the dealer notice

The remedy, in the manufacturer’s words: Serial numbers of suspect trucks in the field will be inspected against the supplier-provided.

The advisory, as filed: “Federal Law It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to sell or lease new vehicles covered by this recall until the defect or noncompliance has been corrected.”

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign 26PACD). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 26V485000

Vehicles built Jun 8, 2026 to Jul 13, 2026 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2027 Kenworth T280—
2027 Kenworth T380—
2027 Kenworth T480—
2027 Kenworth T680—
2027 Kenworth T880—
2027 Kenworth W990—
2027 Peterbilt 536—
2027 Peterbilt 537—
2027 Peterbilt 548—
2027 Peterbilt 567—
2027 Peterbilt 579—
2027 Peterbilt 589—

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 11%

of the campaign

One quarter into a six-quarter reporting window — early, and expected to climb.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 26V485000 · the manufacturer calls it 26PACD

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is 26PACD the same recall as 26V485000?

Yes. 26PACD is the number PACCAR Incorporated uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 26V485000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Jun 8, 2026 to Jul 13, 2026. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.