September 29, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V661000
Delayed Trailer Brake Release/FMVSS 121
A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V661
Manufacturer PACCAR
Incorporated
Components SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
Potential Number of Units Affected 257
Summary
PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Kenworth T280, T380, 2020-2024 Peterbilt 548, 536, 2024 Peterbilt 537, and 2020-2024 Kenworth T480 trucks. The timing of the trailer brake release may be delayed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, “Air Brake Systems.”
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fittings and hoses in the affected valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed November 20, 2023. 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 23KWJ and 23PBJ.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Certain 536, 537, and 548 chassis built with 2.1m Medium Duty End of Frame Trailer Connections may exceed the standard trailer brake release timing requirements by 0.5 seconds due to the size of the tractor protection valve fitting and hose. A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash.
Parts and repair procedures are not yet available. This bulletin will be updated when a repair path is determined.
Certain 536, 537, and 548 chassis built with 2.1m Medium Duty End of Frame Trailer Connections may exceed trailer brake release timing requirements of FMVSS/CMVSS No. 121 by 0.5 seconds. A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash. Truck and Trailer brake application timing is not affected, nor is brake performance affected.
Chronology :
07/07/23 – Engineering notified Safety & Compliance that brake timing test failed for a new model that used the same 2.1m Medium Duty end of frame tractor protection valve.
07/12/23 – Engineering began researching 2.1m Medium Duty configurations that have been built.
07/14/23 – PACCAR Technical Center continued brake timing tests for 2.1m Medium Duty to determine which configurations would not pass.
08/23/23 – Brake timing tests completed. Engineering created compatibility message to flag trucks in the backlog to get corrected.
09/08/23 – Engineering provided list of trucks in backlog already corrected.
09/11/23 – Plant provided list of trucks still at plant for Safety & Compliance to review which need to be corrected.
09/14/23 – Joint Safety Committee determined a regulatory non-compliance exists.
As of 09/14/23, Paccar received 0 warranty claims and 0 reports about 0 trucks in the field that may be related. 0 reports of deaths or injuries have been received.
24 Affected Products
Vehicles
| MAKE | MODEL | YEAR |
| KENWORTH | T280 | 2021-2024 |
| KENWORTH | T380 | 2021-2024 |
| KENWORTH | T480 | 2020-2024 |
| PETERBILT | 536 | 2020-2024 |
| PETERBILT | 537 | 2024 |
| PETERBILT | 548 | 2020-2024 |
3 Associated Documents
Noncompliance Notice 573 Report
RCLRPT-23V661-4548.PDF 216.565KB
Recall Acknowledgement
RCAK-23V661-9386.pdf 646.034KB
Safety Bulletin
RCSB-23V661-7015.pdf 106.985KB
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Last update on 2026-05-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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OMB Control No.: 2127-0004 Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-661 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Manufacturer Name : PACCAR Incorporated Submission Date : SEP 29, 2023 NHTSA Recall No. : 23V-661 Manufacturer Recall No. : 23KWJ, 23PBJ Manufacturer Information : Manufacturer Name : PACCAR Incorporated Address : 777 106TH AVENUE NORTHEAST BELLEVUE WA 98004 Company phone : 940 591 4220 Population : Number of potentially involved : 257 Estimated percentage with defect : 100 % Vehicle Information : Vehicle 1 : 2021-2024 Kenworth T280 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL Descriptive Information : 2.1m Medium Duty trucks with optional end of frame trailer connections, except for those with trailer hand valve and without stability control. Production Dates : AUG 04, 2020 – AUG 16, 2023 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Vehicle 2 : 2021-2024 Kenworth T380 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL Descriptive Information : 2.1m Medium Duty trucks with optional end of frame trailer connections, except for those with trailer hand valve and without stability control. Production Dates : AUG 05, 2020 – AUG 22, 2023 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Vehicle 3 : 2020-2024 Peterbilt 548 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL Descriptive Information : 2.1m Medium Duty trucks with optional end of frame trailer connections, except for those with trailer hand valve and without stability control. Production Dates : OCT 23, 2019 – SEP 08, 2023 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-661 Page 2 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 Vehicle 4 : 2020-2024 Peterbilt 536 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL Descriptive Information : 2.1m Medium Duty trucks with optional end of frame trailer connections, except for those with trailer hand valve and without stability control. Production Dates : JUL 31, 2019 – AUG 29, 2023 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Vehicle 5 : 2024-2024 Peterbilt 537 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL Descriptive Information : 2.1m Medium Duty trucks with optional end of frame trailer connections, except for those with trailer hand valve and without stability control. Production Dates : JAN 23, 2023 – JAN 23, 2023 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Vehicle 6 : 2020-2024 Kenworth T480 Vehicle Type : BUSES, MEDIUM & HEAVY VEHICLES Body Style : OTHER Power Train : DIESEL Descriptive Information : 2.1m Medium Duty trucks with optional end of frame trailer connections, except for those with trailer hand valve and without stability control. Production Dates : NOV 13, 2019 – SEP 08, 2023 VIN Range 1 : Begin : NR End : NR Not sequential Description of Noncompliance : Description of the Noncompliance : Certain vehicles may not meet trailer brake release timing requirement of FMVSS 121. Trailer brake release timing may exceed standard by 0.5 seconds. FMVSS 1 : 121 – Air brake systems FMVSS 2 : NR Description of the Safety Risk : The noncompliance may cause a 0.5 second exceedance of the trailer brake release timing standard. Tractor and trailer brake application timing is not affected, nor is truck brake performance affected. If the vehicle is not equipped with ABS or ABS is not functioning and the vehicle enters a curve on a low-mu (low friction) surface, a 0.5 second delay in trailer brake release timing may introduce momentary instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash. Description of the Cause : Trailer connections with tractor protection valve at the end of frame were not Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-661 Page 3 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 tested during 2.1m Medium Duty product launch. Error was caught in validation of other new models that were using the same tractor protection valve mounted at the end of the frame. Identification of Any Warning that can Occur : If the trailer ABS malfunction light is illuminated, the driver should recognize that the electronic system that modulates the brakes is unavailable to mitigate the 0.5 second delay in the release of the trailer brake. Involved Components : Component Name 1 : Valve-TP-3DC ASSEMBLY, NMD Component Description : Tractor Protection Valve Component Part Number : G90-1287-004, G90-1287-005, G90-1287-006 Supplier Identification : Component Manufacturer Name : PACCAR Address : 777 106th Ave NE Bellevue Washington 98004 Country : United States Chronology : 07/07/23 – Engineering notified Safety & Compliance that brake timing test failed for a new model that used the same 2.1m Medium Duty end of frame tractor protection valve. 07/12/23 – Engineering began researching 2.1m Medium Duty configurations that have been built. 07/14/23 – PACCAR Technical Center continued brake timing tests for 2.1m Medium Duty to determine which configurations would not pass. 08/23/23 – Brake timing tests completed. Engineering created compatibility message to flag trucks in the backlog to get corrected. 09/08/23 – Engineering provided list of trucks in backlog already corrected. 09/11/23 – Plant provided list of trucks still at plant for Safety & Compliance to review which need to be corrected. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-661 Page 4 The information contained in this report was submitted pursuant to 49 CFR §573 09/14/23 – Joint Safety Committee determined a regulatory non-compliance exists. As of 09/14/23, Paccar received 0 warranty claims and 0 reports about 0 trucks in the field that may be related. 0 reports of deaths or injuries have been received. Description of Remedy : Description of Remedy Program : Paccar will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fittings in the tractor protection valve, trailer modulator valve, foot valve and the hose between them to a larger size free of charge. Owners who incurred costs to obtain a remedy for the problem addressed in the recall in advance of receiving notification may seek reimbursement through the process outlined in the general reimbursement plan on file. How Remedy Component Differs from Recalled Component : Trucks that have been remedied have a larger size hose and fittings on the tractor protection valve, trailer modulator valve and foot valve. Identify How/When Recall Condition was Corrected in Production : Production installs larger size hose and fittings on the tractor protection valve and foot valve. It was corrected in production on September 18, 2023. Recall Schedule : Description of Recall Schedule : Notifications will be sent within 60 days. Planned Dealer Notification Date : NOV 20, 2023 – NOV 20, 2023 Planned Owner Notification Date : NOV 20, 2023 – NOV 20, 2023 * NR – Not Reported
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10/18/23, 10:22 AM Federal Recall Bulletin https://paccarnet.sharepoint.com/sitepages/wtyfedrecallbltndetail.aspx?ctx=eyJ3ZWJVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL 3BhY2Nhcm5ldC5zaGFyZXBvaW50LmN… 1/1 Safety Recall 23PBJ: 536/537/548 Delayed Trailer Brake Release Number 23PBJ / 23V661 / 2023-524 Description Safety Recall 23PBJ: 536, 537, and 548 NMD Brake Timing Date 10/18/2023 What’s New Clone Certain 536, 537, and 548 chassis built with 2.1m Medium Duty End of Frame Trailer Connections may exceed the standard trailer brake release timing requirements by 0.5 seconds due to the size of the tractor protection valve fitting and hose. A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash. Parts and repair procedures are not yet available. This bulletin will be updated when a repair path is determined. Introduction Certain 536, 537, and 548 chassis built with 2.1m Medium Duty End of Frame Trailer Connections may exceed trailer brake release timing requirements of FMVSS/CMVSS No. 121 by 0.5 seconds. A delay in the trailer brake release can create instability to the trailer and increase the risk of a crash. Truck and Trailer brake application timing is not affected, nor is brake performance affected. Resolution Safety Recall: Interim Notification Peterbilt is currently working on a resolution for this concern. Parts and repair procedures are not yet available. This bulletin will be updated when a repair path is determined. 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. Links 23PBJ US Customer Letter 23PBJ Canada Customer Letter
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