20PBE – Lower Rear Pivot Bolts Improperly Sized – 2020-2021 Peterbilt 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 567

August 26, 2020 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V506000

Lower Rear Pivot Bolts Improperly Sized

The short screws can cause the hardware to separate from the suspension system and become road hazards, increasing the risk of a crash and/or injury.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V506

Manufacturer PACCAR Incorporated

Components POWER TRAIN

Potential Number of Units Affected 1,097

 

Summary

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Peterbilt 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, 567 and Kenworth T800, T880, W900, W990 vehicles equipped with Watson and Chalin steerable lift axle suspension systems (model SL2065). The axles may have lower rear pivot bolts that are not long enough to sufficiently engage the locking feature of the corresponding nuts.

 

Remedy

PACCAR will notify owners, and dealers will inspect suspect chassis and replace the pivot bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2020. Owners may contact Kenworth customer service at 1-425-828-5888 and Peterbilt customer service at 1-940-591-4220. PACCAR’s numbers for this recall is 20PBE and 20KWC.

 

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.safercar.gov.

 

---

Federal Recall Information

20PBE

 

Supplier

Watson and Chalin

 

Description

Watson Chalin Lift Axle Pivot Bolts – NHTSA: 20V506 / TC: 2020-399

 

Release Date

9/16/2020

 

Introduction

Peterbilt has decided that a condition could exist in certain model 348, 365, 367, 389, 520, and 567 vehicles built between 11/19/2019 and 4/09/2020. Vehicles equipped with Watson & Chalin SL2065 lift axles may have lower rear pivot bolts that are not long enough to sufficiently engage the locking feature of the corresponding nuts. In some cases, this condition may cause a loss of clamp load of the pivot joint (arm to axle). Extended use of the lift axle in this condition can result in foreign object debris on the roadway, increasing the risk of a crash and/or injury.

 

Resolution

Safety Recall

Service all affected chassis that enter your dealership, even if the customer has no issue with the chassis.

1. Review the attached chassis list for your dealer code and schedule your customer(s) for service if their chassis is on the list.

2. If you are not using Service Management to start repair orders, review SIR for “Complete” or “In Process” next to the “20PBE” campaign code prior to performing this repair.

3. Follow the procedures below to inspect the lower rear pivot bolt and replace with longer bolts if necessary.

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.

 

Warranty

There is no time or mileage limit for this recall. Peterbilt will pay for parts at dealer net plus applicable mark up and labor:

1.0 hour to inspect the thread engagement of the Pivot Bolts.

This labor is for inspection only. It is not applicable for trucks that require Pivot Bolt replacement.

1.5 hours to inspect the thread engagement of the Pivot Bolts and replace with the hardware kit that includes longer bolts. File a long form claim.

For Field…	Enter…
Failure Location	016-014-000
Failure Type	705
Claim Type	C
Campaign Number	20PBE
Labor	016-358 1.0 hour to inspect both lift axle pivot bolts for thread engagement. 016-359 0.5 hours to replace both lift axle pivot bolts using the hardware kit.

 

Take off parts disposition: Destroy parts 30 days after the claim has been paid.

 

Parts

Parts are available from PACCAR Parts through DSP.

Quantity	Part Number	Description
1	SRK2065WAR-001	Hardware kit – Bolts, Washers, Locknuts required for both sides of the lift axle.

 

Procedure

1. Review the attached Pivot Bolt Inspection Procedure.
2. If the thread engagement of the pivot bolts does not meet the requirements as described in the Pivot Bolt Inspection Procedure, follow the procedure in the attached Pivot Bolt Replacement Procedure.
3. It is required that the following are attached to the claim:

A clear photo showing the bolt and the nut with insufficient thread engagement.

The model of the truck.

The serial number for the axle – see serial number location in Figure 1.

Figure 1

 

Attachments

Pivot Bolt Inspection Procedure

Pivot Bolt Replacement Procedure

Chassis List

US Customer Letter

Canada Customer Letter – English

Canada Customer Letter – French

 

Revision History

09/18/2020 – Updated the procedure links to link directly to the Watson and Chalin website.

 

---

Recall Notice: 20PBE

 

IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL

 

October 10, 2020

 

Subject:

Subject: Safety Recall: 20PBE – Watson & Chalin Lift Axle Pivot Bolt NHTSA: 20V506 EXPIRATION DATE: NONE This notice applies to your vehicle. Your VIN(s) can be found on the bottom or back of this page.

 

Dear Peterbilt Customer,

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Peterbilt has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain Model 348, 365, 367,389,520 and 567 vehicles manufactured between November 19, 2019 and April 9, 2020. Vehicles equipped with Watson & Chalin SL2065 lift axles may have lower rear pivot bolts that are not long enough to sufficiently engage the locking feature of the corresponding nuts. In some cases, this condition may cause a loss of clamp load of the pivot joint (arm to axle). Extended use of the lift axle in this condition can result in foreign object debris on the roadway and increase the risk of a crash or injury.

 

What is the problem?

The lower rear pivot bolts on the lift axle could lose clamp load.

 

What will your dealer do?

Your dealer will inspect the bolts for proper thread engagement and, if necessary, replace the hardware with longer bolts.

 

What should you do?

Contact your dealer immediately to schedule an appointment.

 

Peterbilt Motors Company has initiated this recall to remedy the issue at no charge to you. Please contact your Peterbilt  dealer to schedule an appointment for these services. To find your Peterbilt dealer, please visit the Dealer Locator at www.Peterbilt.com or scan the QR code. When contacting your Peterbilt dealer, reference the Safety Recall number and the NHTSA number. This repair may take up to 2 hours of labor depending on dealer scheduling.

 

If you had this repair performed before receiving this letter, you may be eligible to receive reimbursement for the cost of obtaining a pre-notification remedy of the problem associated with this recall. Receipts for parts or labor are required for consideration of reimbursement. Contact your local Peterbilt dealership for details.

 

If you require further information about this recall, or experience any difficulty in making arrangements for this repair, please contact: Peterbilt Motors Company, 1700 Woodbrook St, Denton, TX 76205, Attn: Customer Services Department, phone 94 591-4220.

 

If you conclude that Peterbilt has not enabled you to remedy this defect in a reasonable time and without charge, you may submit a complaint to: Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1200New Jersey Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20590, or call the toll free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); or go to https://www.safercar.gov.

 

Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days. If you no longer own this vehicle, we would appreciate you advising us of the new owner’s name.

 

We apologize for any inconvenience this preventive procedure may cause and thank you for your participation in helping Peterbilt provide the highest levels of customer satisfaction and service expertise. We value your business and appreciate your ongoing loyalty to Peterbilt and its dealer network. Industry-leading quality, performance and reliability are hallmarks of Peterbilt products, and we thank you for making Peterbilt your truck of choice.

 

Sincerely,

 

Michelle Ponsonby
Director of Customer Service
Peterbilt Motors Company

 

---

20 Affected Products

Vehicles

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
KENWORTH	T800	2020-2021
KENWORTH	T880	2020-2021
KENWORTH	W900	2020-2021
KENWORTH	W990	2020-2021
PETERBILT	348	2020-2021
PETERBILT	365	2020-2021
PETERBILT	367	2020-2021
PETERBILT	389	2020-2021
PETERBILT	520	2020-2021
PETERBILT	567	2020-2021

 

---

13 Associated Documents

Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2021-1

RCLQRT-20V506-7584.PDF 211.437KB

 

---

Recall Quarterly Report #4, 2021-2

RCLQRT-20V506-9670.PDF 211.437KB

 

---

Safety Bulletin

RCSB-20V506-0769.pdf 462.701KB

 

---

ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-20V506-2134.pdf 187.216KB

 

---

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-20V506-2319.pdf 244.819KB

 

---

Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-20V506-7129.PDF 214.052KB

 

---

Safety Bulletin

RCSB-20V506-5752.pdf 41.247KB

 

---

Recall 573 Report- Amendment 1

RCLRPT-20V506-4938.PDF 214.045KB

 

---

Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2020-3

RCLQRT-20V506-1244.PDF 211.243KB

 

---

Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2020-4

RCLQRT-20V506-3591.PDF 211.243KB

 

---

ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-20V506-7098.pdf 227.208KB

 

---

Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2021-1

RCLQRT-20V506-8019.PDF 211.333KB

 

---

Recall Quarterly Report #5, 2021-3

RCLQRT-20V506-3817.PDF 211.547KB

 

---

Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=20V506&docType=RCL

 

---

 

Last update on 2026-05-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

---

 

This product presentation was made with AAWP plugin.