PACCAR Recall: Instrument Panel May Fail

PACCAR Recalls 13,908 Kenworth Trucks Over 15-Inch Digital Display Failure

PACCAR Incorporated has initiated a safety recall affecting 13,908 Kenworth trucks from model years 2024–2026. The recall is due to a failure of the 15-inch digital instrument panel to display critical information, including warning lights and vehicle speed. The noncompliance triggers Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Nos. 101 (Controls and Displays) and 121 (Air Brake Systems). PACCAR’s internal recall number is 25PACG and NHTSA’s campaign number is 25V569.

What’s the Issue

The affected display can enter a “recovery mode” that presents a blue screen without prior warning. When this happens, the screen becomes non-responsive and may only reset after a key cycle or reprogramming. PACCAR attributes the behavior to GPU overload in the display system. If the screen locks up, drivers may lose access to the speedometer and warning indicators, increasing crash risk.

Which PACCAR Trucks Are Affected

The recall covers specific Kenworth EMUX-platform vehicles equipped with the 15-inch digital cluster and shipped from the factory without a custom gauge enabled on the dashboard:

• T680 (2024–2026): 5,641 units; built May 22, 2023–Mar. 4, 2025
• T880 (2024–2026): 7,625 units; built May 23, 2023–Mar. 4, 2025
• W990 (2024–2026): 642 units; built May 25, 2023–Feb. 28, 2025

The population estimate is 13,908 vehicles, with an estimated defect rate of 1%.

Safety Risk

Loss of the digital display means the driver might not see vehicle speed, tell-tale warnings, or gauge information. PACCAR’s filing states that such a loss of information may raise the risk of a crash. The noncompliance relates to FMVSS 101 (governing controls and displays) and FMVSS 121 (air brake systems).

The Remedy

Dealers will update the vehicle display software at no charge. PACCAR says software version 16.17-2 and later prevents the blue-screen recovery mode even if a custom gauge is not set. In production, the company implemented a process change on March 5, 2025 to manually set a custom “favorite” gauge to avoid GPU overload.

NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter reiterates that dealer software updates are the remedy and lists PACCAR’s campaign as 25V569. At the time of acknowledgment, PACCAR had not yet provided a schedule for dealer and owner notifications.

The PACCAR Recall Timeline and Field Data

The chronology shows:

• Feb. 12, 2025 — Safety and compliance teams opened an investigation.
• Feb. 21, 2025 — Kenworth and supplier personnel inspected a customer truck in Texas exhibiting blue-screen symptoms.
• July–Aug. 2025 — Safety committee meetings determined the affected population was confined to Kenworth (not Peterbilt) due to software differences, and the company concurred on a noncompliance recall.

As of Aug. 8, 2025, PACCAR reported 173 warranty claims and 6 reports covering 158 trucks potentially related to the issue, with no injuries or deaths reported. The company also notes a related NHTSA recall (25V436) that uses the same software update package.

Regulatory Status

NHTSA acknowledged PACCAR’s Part 573 submission on September 8, 2025 and requested updates to the recall file, including supplying dealer and owner notification dates and submitting draft owner letters before mailing. The letter also reminds that selling noncompliant vehicles is illegal under federal law and outlines quarterly and annual reporting requirements following customer notifications.

PACCAR Parts and Supplier Details

The affected component is the 15-inch Digital Display (part numbers Q43-1206-100-100 and Q43-1208-100-100). PACCAR’s filing lists themselves as the Tier 1 supplier; the investigation work included site inspection with the display supplier in February 2025.

Owner Experience and Warnings

The company report indicates no prior warning occurs before the display enters recovery mode. During an event, the screen may show a blue, non-responsive state. PACCAR’s consumer-advisory fields in the filing include “Do Not Drive” and “Park Outside,” while software updates are pursued as the remedy. (Advisory language comes from PACCAR’s recall report fields and may be refined in forthcoming owner communications.)

What Owners Should Know

• Free Repair: Dealers will install an updated display software package at no cost.
• Contact: Kenworth customer service can be reached at 1-425-828-5888, referencing PACCAR recall 25PACG.
• NHTSA Hotline: Owners may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171) or visit nhtsa.gov for more information.

PACCAR Production Fix and Identification

The company states the recall condition was corrected in production starting March 5, 2025, when factories began manually setting a custom “favorite” gauge to avoid the GPU overload condition. Trucks updated in the field will have software revisions identifiable by version; v16.17-2 or later is cited as preventing recovery-mode events in the absence of a custom gauge setting.

Next Steps

PACCAR’s Part 573 report notes that notification dates will be provided and that the recall is planned as a phased owner remedy campaign. NHTSA’s acknowledgment letter requests the company amend its Part 573 with dealer and owner notification timing and to submit all related communications for agency review. Until formal owner notifications begin, the remedy path is the dealer software update referenced above.