Skip to main content
(682) 978-8641
O Trucking
Hire Drivers Contact Website Call
NHTSA Owner Complaints

2015 Peterbilt 389

7 owner-reported issues

Owner-reported data
Total complaints
7
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
0
Open recalls
4

What this means

7 NHTSA complaints filed on 2015 Peterbilt 389. Light sample — pattern recognition is limited but specific complaints may still be useful. The dominant complaint patterns are: WHEELS (29%), STRUCTURE,TIRES (14%), WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER (14%). These three categories cover 57% of all reports — typical signal that there are 2-3 known systemic issues on this make/model/year, not random faults.

Top reported issues
  • #1WHEELS
    2 (29%)
  • #2STRUCTURE,TIRES
    1 (14%)
  • #3WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
    1 (14%)
  • #4STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER
    1 (14%)
  • #5ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    1 (14%)
  • #6TIRES,WHEELS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
    1 (14%)
Recent complaint examples
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER0000-00-00

PETERBILT 389 SLEEPER CAB HAS NO REAR WINDOW, BACKUP ALARM OR BACKUP CAMERA. LED TO FATALITY IN MARCH 2016.…

WHEELS0000-00-00

WE OPERATE 6 BRAND NEW PETERBILT 388 CAR HAULERS. EVERY TRUCK RANDOMLY BLOWS DRIVE INSIDE TIRE. ONCE TIRE BLOWS IT CAN BLOW ADJACENT TIRE. SO FAR WE HAD ABOUT 20 BLOW OUT IN 2 MONTH TIME. ONLY SOLUTION SO FAR WE FOUND WAS TO REROUTE EXHAUST PIPE TO THE SIDE AND REPLACE TIRES TO A…

TIRES,WHEELS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)0000-00-00

WE OPERATE 6 BRAND NEW PETERBILT 388 CAR HAULERS. EVERY TRUCK RANDOMLY BLOWS DRIVE INSIDE TIRE. ONCE TIRE BLOWS IT CAN BLOW ADJACENT TIRE. SO FAR WE HAD ABOUT 20 BLOW OUT IN 2 MONTH TIME. ONLY SOLUTION SO FAR WE FOUND WAS TO REROUTE EXHAUST PIPE TO THE SIDE AND REPLACE TIRES TO A…

WHEELS0000-00-00

6 PETERBILT MY COMPANY OPERATES ARE 2014 AND 2015 CAR HAULERS. ALL ARE CONSISTENTLY DESTROYING REAR AXEL TIRES BOTH SIDES DRIVER AND PASSENGER (THREAD IS COMING OUT). DAMAGED SEEMS TO HAPPEN DUE TO OVERHEAT OF TIRES. WE TRIED USING DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES, BUT BLOW OUT DID NOT…

WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER0000-00-00

6 PETERBILT MY COMPANY OPERATES ARE 2014 AND 2015 CAR HAULERS. ALL ARE CONSISTENTLY DESTROYING REAR AXEL TIRES BOTH SIDES DRIVER AND PASSENGER (THREAD IS COMING OUT). DAMAGED SEEMS TO HAPPEN DUE TO OVERHEAT OF TIRES. WE TRIED USING DIFFERENT BRAND OF TIRES, BUT BLOW OUT DID NOT…

STRUCTURE,TIRES0000-00-00

4 BRAND NEW TRUCKS PETERBILT AND WESTERN STAR WITH MICHELIN TIRES 295/60/R22.5 AND 275/70/22.5. FRONT TIRES BLEW UP WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO FRONT END. *TR…

Crash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM0000-00-00

PURCHASED NEW 2015 PETE ON 7/29/2014 FROM RUSH PETERBILT SEALY TEXAS WITH @ 3 MILES SHOWING ON ODOMETER. ON @ 7/31/2014 STOPPED IN WACO TEXAS WITH VEHICLE TO CHECK SECUREMENT OF LOAD AND WHEN RELEASED PARKING BRAKE THE PARKING BRAKE INDICATOR REMAINED ON, ENGINE DERATED, SPEEDO …

Related

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these Peterbilt 389 2015 complaints verified by NHTSA?
NHTSA collects complaints from owners but does NOT verify each one. The complaints below are unfiltered owner reports — useful for spotting patterns, but a single complaint doesn't prove a defect. Pay attention to: (1) volume of complaints on the same component, (2) consistency of described symptoms, and (3) whether NHTSA has opened a formal investigation or issued a recall on the same component. If a component appears in 5+% of complaints, that's usually a real pattern worth taking seriously.
Should I avoid buying a 2015 Peterbilt 389 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 7 complaints across roughly tens of thousands of trucks of this model year is a light signal. Compare against other model years of the same truck — if 2022 has 3x more complaints than 2020 or 2024, that specific year has issues. Also check whether the most-reported component is something you can preventively address (e.g., DEF system issues can be mitigated with quality fluid + dealer software updates).
Have any of these complaints led to recalls on the 2015 Peterbilt 389?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recalls have been issued for this make/model/year. Owner complaints are one of the inputs NHTSA uses to identify potential safety defects — when a pattern shows up in complaints, an investigation can open, and if a defect is confirmed, a recall is issued. See the recall page for this vehicle for details.
How do I file my own complaint about a Peterbilt truck?
Visit NHTSA.gov/file-complaint. You'll need: your VIN, the date of incident, description of what happened, and component affected (drivetrain, brakes, etc.). Filing takes ~10 minutes and adds your data point to the public record. This is the input that triggers NHTSA investigations. For commercial trucks, fleet operators reporting issues at scale (10+ similar reports) often accelerate NHTSA's review timeline.
What's the most expensive complaint pattern on the 2015 Peterbilt 389?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'WHEELS' with 2 reports. Depending on the specific failure mode, this can range from a few hundred dollars (sensor replacement) to several thousand (transmission rebuild, DPF replacement, engine work). The complaint pattern alone won't tell you cost — check the symptoms described for hints about the actual root cause. Most commercial-truck complaints describe symptoms ($1,500–$5,000 repair range is typical), not catastrophic failures.

Buying a used truck?

Tell us what you're looking for and we'll send matching new or used trucks — no obligation.

Prefer to talk? Call (682) 978-8641 · We reply within 1 business day. No spam.

Ready to Grow Your Trucking Business?

Dispatch support for your trucking business. Explore our current service options.

Get Started Free (682) 978-8641