NHTSA Owner Complaints
2020 Peterbilt 579
2 owner-reported issues
Owner-reported data
Total complaints
2
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
0
Open recalls
2
What this means
Fewer than 5 NHTSA complaints filed on 2020 Peterbilt 579. Either the truck is too new for a meaningful sample, or owners aren't reporting issues to NHTSA.
Top reported issues
- #1ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)1 (50%)
- #2SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE1 (50%)
Recent complaint examples
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE0000-00-00
Vehicle has a following distance sensor on front bumper. Sensor is sensing overpasses when traveling underneath them and that should not be detected. Vehicle is automatically applying hard braking. This is causing a possible rear end collision and or loss of vehicle controll i…
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)0000-00-00
EOA SUPPORT BRACKET BROKE OFF AND THE EOA MANIFOLD FELL INTO THE DRIVE SHAFT CAUSING THE LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE. THE TRUCK WAS ON THE INSTATE IN THE CITY.…
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these Peterbilt 579 2020 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 2020 Peterbilt 579 based on these complaints?
It depends on the components reported. 2 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 2020 Peterbilt 579?
Yes — 2 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 2020 Peterbilt 579?
Based on the complaint data: the top reported issue is 'ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)' with 1 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.
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