KENWORTH T170 · model year

2020 KENWORTH T170

3 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2020KENWORTHT170 carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2020 T170 is service brakes with 1 filings, followed by steering (1) and unknown or other (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2020 T170. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES1
STEERING1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (1)

20V19900006/04/2020

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 2008-2019 Peterbilt 330, 335, 337, 340, 348, 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388, 389, 567, 579 and 587 vehicles and 2008-2020 Kenworth T170, T270, T370, T660, T680, T800, T880, and W900 vehicles equipped with NAMUX Software. In the event that the Anti-lo

Recent Complaints

20210728SERVICE BRAKES

The vehicle drifts to the right and will not track in its lane. In addition there is a hard pull to the right upon hard braking. There is also front end vibration. It has been taken to the factory authorized facility a number of times and has been in the shop for more than 3 months in the last approximate year.

20210728STEERING

The vehicle drifts to the right and will not track in its lane. In addition there is a hard pull to the right upon hard braking. There is also front end vibration. It has been taken to the factory authorized facility a number of times and has been in the shop for more than 3 months in the last approximate year.

20210728UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicle drifts to the right and will not track in its lane. In addition there is a hard pull to the right upon hard braking. There is also front end vibration. It has been taken to the factory authorized facility a number of times and has been in the shop for more than 3 months in the last approximate year.

Compare 2020KENWORTHT170 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2020 KENWORTH T170 have?
The 2020 KENWORTH T170 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2020 KENWORTH T170?
Yes, the 2020 KENWORTH T170 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC). Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 KENWORTH T170?
The most-complained component for the 2020 KENWORTH T170 is SERVICE BRAKES with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include STEERING and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2020 KENWORTH T170 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.