Total Complaints
4 filings
Kenworth T800 · model year
1999 Kenworth T800
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 4
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1999 Kenworth T800 posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 20th pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1999KenworthT800 carries 4 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1999 T800 is suspension:front with 1 filings, followed by power train:driveline:universal joint (1) and suspension:front:springs:air suspension system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 1999 T800. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1999 Kenworth T800
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040223ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL
RECENTLY ONE OF MY TRACTORS EQUIPPED WITH A CATEPILLAR ENGINE HAD A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE WHICH CAUSED MY DRIVER TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY STOP ALONG A FREEWAY IN COLORADO. I WAS INFORMED THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BROKEN. BY MISTAKE A NOTICE SENT BY CATERPILLAR NAMED "CONFIDENTIAL" WAS LEFT ON A COUNTER WHICH I HAPPENED TO PICK UP AND READ. IT STATED TRUCKS WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE STARTING WITH A CERTAIN SERIAL NO. AND ENDING WITH ANOTHER SERIAL NO. HAD THIS TYPE OF ENGINE FAILURE, BROKEN CRANKSHAFT, WOULD BE HANDLED ACCORDING TO THE MILEAGE ON THAT TRUCK. IT ALSO STATED NO REPAIR WAS TO BE ADMINISTERED UNTIL THE CRANKSHAFT FAILED. THE NUMBER OF ENGINES INVOLVED ACCORDING TO THE SERIAL NO. WAS APPROXIMATELY 20,000. AFTER READING THEIR BULLETIN IT WAS APPARENT TO ME CATERPILLAR KNEW THEY HAD A FLAW IN THESE CRANK SHAFTS AND INSTEAD OF RECALLING AND REPLACING THESE CRANKSHAFTS THEY WOULD PREFER TO TAKE A CHANCE AND REPLACE, ACCORDING TO THE MILEAGE AT FAILURE, THE FAILED COMPONET. AT ISSUE HE
Mileage: 628,000
20011109SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM
WHEEL BEARINGS KEEP FAILING, STEERING TIRES KEEP GETTING EATEN UP, WHICH CAUSES VEHICLE TO PULL TO RIGHT, WHEN THIS HAPPENS BRAKES WOULD CHATTER DUE TO A LACK OF WHEEL BEARINGS. DRUM DROPPED ON BRAKE PADS AND SHOES. BRAKE SHOES WOULD BREAK OFF.*AK *YD
20000411POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT
RECALL 99V303/ ALUMINUM DRIVELINE. PARTS THAT WERE NEEDED TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK
20000120SUSPENSION:FRONT
VEHICLE EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE CONTINUALLY PULLING TO THE RIGHT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
Compare 1999KenworthT800 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1999 Kenworth T800 have?▼
The 1999 Kenworth T800 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Kenworth T800?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 Kenworth T800 is SUSPENSION:FRONT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT and SUSPENSION:FRONT:SPRINGS:AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM.
Is the 1999 Kenworth T800 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.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1999 Kenworth T800; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.