Total Complaints
1 filings
Kenworth T800 · model year
2003 Kenworth T800
1 NHTSA complaints, and 7 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. 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
- 1
- Recalls
- 7
The verdict
The 2003 Kenworth T800 posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 30%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 7
- recall campaigns
The 2003KenworthT800 carries 1 consumer safety complaint 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 2003 T800 is exterior lighting:headlights with 1 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2003 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2003 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 |
|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 1 |
Recalls (7)
03V12600031/03/2003
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH MERITOR P 18X7 BRAKES WITH 36" BRAKE CHAMBERS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD (FMVSS) NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS." THESE TRUCKS WERE MANUFACTURED WITH A COMBINED AIR RESERVOIR VOLUME LESS THAN 12 TIMES THE COMBINED VOLUME O
07V10700016/03/2007
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, THE WIRING, PARTS, OR TRANSMISSION PROGRAMMING REQUIRED FOR THE AUTO NEUTRAL FEATURE TO FUNCTION AS DESIGNED WERE EITHER NOT INSTALLED, CONNECTED, OR PROGRAMMED PROPERLY.
03V04500013/02/2003
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH TRAILER CONNECTIONS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS (FMVSS) NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS," AND NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE SUPPLIER REMOVED A RUBBER GROMMET FROM THE TRAILER LIGHT LIN
04V17400012/04/2004
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH EATON FULLER ULTRASONIC TRANSMISSIONS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT." THE CAB TRANSMISSION HARNESS COULD HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY
03V28500005/08/2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, THE MAIN CAB WIRING HARNESS WAS INCORRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE 50 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER INSTEAD OF THE 135 AMP BREAKER.
03V16800005/05/2003
TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH JOST INTERNATIONAL JSK 37U SERIES FIFTH WHEELS, A FATIGUE CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE BRACKET PIN WELD UNDER CERTAIN LOADING CONDITIONS.
03V23400001/07/2003
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH VERTICAL TAIL PIPES, THE FRAME ACCESS GRABHANDLE IS MOUNTED TOO HIGH.
Recent Complaints
20040311EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THIS FORCED THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, BECAUSE LACK OF VISIBILITY. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED HEADLIGHT WIRING MELTED.*AK
Compare 2003KenworthT800 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 Kenworth T800 have?▼
The 2003 Kenworth T800 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2003 Kenworth T800?▼
Yes, the 2003 Kenworth T800 has 7 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, AIR. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Kenworth T800?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 Kenworth T800 is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2003 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 2003 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.