Total Complaints
1 filings
PETERBILT 320 · model year
1989 PETERBILT 320
1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. 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
The 1989PETERBILT320 carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 1 fatality. 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 1989 320 is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings. 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 1989 320. 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
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
1
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010619CrashFatalPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE PETERBILT 320 - WITH AN ALLISON 754 HT TRANSMISSION (AUTOMATIC MECHANICAL) HAS TWO (2) SEPARATE DEADLY DEFECTS: ILLUSORY NEUTRAL DEFECT - SHIFT INDICATOR IN CAB READS NEUTRAL AND VIBRATION OF VEHICLE CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO GO INTO GEAR. THIS VEHICLE IS USUALLY USED AS REFUSE VEHICLES. THIS DEFECTS OCCURS USUALLY WHEN PTO IS ON, WHICH CAUSES HIGH RPMS. THE DRIVER THINKS THE TRANSMISSION IS IN NEUTRAL BECAUSE THE SHIFT INDICATOR IN THE CAB SHOWS NEUTRAL AND THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT ENGAGED (THAT IS, THE VEHICLE WILL REMAIN MOTIONLESS ON LEVEL GROUND). . INSTEAD, THE TRANSMISSION IS REALLY IS IN BETWEEN THE NEUTRAL AND DRIVE POSITIONS. THE VIBRATION FROM THE PTO CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION TO UNEXPECTEDLY DROP INTO DRIVE. THE ALLISON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DROPS INTO DRIVE (WITH HIGH RPMS) AND THE PARKING BRAKE DOES NOT HOLD VEHICLE. THUS, THE BRAKES ARE DEFECTIVE AND THE TRANSMISSION IS DEFECTIVE. IN ADDITION TO A FATALITY, WE HAVE MANY DRIVERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAM
Compare 1989PETERBILT320 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 PETERBILT 320 have?▼
The 1989 PETERBILT 320 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 PETERBILT 320?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 PETERBILT 320 is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1989 PETERBILT 320 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 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 1989 PETERBILT 320; 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.