PETERBILT 320 · model year

2012 PETERBILT 320

1 NHTSA complaints, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2012PETERBILT320 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, 1 fire, 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 2012 320 is unknown or other with 1 filings. 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 5 active recall campaigns, 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 2012 320. 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.

1
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

1 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
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (5)

12V02600030/01/2012

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE

PACCAR IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012-2013 KENWORTH T170, T270, T370, T440, T470, T660, T700, T800, W900, AND PETERBILT 320, 330, 337, 348, 365, 367, 382, 384, 386, 388, 389, AND 587 VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 31, 2011, THROUGH JANUARY 19, 2012, AND EQUIPPED WITH BENDIX ATR-6 ANTILOCK

15V30900026/05/2015

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2010-2016 Kenworth T440, T800, and W900 trucks manufactured August 31, 2009, to April 20, 2015, and 2008-2015 Peterbilt 320, 337, 348, 365, 382, and 384 trucks manufactured July 27, 2007, to April 28, 2015, and equipped with certain Cummin

15V10800024/02/2015

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Peterbilt 320, 365, 367, 388, and 389 trucks manufactured July 21, 2008, to February 28, 2014. The front axle tie rod end clamp bolts may be improperly torqued.

11V12700023/02/2011

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

PACCAR IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008-2012 KENWORTH T2000, T660, T700, T800, AND W900, AS WELL AS MODEL YEAR 2009-2012 PETERBILT 365, 367, 384, 386, 387, 388, 389, AND 587 TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH PACCAR MX ENGINES. THE OIL MODULE CENTRIFUGAL SPINNER FILTER CAP IN THE PACCAR MX ENGINE MAY BECOME

19V45200014/06/2019

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL

PACCAR Incorporated (PACCAR) is recalling certain 1990-2020 Peterbilt 320 and 520 vehicles built with specific amber rear turn signals. The turn signals may also light up with the stop/tail lights when the brakes are applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal

Recent Complaints

20180424FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER

ONE ARMED TRASH TRUCK FIRE. HOT HYDRAULICS CAUGHT FIRE FROM DEBRIS HITTING THEM WHEN EMPTYING TRASH. VERY WINDY AND COLD DAY, RIGHT AFTER LONG HOLIDAY BREAK - LOTS OF LOOSE WRAPPING PAPER AND TUBES IN TRASH FROM HOLIDAYS. THE OLDER MODELS HAVE NO COVER OR SHIELD TO PROTECT THE HOT HYDRAULIC LINES FROM FLYING DEBRIS! THEY ALSO DO NOT HAVE A MIRROR TO SEE BETWEEN THE CAB AND THE HOPPER TO ENSURE NO DEBRIS HAS LANDED ON HOT HYDRAULICS. MORE RECENT MODELS HAVE A SHIELD OR A COVER TO PROTECT HYDRAULIC LINES FROM RECEIVING FLYING DEBRIS AND CATCHING FIRE. I HAVE MANY MORE PICTURES SHOULD THEY BE NEEDED THAT I COULD NOT ATTACH. I ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION ON SIMILAR INCIDENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PAST, SAFETY RECALLS AND /OR ALERTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED. NEED THIS INFO ASAP, AS MY HUSBAND WAS SUSPENDED FROM WORK WITHOUT PAY FOR AN "ACCIDENT"!

Compare 2012PETERBILT320 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2012 PETERBILT 320 have?
The 2012 PETERBILT 320 has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2012 PETERBILT 320?
Yes, the 2012 PETERBILT 320 has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:SUPPLY:CHECK VALVE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 PETERBILT 320?
The most-complained component for the 2012 PETERBILT 320 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 2012 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 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.