Reliability & cost of ownership
Kenworth C500 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kenworth C500? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Kenworth C500 problems by model year
18 recall entries and 4 owner complaints on file across 4 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 C500 | 3 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 C500 | 4 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 C500 | 6 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 C500 | 5 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kenworth C500, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system1 complaint
- unknown or other1 complaint
- tires1 complaint
- wheels1 complaint