Reliability & cost of ownership
Kenworth T800 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kenworth T800? 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 T800 problems by model year
186 recall entries and 22 owner complaints on file across 14 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 T800 | 11 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 T800 | 12 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 T800 | 10 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 T800 | 13 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2010 T800 | 11 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2009 T800 | 19 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 T800 | 25 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2007 T800 | 21 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2006 T800 | 13 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2005 T800 | 12 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2004 T800 | 12 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2003 T800 | 7 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2001 T800 | 10 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2000 T800 | 10 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kenworth T800, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system6 complaints
- unknown or other4 complaints
- service brakes3 complaints
- structure2 complaints
- fuel system2 complaints
- exterior lighting1 complaint
- vehicle speed control1 complaint
- suspension1 complaint