Reliability & cost of ownership
Peterbilt 389 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Peterbilt 389? 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.
Peterbilt 389 problems by model year
69 recall entries and 21 owner complaints on file across 9 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 389 | 5 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2022 389 | 7 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2021 389 | 6 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 389 | 6 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 389 | 7 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 389 | 10 | 7 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 389 | 7 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 389 | 9 | 1 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2008 389 | 12 | 3 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Peterbilt 389, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- electrical system5 complaints
- wheels4 complaints
- tires4 complaints
- structure3 complaints
- engine2 complaints
- service brakes2 complaints
- electronic stability control (esc)2 complaints
- unknown or other2 complaints