PACCAR Inc. is recalling 811 Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks because the wiring harness for the driver’s seat ventilation system can be missing its protective heat-shrink coating, raising the risk of a short circuit and a fire in the cab. The recall covers the 2027 Peterbilt 567, 579 and 589 and the 2027 Kenworth T680, T880 and W990, filed with U.S. regulators under NHTSA campaign 26V-544 and with Transport Canada as recall 2026405. PACCAR’s internal reference for the fix is 25PACE.
The affected trucks are brand-new by industry standards, all carrying 2027 model-year designations, which points to a defect introduced during a recent production run rather than one that surfaced after years of service. Six nameplates across two of PACCAR’s truck brands share the same seat hardware, which is why the recall spans both Peterbilt and Kenworth rather than a single brand. Peterbilt and Kenworth are both units of PACCAR Inc., the Bellevue, Washington-based truck maker that also owns European brand DAF, and the two American brands have long shared underlying components even while competing against each other in the same heavy-truck market.
Missing heat-shrink turns a comfort feature into a fire path
Transport Canada’s recall record describes the defect in mechanical terms: “the wiring harness for the driver’s and/or passenger’s seat ventilation system may not have enough protection and could become damaged.” Trade publication FleetOwner reported the same root cause in NHTSA’s language, that “the seat ventilation harness may be missing heat-shrink, resulting in a short circuit.” Heat-shrink tubing is the insulating sleeve that keeps a wiring harness from chafing against metal seat frames and cab components as the truck moves; without it, exposed wire strands can eventually make contact with something they should not.
The consequence both regulators cite is direct. “A short circuit can create the risk of a fire,” Transport Canada’s filing states, and unlike a warning light or a stalled engine, a cab fire risk sits inches from where the driver is seated for hours at a stretch. PACCAR’s interim instruction reflects that urgency: owners are being told to stop using the seat ventilation function altogether until a dealer replaces the harness, rather than wait for a scheduled service visit.
A shared harness across two truck brands and six model lines
Peterbilt and Kenworth operate as separate brands under PACCAR, each with its own dealer network and model lineup, but both draw seat components from common suppliers, which is how a single wiring defect reaches the Peterbilt 567, 579 and 589 alongside the Kenworth T680, T880 and W990 in one recall. All six are 2027 model-year trucks, meaning the 811-unit population is concentrated in trucks that, in many cases, have only recently reached a fleet or an owner-operator.
Overdrive’s trucking-industry report and a separate account from Professional Technician both confirm the same population figure and the same six model designations, cross-checking the numbers FleetOwner first reported against NHTSA’s recall filing independently.
PACCAR’s fire-risk recall was one of four commercial-vehicle actions NHTSA processed that same week, according to FleetOwner’s roundup. Altec Industries recalled 55 bucket trucks and digger derricks over an anti-lock braking system that was not recalibrated after a front radar box was moved; the Heil Company recalled 654 CNG-powered garbage trucks after finding an incorrect bolt that could damage compressed natural gas cylinders; and a separate, far larger recall covering 844,027 Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Dodge vehicles addressed a rearview camera that can fail to display in reverse. Set against that backdrop, PACCAR’s 811-truck seat-fire recall was the smallest of the four by unit count but shared the same underlying pattern: a single component, installed incorrectly or without adequate protection, turning into a fire or visibility hazard.
Dealer replacement, a mid-October letter and two service lines
PACCAR expects to begin mailing owner notification letters around October 20, 2026, directing owners to a Peterbilt or Kenworth dealership for the harness replacement, which will be done at no cost. Owners can reach Peterbilt customer service directly at 940-591-4220 or Kenworth customer service at 425-828-5888, and FleetOwner’s reporting notes the recall was one of several commercial-vehicle actions NHTSA processed that week covering braking, visibility and fire-risk defects across multiple manufacturers.
Transport Canada’s parallel filing, identified as RA-82574, lists no confirmed fires or injuries tied to the defect so far, which is consistent with PACCAR catching the wiring problem through its own inspection process and issuing the stop-use instruction before any documented incident forced its hand. Until the harness is replaced, the interim fix for 811 drivers is simple: leave the seat ventilation switch off, and wait for the dealer letter or campaign number 26V-544 to confirm a specific truck falls inside the recalled population before assuming otherwise.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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