Kirkland, Washington — PACCAR Inc. has issued an official safety recall affecting approximately 14,000 Kenworth commercial trucks from the 2024 through 2026 model years, following documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The action targets specific T680, T880, and W990 vocational and long-haul units equipped with a 15-inch digital dashboard that can experience sudden software failures.
At the root of the campaign is a software malfunction that can prevent the massive digital screen from displaying essential warning indicators, driver alerts, and the vehicle speed itself. Losing these visual feeds creates an immediate regulatory violation under Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards 101 concerning controls and displays, alongside standard 121 requirements for air brake systems.
To resolve the dashboard glitch, authorized Kenworth dealers will execute a free software flash on all impacted units. PACCAR tracks this internal action under reference number 25PACG, while federal regulators logged the campaign as NHTSA recall 25V569. Manufacturers have not yet released an exact timeline for direct owner notifications, though fleet managers can reach corporate customer support at 1-425-828-5888.
What This Means for Drivers
Driving an OTR truck driver route with a blank instrument cluster creates an unacceptable risk of roadside citations and out-of-service orders during DOT inspections. Owner-operators running these late-model Kenworths must coordinate with local dealerships immediately to schedule the mandatory software patch before compliance audits catch the defect. Fleet safety directors need to pull affected T680, T880, and W990 units off active loads to prevent potential air brake monitoring failures on the highway.
Industry Reaction
Software-dependent heavy trucks continue to frustrate independent contractors and fleet mechanics who rely on physical gauges rather than digital tablets for mission-critical engine and braking data. As more heavy-duty OEMs transition to fully digitized cockpits, software bugs that compromise fundamental FMCSA compliance metrics are putting unnecessary friction on everyday freight operations.
Key Points
- Recall impacts roughly 14,000 Kenworth T680, T880, and W990 trucks from model years 2024 to 2026.
- The 15-inch digital display can fail to show vehicle speed and critical safety warning indicators.
- Dealerships will perform the required software update at zero cost to vehicle owners.
- Federal regulators track this campaign as NHTSA recall 25V569 and PACCAR reference 25PACG.
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