What breaks most · 1991 to 2007 model years
Peterbilt 379 problems by year
Owners have filed 60 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Peterbilt 379 across model years 1991 to 2007. Three years stand out: 2000 for latches and locks complaints, 2005 for engine and cooling complaints and 1998 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1992 and 1994.
- Years to check closely: 2000, 2005, 1998
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1992, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 601991 to 2007, all trims
- Worst year
- 200012 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 213 fires · 3 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 210kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 50Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Visibility (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Wheels (1) | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Tires (2) | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | Wheels (1) | |
| 6 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (3) | |
| 5 | 0 | 6 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 12 | 0 | 6 | Latches and locks (4) | |
| 6 | 0 | 4 | Suspension (3) | |
| 3 | 0 | 5 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 4 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 7 | 0 | 6 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 7 | Visibility (1) | |
| 6 | 1 | 9 | Engine and cooling (2) |
What fails on the 2000 Peterbilt 379
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 33% |
4 | 0 | Shop all latches and locks parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 25% |
3 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 25% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Service Brakes, AIR | 17% |
2 | 0 | — |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 17% |
2 | 0 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 17% |
2 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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While driving 65 mph and going over a pot hole in the pavement the driver's side door unexpectedly opened. The cause is unknown. Nlm
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2005 peterbilt 379 conventional, drive shaft broke from truck onto the roadway and another vehicle struck it. *bf ohio traffic crash report # 10-0279-90 updated 05/03/10 *bf
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Main power line rubbed against the fuel line, causing and electric static and sparked a fire. Please provide further information. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Peterbilt 379 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2000, 2005, 1998 carry the most filings on the Peterbilt 379. The 2000 alone has 12 complaints, led by latches and locks.
What is the most common Peterbilt 379 problem?
On the 2000 model year, the most-reported component is latches and locks with 4 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Peterbilt 379 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Peterbilt 379 complaints that include mileage is about 210,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.