PACCAR Incorporated is recalling 26,729 Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks because a fuel filter hose can separate from its fitting, raising the risk of a fuel leak, an engine stall or a fire, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall covers a wide range of medium duty models built between 2022 and 2027 that are common in delivery, utility and vocational fleets across the country.
What the recall covers
PACCAR Incorporated is recalling certain 2022-2023 Kenworth T370, T270, 2022-2027 Kenworth T280, Peterbilt 548, 2023-2027 Kenworth T480, T380, Peterbilt 536, 537, and 2025 Peterbilt 567 vehicles.
The remote fuel filter hoses may separate from the fitting, causing a fuel leak and an engine stall. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
The NHTSA recall database lists the campaign as number 26V-700, with PACCAR’s internal reference as 26PACJ . The agency’s filing was submitted October 21, 2026 , the start of the window manufacturers typically use before owner notices go out.
The recall stems from a broader Cummins L9 engine recall first issued in September. Although more than 39,000 L9 engines are subject to the recall, the manufacturer estimates only 3% actually have a defective fuel filter hose. Paccar is the latest manufacturer to issue a related recall, with nearly 27,000 of its trucks affected , and like the original Cummins recall, Paccar estimates only 3% of the total recall population is affected by the defect.
Remedy and timeline
Dealers will replace the fuel hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters will be mailed beginning December 20, 2026.
In the meantime, PACCAR is directing fleet operators and owners with questions to its two brand service lines rather than a single customer contact point, splitting support by nameplate even though both brands share the same underlying parts and corporate ownership.
Owners may contact Peterbilt’s customer service at 1-940-591-4220 or Kenworth’s customer service at 1-425-828-5888 with recall number 26PACJ. Fleet managers who cannot wait for the mailed notice can also look up individual vehicles by VIN through NHTSA’s public recall lookup tool.
A recurring fuel hose problem
This is not the first time PACCAR has flagged this exact failure point. The company issued a similar recall in 2021 covering 2021-2022 Peterbilt 536, 537, 548 and Kenworth T270, T280, T370, T380, T440, T470, and T480 vehicles equipped with Cummins L9 diesel engines , affecting 688 units.
A follow up recall in 2023 covered approximately 871 Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks after the trucks’ remote Stage 2 fuel filter hoses may have been damaged during production, allowing them to leak or disconnect. In each case, investigators traced the issue to the remote fuel filter hose assembly that runs between the fuel pump and filter head on Cummins powered medium duty trucks.
The latest campaign is by far the largest of the three, covering more than 30 times the number of trucks affected by the 2023 action. The broader model year range, spanning 2022 through 2027 builds, reflects the scope of the underlying Cummins L9 engine recall rather than a single assembly run.
Why it matters for fleets
Medium duty trucks like the Kenworth T270, T280, T370, T380 and T480, along with their Peterbilt 536, 537, 548 and 567 counterparts, are workhorses for regional delivery, construction and utility fleets rather than long haul operations.
A recall of this size means thousands of commercial operators will need to schedule dealer visits during the notification window, adding to the maintenance planning fleets already juggle alongside other recent safety actions, including Ford’s tailgate recall.
The fuel hose recall was announced the same week NHTSA also flagged other commercial vehicle defects, including Gillig transit buses whose remote fuel filter hoses may separate from the fitting, causing a fuel leak and an engine stall , and a Great Dane trailer landing gear issue in which k-brace welds may fail, resulting in the landing gear collapsing , underscoring how closely regulators are scrutinizing commercial vehicle components this fall.
That scrutiny comes even as automakers navigate separate engine and emissions related cost pressures heading into the 2027 model year, a period that has already strained truck financing for fleets watching other probes.
