BELLEVUE, Wash. – PACCAR Incorporated has agreed to recall certain 2021 Peterbilt 348 and 579 trucks due to a potential loss of air pressure thanks to a potentially defective spring brake chamber.

The recall covers 13 vehicles built between March 11 and July 13, 2020, with the recall population determined based upon supplier “Meritor’s identification of line-sequenced assemblies produced with TSE-supplied chambers before TSE’s heat treat fixture was corrected,” according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Part 573 Safety Recall Report 21V-328. Sensor

Brake Chamber Defect Causes PACCAR Recall - The BRAKE Report

The consequence of a vehicle having this defect is: the pressure plate may tear the diaphragm, causing a loss of air pressure, setting the parking brake and increasing the risk of a crash, NHTSA reported.

Related post: Paccar Recalls Kenworth, Peterbilt Trucks for ABS Issue

There are a number of warnings should this defect occur, including low air warnings, difficulty going into gear due to low air pressure, audible air leaks and inability to build up enough pressure to release park brakes.

The remedy is replacement of the brake chamber with one having a correctly aligned park spring (which can be observed by visual inspection of the chamber). This will be done free of charge to both the repairing dealer and the owner.

Dealers and owners are scheduled to begin receiving notice of the recall July 9th.

Mike Geylin is the Editor-in-Chief at Hagman Media. Geylin has been in automotive communications for five decades working in all aspects of the industry from OEM to supplier to motorsports as well as reporting for both newspapers and magazines on the industry.