Paccar Recalls Some Kenworth, Peterbilt Trucks Over Brake Issue

Truck maker Paccar Inc. has recalled some 2012-2013 model year Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks equipped with Bendix brake components that may leak, Bloomberg reported, citing a federal regulatory agency.

The almost 16,000 affected trucks were built between January 2011 and Jan. 19 of this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement, Bloomberg reported.

The trucks are equipped with Bendix ATR-6 antilock traction relay valves that may leak fluid in extremely cold conditions and cause the brakes to engage, overheat and could lead to a fire or loss of control of the truck, Bloomberg reported.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems last month notified NHTSA of the defect in a valve that helps with traction and stability control, which may leak when temperatures fall below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, Bloomberg said, citing a Bendix statement.

News of the faulty part became public last week during Navistar Inc.’s quarterly stock analyst meeting, when officials revealed the Bendix brake issue, while warning that it was unclear what the effects might be on Navistar’s short-term profitability.

Volvo was working on a “design solution” to enable them to continue building trucks at a Virginia plant, Reuters reported.

Bendix Commercial is a unit of closely held Munich-based Knorr-Bremse Group AG.