Recall 99V181001 scope

Affected units

Vehicles identified

Makes involved

Model years

Recall 99V181001

THERMAL TREK INC. • ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE • reported Jul 9, 1999 • • 272 units affected

Remedy pending

View official record on NHTSA.gov · federal source of truth

Campaign: 99V181001
Manufacturer: THERMAL TREK INC.
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
Makes: KENWORTH, PETERBILT
Model Years: 1998–1999
Affected Units: 272
Country: US
Data As Of: Apr 5, 2026

What this recall is about, in plain English

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR ENGINES AND EATON AUTOSHIFT TRANSMISSIONS. INCREASED STEERING EFFORT CAN OCCUR. DEALERS WILL UPDATE THESE ENGINES WITH SOFTWARE CHANGES.

Synthesized from the NHTSA defect summary, consequence, and remedy fields shown below.

How serious is this recall vs others?

Each card compares this campaign against an NHTSA-derived peer baseline. Cards omit themselves when the denominator is too thin to be useful.

Affected Scale

38th percentile in scale

272 vehicles — among 16 recalls covering 1998–1999 KENWORTH/PETERBILT 357/377.

Component Frequency

Electrical System cited in 19.6% of recent recalls

590 of 3,012 NHTSA recalls in the last 36 months named a Electrical System-class component.

Manufacturer Density

No other recent recalls

THERMAL TREK INC. has issued 0 distinct recall campaigns in the last 24 months across all of its product lines.

Risk Summary (Consequence)

INCREASED STEERING EFFORT CAN OCCUR.

Defect Summary

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH CATERPILLAR ENGINES AND EATON AUTOSHIFT TRANSMISSIONS. THE ENGINES CAN STALL BECAUSE OF SOFTWARE PROBLEMS.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL UPDATE THESE ENGINES WITH SOFTWARE CHANGES. CATERPILLAR IS CONDUCTING THE OWNER NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THIS RECALL.

Key Dates

Report Date

Jul 9, 1999

Owner Notification

Unknown

Remedy Available

Unknown

Affected Vehicles

18 vehicles under this recall

Make	Model	Year	VIN Lookup
KENWORTH	T2000	1999	Check VINs
KENWORTH	T2000	1998	Check VINs
KENWORTH	T600	1999	Check VINs
KENWORTH	T600	1998	Check VINs
KENWORTH	T800	1999	Check VINs
KENWORTH	T800	1998	Check VINs
KENWORTH	W900	1999	Check VINs
KENWORTH	W900	1998	Check VINs
PETERBILT	357	1999	Check VINs
PETERBILT	357	1998	Check VINs
PETERBILT	377	1999	Check VINs
PETERBILT	377	1998	Check VINs
PETERBILT	378	1999	Check VINs
PETERBILT	378	1998	Check VINs
PETERBILT	379	1999	Check VINs
PETERBILT	379	1998	Check VINs
PETERBILT	385	1999	Check VINs
PETERBILT	385	1998	Check VINs

Official Sources & Documents

Links to NHTSA.gov and Part 573 recall reports when available — hosted by NHTSA, not TruckCodex

NHT View recall on NHTSA.gov

Documents hosted on nhtsa.gov. Links open in a new tab.

Recalls Affecting the Same Makes

Campaigns touching KENWORTH, PETERBILT from other manufacturers (last 3 years)

Campaign	Report Date	Manufacturer	Component	Units
26V022000	Jan 19, 2026	—	STEERING	219
25V795000	Nov 17, 2025	—	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR	62
25V569000	Sep 2, 2025	—	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	18,332
25V436000	Jun 26, 2025	—	EXTERIOR LIGHTING	56,260
25V353000	May 28, 2025	—	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR	315
25V182000	Mar 24, 2025	—	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	168
25V181000	Mar 24, 2025	—	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	238
25V041000	Jan 30, 2025	—	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	5,378
25V014000	Jan 16, 2025	—	VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	1,110
24V915000	Dec 9, 2024	—	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	220,764

Related NHTSA Complaints

Consumer complaints for the same make, model, and year within two years of the recall report date

Of 13 related complaints, the most reported components are Electrical System:Wiring (1), Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood (1), Electrical System:Wiring:Fuses And Circuit Breakers (1).

Complaint	Incident	Vehicle	Component	Summary	Severity
286330	Feb 15, 2001	1999 KENWORTH T600	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION	—
286331	Feb 15, 2001	1999 KENWORTH T600	POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT	POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT	—
249210	Oct 18, 2000	1999 KENWORTH W900	TIRES	TIRES	—
206518	Feb 11, 2000	1999 KENWORTH T800	POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT	POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:UNIVERSAL JOINT	—
170349	Aug 13, 1999	1998 PETERBILT 379	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS	Fire
290067	Aug 2, 1999	1998 PETERBILT 379	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD	Fire
193069	Jan 29, 1999	1999 KENWORTH T800	SUSPENSION:FRONT	SUSPENSION:FRONT	—
114780	Sep 7, 1998	1998 KENWORTH W900	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS	FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS	—
114779	Sep 7, 1998	1998 KENWORTH W900	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING	—
204521	Jul 7, 1998	1998 PETERBILT 379	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:INTERCONNECTING ASSEMBLY(WIRING)	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:INTERCONNECTING ASSEMBLY(WIRING)	Fire Inj: 1
274193	Jul 1, 1998	1998 KENWORTH T800	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK	SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK	—
210290	Mar 5, 1998	1998 PETERBILT 379	SUSPENSION	SUSPENSION	—
189706	Dec 21, 1999	1999 PETERBILT 379	STEERING	STEERING	—

How to Act on This Recall

Owners: Contact your authorized dealer to schedule the remedy at no cost. Remedy is covered under 49 U.S.C. 30120.
Fleets: See the Fleet Recall Workflow Guide for the operator workflow to sweep your VIN list against this and other open campaigns.
Looking up a specific VIN? Check VIN against NHTSA for open recalls on that vehicle.
NHTSA contact: Vehicle Safety Hotline 1-888-327-4236.

How to verify your vehicle is affected

Find your VIN. Locate your 17-character Vehicle Identification Number on the lower-left corner of your windshield, on the driver's-door jamb sticker, or on your vehicle registration. The VIN is the only reliable way to confirm whether a specific vehicle falls under a recall — make/model/year alone is not enough.
Check your VIN on this site. Enter the VIN at /vin/ to see every open recall tied to your specific vehicle, including 99V181001. Our lookup pulls directly from the NHTSA recall database and refreshes daily.
Cross-reference with the official NHTSA recall search. For a second source of truth, run the same VIN through https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. If both this site and NHTSA show the same campaign as open for your VIN, it applies — schedule the repair.
Contact your dealer if affected. Bring the campaign number, your VIN, and your registration to an authorized dealer for the make. The dealer performs the remedy at no cost. If you've already paid for a related repair, bring the receipt — the manufacturer is required to reimburse pre-recall repairs that addressed the same defect.

Frequently asked questions about recall 99V181001

What does this recall mean for me as a vehicle owner? ▾

Recall 99V181001 means the manufacturer has identified a defect or noncompliance that may affect your vehicle. Repair work is performed at no cost to you under 49 U.S.C. § 30120. You don't have to do anything until you receive an owner notification letter, but you can act sooner if you want — bring this campaign number to your dealer.

Is this recall under remedy yet? ▾

Not yet — as of the last NHTSA refresh on this page, no remedy date is on file. Affected owners should monitor their mail for the manufacturer's notification letter and contact a dealer in the meantime.

How do I find out if my specific VIN is affected? ▾

Run your VIN through our VIN check tool to see all open recalls tied to your specific vehicle, including this one. NHTSA also offers an official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Both pull from the same federal source.

Who pays for the recall remedy? ▾

The manufacturer pays. Federal law requires the manufacturer to repair, replace, or refund the affected vehicle or component at no cost to the owner — including parts, labor, and reasonable diagnostic time. If a dealer tries to charge you for a recall remedy, contact the manufacturer's customer line first, then NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236.

What if I've already had repair work done that addresses this issue? ▾

Save the receipt. Federal law requires the manufacturer to reimburse you for pre-recall repairs that addressed the same defect, subject to the reimbursement window the manufacturer publishes in its notification letter (typically the first refund period covers repairs going back to the earliest awareness date). Submit the receipt directly to the manufacturer with your VIN and the campaign number.

How do I check the recall status by VIN? ▾

Use our VIN lookup tool — it returns every open recall, including completion status when the manufacturer reports it. The result also links back to each campaign's detail page.

What if this recall isn't fixed and I sell the vehicle? ▾

You're not legally required to complete a recall before selling a used vehicle, but most state titling agencies and many dealers will run a VIN check during the sale. Disclose the open recall to the buyer in writing — undisclosed safety recalls are a common basis for post-sale fraud claims.

Where can I see all recalls for KENWORTH 357 1998? ▾

Browse all KENWORTH recalls on this site, or visit the manufacturer's page to filter by year and component.

THERMAL TREK INC.

View all recalls by THERMAL TREK INC.

KENWORTH

View all KENWORTH models, recalls, and complaints

PETERBILT

View all PETERBILT models, recalls, and complaints

All Recall Campaigns

Browse all NHTSA safety recalls

NHTSA Complaints

Browse consumer safety complaints

Data sources & freshness

TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.

FMCSA

Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.

Refreshed daily.

NHTSA

Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).

Refreshed daily.

EIA

Retail diesel and gasoline price history and state fuel-tax tables.

Refreshed weekly.

Transport Canada

Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.

Refreshed weekly.

TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.