Judge lets Paccar MX-13 fuel-injector warranty lawsuit move forward

A federal judge is allowing a warranty lawsuit over allegedly defective fuel injectors in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks to proceed, according to Land Line Media on Oct. 13.

In an October 1 order, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik rejected Paccar's argument that the Clean Air Act barred the claim, finding that owners can pursue allegations that Paccar breached its engine warranty without proving the engines violated federal emission standards. The ruling does not establish liability and does not certify a class.

The proposed class-action lawsuit, brought by 30 companies and one individual, alleges that deposits inside fuel injectors on Paccar's EPA 2021 MX-13 engines disrupted fuel delivery, causing knocking, severe vibration, and sudden reductions in engine power known as derates.

The plaintiffs' examples are stark. Tecumseh, Kansas-based 10th Gear says problems began just after 1,000 miles, with eight fuel-system incidents by about 206,600 miles. Little Diesel Transportation of Branson, Missouri, reported 19 repair visits and 110 days of downtime across five trucks as of February 2024. Muskegon, Michigan-based Wolverine Haulers says breakdowns left it unable to keep up with payments, forcing it to surrender its trucks to Paccar Financial.

Paccar denies breaching the warranty and says it provided required injector repairs and replacements at no expense to plaintiffs; the owners allege those repairs repeatedly failed. Paccar has extended injector warranty coverage to 10 years or 435,000 miles. The plaintiffs seek damages for a proposed class of U.S. buyers and lessees who acquired new vehicles with the engine and filed injector-related warranty claims, plus payment for future repairs until a replacement injector design is proven to be a permanent fix.