Kenworth VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
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Kenworth Truck Company is an American truck manufacturer headquartered in Kirkland, Washington, and a division of PACCAR Inc. Founded in 1923 by Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington (whose surnames combine to form Ken-Worth) from the Gerlinger Motor Truck Company, Kenworth has been a PACCAR subsidiary since 1945. Together with sister brand Peterbilt, Kenworth represents PACCAR's North American truck operations.
Kenworth produces Class 8 long-haul tractors, vocational trucks and medium-duty trucks. The T680 highway tractor, T880 vocational Class 8, W990 owner-operator long-hood and T680E battery-electric Class 8 represent the modern lineup. The W900 owner-operator truck (in production since 1961) is one of the longest-running heavy-truck nameplates and competes head-to-head with Peterbilt's Model 389. Kenworth and Peterbilt combined hold approximately 28-30% of US Class 8 market share.
Kenworth's parent PACCAR trades on the NASDAQ under PCAR. Recall data for every Kenworth VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Kenworth VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Kenworth at a glance
- Founded
- 1923
- Founders
- Harry Kent, Edgar Worthington
- Headquarters
- Kirkland, Washington, USA
- Parent
- PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ: PCAR, since 1945)
- Sister brand
- Peterbilt (PACCAR)
- Longest-running
- W900 (since 1961)
- US Class 8 share
- ~28-30% combined PACCAR
- First electric
- T680E (2022)
- Basic warranty
- 2 years / 250,000 miles
- Engine warranty
- 5 years / 500,000-750,000 miles
Decode any Kenworth VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Kenworth dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Kenworth technology
Kenworth heritage
Edgar K. Worthington and his uncle Captain Frederick Kent acquired Gerlinger Motor Truck Company in 1923, renaming it Kenworth Motor Truck Company. The Pacific Car and Foundry Company (later PACCAR) acquired Kenworth in 1945 and acquired Peterbilt in 1958, creating the PACCAR truck-brand structure that exists today. The 1953 Kenworth Conventional with Cummins engine became the standard configuration for North American long-haul; the 1961 W900 set the long-hood owner-operator template that remains in production.
Market position
Kenworth competes in the North American Class 8 long-haul, vocational and medium-duty segments alongside PACCAR sibling Peterbilt against Freightliner, Volvo, Mack, International and Western Star. Kenworth and Peterbilt are platform-sharing siblings with separate dealer networks; combined market share runs approximately 28-30% of new US Class 8 sales. Kenworth's 2022 T680E launched the brand's first Class 8 battery-electric tractor.
New-vehicle warranty
KENWORTH VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick KENWORTH VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any KENWORTH VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Kenworth models (44)
Frequently asked questions
When was Kenworth founded and by whom?
Kenworth was founded in 1923 by Harry Kent, Edgar Worthington and is headquartered in Kirkland, USA.
Where is the VIN on a Kenworth vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Kenworth models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 44 Kenworth nameplates. Any 17-character Kenworth VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Kenworth warranty?
Basic: 2 years / 250,000 miles (varies). Powertrain: 5 years / 500,000-750,000 miles (engine).
How to check Kenworth recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Kenworth Truck Company (PACCAR division) — not Peterbilt Motors (the sister PACCAR brand) or Pacific Car and Foundry (the original PACCAR name, founded 1905).
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