Farm alleges that their new $240,000 Kenworth has been in the repair shop nearly 50 times.

      WWBT

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      I am aware of at least one Kenworth semi truck that has reached over four million miles, but this farm truck from Virginia demonstrates that even companies known for their reliability can encounter issues. As reported by local news station WWBT, this 2026 Kenworth T280 has been in the repair shop nearly 50 times since it was purchased in August for $247,357 by Douglas Coleman Farms.

      Family members who operate the farm shared with WWBT that the truck broke down within the first week of ownership and spent almost all of November and December in the shop due to problems including malfunctioning gauges, a transmission that wouldn't shift, electrical failures, and even a fire. They reported to the media that they've incurred losses of $30,000 to $40,000 due to the truck's frequent downtime over the past nine months.

      Kenworth via YouTube

      Virginia’s lemon law applies to new vehicles that have had three separate repairs for the same issue or that have been out of service for a minimum of 30 days within a calendar year. Claims under the lemon law must be filed within 18 months of purchase. However, John Gayle, a lawyer consulted by WWBT who has previously amended Virginia’s lemon law, mentioned that the Kenworth might not qualify since the law does not cover all vehicle types.

      “The lemon law is designed to protect primary vehicles mainly used for personal, family, or household purposes,” Gayle explained, noting that heavier vehicles are excluded from this coverage.

      Kenworth via YouTube

      While the Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act doesn't provide a specific classification by weight or type, its "Definitions" section specifies that a "consumer" is someone who buys or leases a vehicle "used significantly for personal, family, or household purposes," mirroring Gayle's comments. I am not a lawyer, but given that the T280 is classified as a Class 6 medium-duty truck used primarily for farming, it appears that meeting that legal criterion in court might be challenging.

      Since a dealer has been unable to resolve the issues, the Coleman family could potentially pursue Kenworth for not fulfilling its warranty obligations, Gayle stated. Kenworth informed WWBT that they would work to identify and resolve all warranty-related issues, and that discussions regarding replacement trucks are conducted privately with customers. According to WWBT, Kenworth initially offered to buy the truck back from the Coleman family, but allegedly withdrew the offer after discovering they had consulted a lawyer prior to speaking to local news.

      Hopefully, this situation will be resolved soon. Dealing with truck issues is already difficult when the problem is known, not to mention the added stress of multiple unresolved complications.