2017 Volvo VHD problems

What is wrong

Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain 2004-2019 Volvo VHD trucks equipped with snow plow lamp preparation kits. The snow plow headlights can be turned on without other exterior lights, and high beam indicator will not work when the snow plow high beams are on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk

The driver may operate the vehicle with the snow plow headlights on but the marker and tail lamps off, reducing the vehicle's visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the software related to the plow lights, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1‑800‑528‑6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1804.

Recall number 18V766000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain 2015-2017 VHD trucks. The Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for the pusher or tag axle may be incorrect on the certification label. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."

Risk

If the GAWR information is incorrect, the operator may overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volvo will notify owners and provide a corrected label along with instructions on how to properly affix the new label to their vehicle, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1‑800‑528‑6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1701.

Recall number 17V258000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017 Volvo VHD, VNL, and VNM trucks manufactured February 19, 2016, to June 21, 2016. The affected vehicles were built with front wheel hubs that cannot support the gross axle weight rating of the front axle.

Risk

Overloaded front wheel hubs can result in premature failure of the hubs, bearings, and the related components, which can cause the front hub assembly to separate from the front axle. Because of this, the driver may lose control of the vehicle or parts may be dropped on the road, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hub assemblies, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1‑800‑528‑6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1607.

Recall number 16V927000 · Recall details

On October 22, 2018, an Audit Query (AQ18-005) was opened to assess the completeness and timeliness of Volvo Group's early warning reporting, safety recalls, and communications submissions to the agency.the federal safety agency's investigation determined that Volvo Group failed to recall vehicles in a timely fashion and to comply with other recall and reporting requirements, including notifying owners of recalls and reporting death and injury incidents.the federal safety agency and Volvo Group entered into a Consent Order on January 27, 2023 to resolve AQ18-005.As part of the Consent Order, Volvo Group agreed to a total civil penalty of one-hundred and thirty million dollars ($130,000,000), of which, sixty-five million dollars ($65,000,000) was paid on February 21, 2023.Also, of that total civil penalty, Volvo Group agreed to spend twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) on the specific performance obligation to create a safety data analytics infrastructure to detect and study emerging safety-related defect trends on its vehicles. The Consent Order also holds forty-five million dollars ($45,000,000) of the civil penalty in abeyance pending Volvo Group's satisfactory completion of the requirements of this Consent Order, and its compliance with the Safety Act, and regulations thereunder.The Consent Order is for a three-year term and may be extended by up to two years if the federal safety agency reasonably finds that an extension is warranted.In the Consent Order, Volvo Group agreed to several performance obligations, including enhanced oversight of its compliance with the Safety Act and the terms of the Consent Order through a third-party auditor and regular meetings with the federal safety agency.The third-party auditor will recommend and oversee implementation of process improvements to enhance Volvo Group's safety compliance processes and oversee the company's review of past recalls and submissions to the federal safety agency for accuracy and completeness.Also, via the Consent Order, Volvo Group agreed to create updated written policies, procedures, and training to ensure that its employees understand the requirements of the Safety Act, the regulations thereunder, and this Consent Order.Volvo Group further agreed to launch a user interface on its websites to allow users to search vehicle identification numbers (VINs) for open recalls and implement a system to support the federal safety agency's VIN lookup tool.Based on the Consent Order, this audit query investigation, AQ18-005, is closed.Closure of this AQ has no bearing on the terms of the Consent Order, including Volvo Group's ongoing performance obligations or legal obligations, and does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency as to Volvo Group's performance under the Consent Order to date.

AQ18005