Tl* the contact owns a 1998 volvo vnl. The contact received an unknown manufacturers recall notice concerning the steering drag link september 2010. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised the contact that they would not assist with repairs due to age of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 400,000 and the current mileage was 600,000.
The worst 1998 Volvo VNL problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Suspension7
- Steering1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Volvo VNL
Recalls 5
Suspension: front
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with truck hub units manufactured by skf exclusively for use on arvinmeritor's ff98x series non-drive steer axles, the hub unit bearings can wear prematurely.
- Risk
- Seizure of the bearings can cause wheel separation or wheel end fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace all front axle hubs. An interim notice to owners was mailed on june 25, 2003. Final owner notification began on october 6, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo at 1‑800‑528‑6586.
Recall number 03V199000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: tail lights: switch
- What is wrong
- Certain heavy duty class 8 trucks fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the two tail lamps, back-up lamp,and license tag lamp were mounted on insufficiently rigid mounts.
- Risk
- It may not allow the driver of a rearward approaching vehicle to have full view of the lamps.
- Remedy
- Dealers will attach the two tail lamps, back-up lamp, and the license tap lamp on stiffer brackets. Owner notification began october 31, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo trucks at 1‑800‑528‑6586.
Recall number 02V238000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: antilock
- What is wrong
- Certain heavy duty class 8 vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 121, "air brake systems", s5.1.6.3, "antilock power for towed vehicles." electrical power for the trailer anti-lock braking system (ABS) can be disrupted when a switch located on the vehicle instrument panel is activated to control lighting within the trailer.
- Risk
- If this condition occurs, the driver can lose of the towed vehicle, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a wiring harness which will provide continuous electrical power to the trailer ABS whenever the ignition switch is in the on or run position. Owner notification began april 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo trucks at 1‑800‑528‑6586.
Recall number 02V110000 · Recall details
Service brakes, air: antilock
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.
- Risk
- This condition could cause the ABS ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the ABS ecu.
Recall number 00V232003 · Recall details
Tires: bead
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks equipped with continental general s380a 295/75r22.5 lr g tires, serial nos. A3371e5488 through a3371e5089. These tires have been overcured.
- Risk
- This condition can cause tire failure.
- Remedy
- Continental general is conducting the owner notification and remedy for this campaign. Dealers will exchange the tire for an identical or reasonably equivalent tire.
Recall number 99V296001 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 1998 Volvo VNL
Defect investigations
Drag Link Failure
EA09-003 is closed with the submission of Volvo's recall 10V‑282 recalling approximately 111,034 Model Year (MY) 1998 through 2005 VN and VNL class 8 trucks.Volvo announced recall 10V‑282 in response to the federal safety agency's recall request letter dated June 3, 2010 (available at the federal safety agency's web site . the federal safety agency found that these vehicles were designed and manufactured with a TRW ball joint that does not meet the combined performance requirements and foreseeable inspection practices of the U.S. market.The ball joint in the steering system that connects the driver's side steering arm/knuckle to the drag link can fail resulting in a total loss of steering on the vehicle.Volvo changed the size and supplier of the ball joint used on these vehicles starting with the 2006 MY vehicles.The failure rates on the vehicles manufactured with the larger ball joint are significantly less than the subject vehicles.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by ODI that no safety defect exists in the vehicles that are not included in Volvo's recall.ODI will continue to monitor the incidence of drag link failures in other MY Volvo trucks.Note:The recall request letter dated June 3, 2010 associated with this investigation describes 49 incidents of ball joint separation.After a comprehensive review of the data it was discovered that the number of separations that the federal safety agency was aware of was 41 with a failure rate of 36.9 R/100K.The 41 separations resulted in 23 crash allegations.
EA09003
Steering binding
Odi's preliminary evaluation focused on the potential for a broken, bent, deformed, fragmented or displaced turn signal canceling ring (tscr), vtna part number 1607363, to restrict thevehicle operator's ability to turn the steering wheel.the pe identified thirteen vtna warranty claims that allege that the tscr had failed and that the vehicle steering effort had been adversely affected.to date, odi has not found any samples of a failed tscr and has not been able to definitively establish whether a failed tscr can or cannot contribute to increased steering effort.odi believes that it is appropriate to conduct further investigation(ea level) to better understand the characteristics of tscr failures and to assess the effect, if any, that these types of failures could have on vehicle steering effort.
PE04014
Integral hub and bearing assembly
The companies involved in this matter are: skf (hub mfr), arvinmeritor (front axle mfr), and volvo (manufacturer of class viii tractor/trucks).skf identified manufacturing defects for specific build dates on front axle hub and bearings (wheel bearings) supplied to arvinmeritor.as a result, arvinmeritor notified volvo of axles supplied with possible defective front hub assemblies.as a result of that notification, 433 trucks are being recalled by volvo for defective front axle wheel bearings which may fail in such a way that a wheel separation or wheel bearing fire occurs.see attached summary report for additional details.
PE02095
Technical service bulletins for the 1998 Volvo VNL 61
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Warranty Automated Manual Transmission ( AMT, I-Shift, mDrive ) Control Housing Assembly; Guidelines For...
- (Back Office)
- DTC U012100
- Programming Failure
- AMT Control Housing Bench Testing
- Volvo Chassis
- Volvo Chassis
- Unable To Retrieve "On Request" Messages For PeopleNet Or Omnitracs Modules Installed On The DL5 Data...
- Temperature Sensor Troubleshooting Guide
- DEF Pump Troubleshooting Guide
What 1998 Volvo VNL owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Front end vibrates at any speed. Cause is unknown, also it wears on the tires by dipping on the sides. Took vehicle to dealer and dealer can't duplicate the problem.
Premature wear from steer tires resulting from improper combination of race/bearings in meritor axles. Lost wheel assembly.
Premature wear from steer tires resulting from improper combination of race/bearings in meritor axles.
Premature wear from steer tires resulting from improper combination of race/bearings in meritor axles.
Premature wear from steer tires resulting from improper combination of race/bearings in meritor axles.
Premature wear from steer tires resulting from improper combination of race/bearings in meritor axles.
Premature wear from steer tires resulting from improper combination of race/bearings in meritor axles.
Compare the 1998 Volvo VNL
Other model years
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Questions about the 1998 Volvo VNL
Is the 1998 Volvo VNL reliable?
Owners have filed 8 complaints about the 1998 Volvo VNL, 1.6 times a typical VNL model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1998 Volvo VNL?
Suspension, with 7 complaints. Next is steering (1).
How many recalls does the 1998 Volvo VNL have?
5 recalls, covering suspension, exterior lighting and service brakes, air.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Volvo VNL suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V199000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
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