Dt: involving a semi tractor trailer. A drag link broke off @60 MPH; it just dropped off. Bought it 2 months ago. Bruce lee simons is the inspector's name who inspected the semi. He stated he had the actual part, and he didn't believe it was ever really inspected because the part did not have any grease on it. *ak an error was discovered in the odometer while the vehicle was in motion. The display 560k miles compared to the transmission data of 630k miles. The cable short would randomly fail. The drag link dropped out of the socket causing total loss steering. The ball joints displayed excessive wear. The consumer requested reimbursement for the towing.
The worst 1999 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.
- Suspension11
- Steering2
- Body1
- Electrical1
- Fuel system1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 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 1999 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 1999 Volvo VNL 63
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 1999 Volvo VNL owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Vehicle is experiencing u-bolt problems and it is over weight.
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.
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 1999 Volvo VNL
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Questions about the 1999 Volvo VNL
Is the 1999 Volvo VNL reliable?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1999 Volvo VNL, 2.2 times a typical VNL model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Volvo VNL?
Suspension, with 11 complaints. Next is steering (2).
How many recalls does the 1999 Volvo VNL have?
5 recalls, covering suspension, exterior lighting and service brakes, air.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Volvo VNL suspension?
Yes, 1 recall: 03V199000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
VIN decoder
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