RoadVitals

2012 Volvo Vah

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
6
Latest Oct 13, 2015
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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Overview

Our database contains no NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Volvo Vah. 6 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 190 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Safety recalls

6 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY

Oct 13, 2015
669 units potentially affected
The defect: Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 VNL and VNM trucks manufactured June 21, 2010, to December 14, 2012. The affected trucks are equipped with Fontaine Ultra LT Fifth Wheel connectors, which, due to cumulative damage to the fifth wheel and its locking mechanism, have a locking mechanism that may fail to operate or to properly engage.
The risk: If the fifth wheel and locking mechanism are sufficiently damaged, the locking mechanism may fail to operate as intended and the trailer may unexpectedly detach from the tractor, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and Fontaine dealers will replace the fifth wheel with an Ultra NT model fifth wheel, free of charge. The recall began on November 23, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1507.
Volvo Trucks North AmericaManufacturer number RVXX1507View on NHTSA.gov

STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION

Aug 17, 2015
1,319 units potentially affected
The defect: Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2012-2016 VAH trucks manufactured January 31, 2011, to June 25, 2015, and equipped with a sealed drag link. In the affected trucks, the draglink ball socket boot may be damaged due to the angle of the ball stud. A damaged boot may allow contaminants to enter and corrode the ball socket.
The risk: Corrosion will accelerate wear of the ball, possibly resulting in the ball joint separating from the socket, causing loss of steering and an increased risk of a crash.
The remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the drag link with one that has an improved geometry, free of charge. The recall began on October 13, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1503.
Volvo Trucks North AmericaManufacturer number RVXX1503View on NHTSA.gov
Nov 18, 2014
115 units potentially affected
The defect: Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 VAH and VNL trucks manufactured May 12, 2010, to October 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may experience premature tire failure during certain operating conditions such as high speeds, heavy load, and high road temperature.
The risk: Premature tire failure could increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
The remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tires and set the road speed limiter, free of charge. The recall began on January 16, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1405.
Volvo Trucks North AmericaManufacturer number RVXX1405View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

AQ18005ClosedAudit Query

Discrepancies in Required CFR Reporting

Opened Oct 22, 2018
Closed Aug 4, 2023

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.NHTSA'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.NHTSA 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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA.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 NHTSA 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 NHTSA'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 NHTSA as to Volvo Group's performance under the Consent Order to date.

COMMUNICATION
PE13002ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

Stop Lamp Switch Signal

Opened Feb 7, 2013
Closed Jul 3, 2013

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received Early Warning Reporting (EWR) data from the manufacturer that indicated some number of subject vehicles equipped with the subject automated manual transmission had allegedly experienced a condition where the clutch failed to automatically disengage the transmission from the engine as intended. This may result in extended stopping distances and/or unintended forward motion of a vehicle previously at rest.To date, ODI is aware of 134 subject vehicles with one or more complaints or field reports related to this condition.Also, ODI is aware of 164 subject vehicles with one or more warranty claims related to this condition.By letter dated June 25, 2013, Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) notified ODI that it has initiated a safety recall (NHTSA Recall No. 13V268 and Volvo Recall No. RVXX1303) to address a safety defect in approximately 23,003 model year (MY) 2007 through 2014 Volvo VAH, VHD, VNL, VNM and VT model trucks. The affected vehicles were manufactured from December 20, 2006 through May 22, 2013 and were originally equipped with the subject automated manual transmissions.According to Volvo, reports of the subject transmission clutch mechanism failing to automatically disengage as intended are associated with the removal of a brake pedal micro switch that provided a redundant signal to the transmission control module indicating the brakes had been applied.Previously, Volvo had removed this brake pedal micro switch from new vehicle production and from certain vehicles already in-service via two field service campaigns (SP 432-024 and SP 432-026) because it decided the switch was unnecessary and/or a maintenance issue.In the absence of this redundant brake pedal micro switch, the clutch mechanism may fail to disengage the transmission from the engine at low vehicle speed should the stop lamp switch fail to send and/or the transmission control module fail to receive the primary signal.At the time of this closing, Volvo is evaluating available remedies and will provide NHTSA with details when the recall remedy procedure has been finalized.Volvo will notify affected owners by mail by August 25, 2013.Please see NHTSA Recall No. 13V268 for details.Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONLed to recall 13V268000

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

No owner complaints recorded for this model year

Either none have been filed with NHTSA, or this vehicle is too new for reports to have accumulated.

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

CBR 2246-5 032026

SUSPENSION

CBR - Z Spring Bracket Wear. Volvo Chassis

CBR 2488 072025

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CBR - A significant GPS reporting issue is affecting fleet operations, with trucks maintaining back-office communication but failing to transmit GPS location data.

CBR 170-8 202505

ENGINE

Inactive Code P25AE00 Being Generated After A Hard Pull And A Momentary Drop In Engine Oil Pressure (Low Oil Pressure) (Possible Related Codes - SPN4811 , SPN 100 , PID 100)

CBR 561 202503

ENGINE

CBR - 11L, 13L, And 16L Engine Oil Analysis Specifications - US10 And Newer Emissions

CBR-731 202409

POWER TRAIN

CBR - Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) Model D or F (mDrive and I-Shift, AMT-D, AMT-F) - Transmission Oil Leakage From Transmission Input Shaft Seal Or Output Shaft Seal - US10 And Newer Emissions, Common Model Years 2010 And Newer

CBR-343 202408

POWER TRAIN

CBR: On Volvo chassis with an I-Shift and Mack chassis with an mDRIVE transmission, there have been reports of complete shift assemblies and TECUs being replaced due to technicians being unable to pinpoint the source of the air leak.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volvo Vah by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000
2026030
2025020
2024040
2023140
2022040
2021050
2020050
2019030
2018010
2017001
2016021
2015031
2014051
2013051
2012Viewing062
2011052
2010011
2009011
2008010
2007010
2006000
2005000
2004000
2003000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.