2003 Volvo Vhd Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2003 Volvo Vhd, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical240.0%
- Engine240.0%
- Brakes120.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
NOVEMBER 12, 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY, AS SOLE OWNER/OPERATOR OF A 2003 VOLVO VHD 64F 10 WHEEL DUMP TRUCK THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING STOPPED RUNNING. IT IMMEDIATELY BECAME A SAFETY ISSUE TO CONTROL THIS EMPTY TRUCK WITH NO EQUIPMENT TRAILER ATTACHED BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A VOLVO DEALER. IT WAS DIAGNOSED BY VOLVO AS AN ENGINE COMPUTER FAILURE. VOLVO HAS NOT EXPLAINED WHICH PART OF THIS (EECU) ENGINE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED, WHICH I REQUESTED TO KNOW. THE EECU WAS REPLACED WITH A VOLVO REBUILT UNIT. THIS IS A PRODUCT SAFETY AND RELIABILITY ISSUE. THIS TRUCK HAS FIFTEEN THOUSAND, (15,000), ORIGINAL MILES. *TR
ABS MALFUNCTION BRAKE SHUTDOWN AND UNIT TURNED OF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. COULD NOT MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I PLACED VEHICLE IN COMPANY SHOP SEVERAL TIMES AND INCIDENT CONTINUED TO OCCUR NUMEROUS TIMES. I SPOKE TO SWIFT OPERATION MANAGER SCOTT JOHNSON LOCATED IN OCALA FLORIDA ABOUT PROBLEM AND NOTHING WAS DONE. I SPOKE TO RICK PICKARD SWIFT FLEET MANAGE IN OCALA OFFICER AND NOTHING WAS DONE. I SPOKE TO ROB WHO IS THE HEAD SHOP MANAGER OF THE OCALA OFFICE. I REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE SENT TO VOLCO TECHNICIANS AND NOTHING WAS DONE. THEY PLACE THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS FOR THE SAME INITIAL PROBLEM AND NOTHING WAS DONE. FURTHERMORE IT STATES IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL OF VOLVO, IF TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF VEHICLE OCCURS AT ANY TIME PLEASE NOTIFY VOLVO DIRECTLY AS WELL AS DOT TO REPORT VEHICLE PROBLEMS TO PREVENT ANY OUTCOME OF AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH. PAGE 134 OF VEHICLE MANUAL. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
NOVEMBER 12, 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY, AS SOLE OWNER/OPERATOR OF A 2003 VOLVO VHD 64F 10 WHEEL DUMP TRUCK THE ENGINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING STOPPED RUNNING. IT IMMEDIATELY BECAME A SAFETY ISSUE TO CONTROL THIS EMPTY TRUCK WITH NO EQUIPMENT TRAILER ATTACHED BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A VOLVO DEALER. IT WAS DIAGNOSED BY VOLVO AS AN ENGINE COMPUTER FAILURE. VOLVO HAS NOT EXPLAINED WHICH PART OF THIS (EECU) ENGINE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FAILED, WHICH I REQUESTED TO KNOW. THE EECU WAS REPLACED WITH A VOLVO REBUILT UNIT. THIS IS A PRODUCT SAFETY AND RELIABILITY ISSUE. THIS TRUCK HAS FIFTEEN THOUSAND, (15,000), ORIGINAL MILES. *TR
THE TRUCK WAS JUST WORKING AN AVERAGE DAY, HAULING HOT MIX ASPHALT, WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SKIP. BROUGHT THE TRUCK INTO DARIO DIESEL, THEY FOUND FAULTY INJECTOR CONNECTOR, HAD IT REPLACED. ONE MONTH LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, AGAIN TOOK TRUCK TO DARIO DIESEL, THEY FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM, THEY REPAIRED THE CONNECTOR, AND SENT THE TRUCK ON ITS WAY. 2 MONTHS AFTER SECOND REPAIR, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, THEY FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM, CORRECTED IT AND SENT THE TRUCK ON ITS WAY AGAIN. ONE MONTH AFTER THIRD REPAIR, THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, AGAIN TOOK THE TRUCK TO DARIO DIESEL, THEY FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM AND SENT THE TRUCK ON ITS WAY. NOW THEY TELL US THE WHOLE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE CONNECTORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT $1397.00 HAVING THIS PROBLEM SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED. WE HAVE ALSO SENT A LETTER TO VOLVO TRUCKS TELLING THEM OF THE PROBLEM. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
ABS MALFUNCTION BRAKE SHUTDOWN AND UNIT TURNED OF COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. COULD NOT MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. I PLACED VEHICLE IN COMPANY SHOP SEVERAL TIMES AND INCIDENT CONTINUED TO OCCUR NUMEROUS TIMES. I SPOKE TO SWIFT OPERATION MANAGER SCOTT JOHNSON LOCATED IN OCALA FLORIDA ABOUT PROBLEM AND NOTHING WAS DONE. I SPOKE TO RICK PICKARD SWIFT FLEET MANAGE IN OCALA OFFICER AND NOTHING WAS DONE. I SPOKE TO ROB WHO IS THE HEAD SHOP MANAGER OF THE OCALA OFFICE. I REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE SENT TO VOLCO TECHNICIANS AND NOTHING WAS DONE. THEY PLACE THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS FOR THE SAME INITIAL PROBLEM AND NOTHING WAS DONE. FURTHERMORE IT STATES IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL OF VOLVO, IF TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF VEHICLE OCCURS AT ANY TIME PLEASE NOTIFY VOLVO DIRECTLY AS WELL AS DOT TO REPORT VEHICLE PROBLEMS TO PREVENT ANY OUTCOME OF AN ACCIDENT, INJURY OR DEATH. PAGE 134 OF VEHICLE MANUAL. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .