RoadVitals

2012 Volvo Vn

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

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.
2
Latest Dec 19, 2025
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.
2
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.
1
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.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Volvo Vn, most frequently naming the tires & wheels category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 181 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Tires & wheels2100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 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
15V651000

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT; SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:UPPER BALL JOINT

Oct 13, 2015
14,934 units potentially affected
The defect: Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2009-2015 Volvo VN trucks manufactured April 14, 2008, to December 23, 2014. The affected vehicles may experience corrosion of the ball joints due to the seals being compromised, possibly resulting in accelerated wear and failure of the ball joint.
The risk: Failure of the ball joint may cause separation of the socket and a complete loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the drag links, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Volvo issued an interim notification to owners on October 28, 2015. Replacement parts are now available. Notices to owners were mailed on March 1, 2016. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-877-800-4945 option #1. Volvo's number for the vehicle inspection is RVXX1508. Volvo's number for the replacement of drag links is RVXX1509.
Volvo Trucks North AmericaManufacturer number RVXX1508/RVXX1509View on NHTSA.gov
12V510000

SEAT BELTS

Oct 18, 2012
1,496 units potentially affected
The defect: Volvo is recalling certain model year 2002-2013 VHD and VN trucks, manufactured from August 4, 2000, through June 22, 2012, and equipped with bench passenger seats. The seat belt d-ring weld may not be sufficient enough to meet the seat belt pull test. Therefore, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
The risk: In the event of a crash, an insufficient seat belt weld may prevent the seat belt from properly restraining the occupant. This increases the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
The remedy: Volvo Trucks of America will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspected d-ring, free of change. The safety recall began on May 10, 2013. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-336-393-2000.
Volvo Trucks North AmericaManufacturer number RVXX1204View 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

Recent owner complaints

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

Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 19, 2025

I WAS EMPTY NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95 IN GA, NEAR EXIT 49 WHEN TIRE FAILED VIRGIN STEERING TIRE CAME APART LIKE A RECAP

NHTSA ID
11706031
Incident
Nov 22, 2025
Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 19, 2025

TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95 RICHMOND HILL GA, GOODYEAR 11R22.5 STEERING TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM CAISIN LIKE A RECAP

NHTSA ID
11706026
Incident
Sep 22, 2025

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 Vn by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027010—
2026030—
2025080—
2024170—
2023090—
2022060—
2021320—
2020520—
2019010—
2018200—
2017001—
2016021—
2015011—
2014211—
2013121—
2012Viewing221—
2011022—
2010042—
2009042—
2008221—
2007332—
2006241—
2005223—
2004142—
2003343—
2002053—
2001121—
2000522—
1999954—
1998964—
1997091—
1996211—
1995000—
1994000—

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.