2006 Volvo Vnl 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 2006 Volvo Vnl, 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
- Steering330.0%
- Exterior lighting220.0%
- Suspension220.0%
- Airbags110.0%
- Other / unspecified110.0%
- Tires & wheels110.0%
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
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
WAS DRIVING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 95 AT 55 MPH, WENT TO TURN WHEEL ON CURVE, AND HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF STEERING. WHEEL TURNED, BUT WHEELS STAYED STRAIGHT. WAS SURROUNDED BY AT LEAST 10 OTHER VEHICLES WHO WERE ABLE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. I THEN RAN OFF SIDE OF ROAD INTO DITCH WITH TRAILER ATTACHED CARRYING 40,000 POUNDS WAS STUCK IN THE HIGHWAY.
VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT A LOCAL SHOP WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE DRAG LINK WAS ON RECALL AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. DRAG LINK WAS IN A VERY BAD SHAPE AND I WAS ADVISED THAT I WAS NOT TO CONDUCT DRIVING IN THAT CONDITION. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN PROCESSED, NOW I NEED TO BE PAID FOR THE RECALL PART. PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY FOR MORE INFORMATION. VIN: [XXX] YR: 2006 MODEL: VNL MAKE: VOLVO INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 VOLVO VNL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE CLEAR PLASTIC THAT COVERED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WOULD IMPAIR THE DISTANCE OF ILLUMINATION CAUSING HIM TO UTILIZE THE HIGH BEAMS INSTEAD IN ORDER TO PROPERLY SEE THE ROADWAY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PURCHASE A KIT TO IMPROVE THE ILLUMINATION DISTANCE. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 430,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 300,000. UPDTATED 2/17/11 *CN THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE LIGHTS. UPDATED 02/28/11
I DRIVE A 2006 VNL VOLVO WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON DIM YOU CANNOT HARDLY SEE THE ROAD MOST OF THE TIME ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS RAINING I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY DRIVERS WITH THIS SAME TYPE OF TRUCK AND THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT THE POOR LIGHTING SYSTEM WHEN ON DIM I HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE OR REASON FOR THIS INCLUDING HOW MANY VOLTS ARE GETTING TO THE LIGHTS AND EVEN REPLACING THE BULBS MANY TIMES WITH DIFFERENT BRANDS AND USING A HIGHER WATTAGE BULB WITH NO BETTER RESULTS MANY TIMES I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN A WRECK BECAUSE OF THIS AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE VOLVO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM I HAVE DRIVEN THIS TRUCK SINCE IT WAS NEW AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE TRACTOR TRAILER'S STEERING SYSTEM PULLED TO EITHER SIDE WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP IN MANY DIFFERENT STATES WHO DETERMINED ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER EQUIPMENT FOR HEAVY TRUCK ALIGNMENT SO IT HAD BEEN REFERRED TO OTHER COMPANIES WITH THE SPECIALIZED ALIGNMENT EQUIPMENT. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AGAIN. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN IN FOR ALIGNMENT NINE TIMES, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. ALSO, THE TREAD LOCATED IN MIDDLE OF BOTH FRONT TIRES WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN OUT. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ALIGNMENT AS THE SOURCE OF THIS IRREGULAR WEAR. THE THIRD PROBLEM WAS ON THE SEMI REAR AXLE, WHICH WAS NOT PARALLEL TO THE MIDDLE AXLE CREATING IRREGULAR ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF THE TRAILER, WHICH ENTAILED A SERIOUS RISK TO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. THE INNER TIRE OF THE REAR AXLE WORE EXCESSIVELY INDICATING STRUCTURAL DEFECT IN THE AXLE MOUNTING.
RUSSO TRUCKING, CORP. OWNS TWO VOLVO TRUCKS WITH MAJOR STEERING AND FRONT AXLE PROBLEMS, WHICH VOLVO TRUCKS OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE DEALER NEXTRAN TRUCK CENTER AT POMPANO BEACH, FL SEEMS THAT CAN'T FIX, WE HAVE TAKEN OUR TRUCKS TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM TO SEVERAL PLACES, AND NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT, WE ARE AFRAID THAT OUR VOLVO TRUCKS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WILL MENTION SOME OF THE SHOPS WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN OUR TRUCKS: ML TIRE IN MIAMI, VOLVO IN POMPANO BEACH, FL, JOSAN IN ORLANDO, FL, VOLVO DEALER IN NC, VOLVO DEALER IN KNOXVILLE, TN, VOLVO DEALER IN ARKANSAS, VOLVO DEALER IN CHATTANOOGA, TN, VOLVO DEALER IN CT. ETC. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
RUSSO TRUCKING, CORP. OWNS TWO VOLVO TRUCKS WITH MAJOR STEERING AND FRONT AXLE PROBLEMS, WHICH VOLVO TRUCKS OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE DEALER NEXTRAN TRUCK CENTER AT POMPANO BEACH, FL SEEMS THAT CAN'T FIX, WE HAVE TAKEN OUR TRUCKS TO TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM TO SEVERAL PLACES, AND NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT, WE ARE AFRAID THAT OUR VOLVO TRUCKS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I WILL MENTION SOME OF THE SHOPS WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN OUR TRUCKS: ML TIRE IN MIAMI, VOLVO IN POMPANO BEACH, FL, JOSAN IN ORLANDO, FL, VOLVO DEALER IN NC, VOLVO DEALER IN KNOXVILLE, TN, VOLVO DEALER IN ARKANSAS, VOLVO DEALER IN CHATTANOOGA, TN, VOLVO DEALER IN CT. ETC. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
2006 VOLVO VNL64T, UNIT 2 TIRE AND RIM CAME OFF AT MILE POST 57.8. UNIT 2 DIDN'T REALIZE HE LOST HIS TIRE AND RIM UNTIL HE WAS AT MILE POST 53. SUPPLEMENTED OH-2 WITH TURNPIKE DAMAGE. SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE DAMAGE. *BF OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH POLICE REPORT NUMBERS;10-0237-89, 10-0238-89, AND 10-0240-898. *JB UPDATED 08/05/10 *BF UPDATED 10/13/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE WHEELS DID NOT COME OFF THE POWER UNIT. THE TIRE AND RIMS CAME OFF THE TRAILER. UPDATED 10/19/10
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
2006 VOLVO VNL64T, UNIT 2 TIRE AND RIM CAME OFF AT MILE POST 57.8. UNIT 2 DIDN'T REALIZE HE LOST HIS TIRE AND RIM UNTIL HE WAS AT MILE POST 53. SUPPLEMENTED OH-2 WITH TURNPIKE DAMAGE. SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE DAMAGE. *BF OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH POLICE REPORT NUMBERS;10-0237-89, 10-0238-89, AND 10-0240-898. *JB UPDATED 08/05/10 *BF UPDATED 10/13/10. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE WHEELS DID NOT COME OFF THE POWER UNIT. THE TIRE AND RIMS CAME OFF THE TRAILER. UPDATED 10/19/10
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 .