2013 Volvo Vnl

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.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Defect Petition (DP) assessment in response to a defect petition received from owners of a 2015 Volvo VNL 780 tractor.Prior to submitting the letter the owners had submitted two Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ).Their concerns included: cab sway, cab alignment , and loss of control.The petitioners further allege that due to a failure of the suspension system caused by cab misalignment one of them sustained a back injury while seated at the work station in the sleeper berth while traveling.The office received a total of six (6) complaints (1 via telephone) related to ride quality on 2013 -2016 Volvo VNL vehicles.Two (2) of the complaints were filed by the petitioners.Of the five (5) unique complaints, three (3) were received during the course of this evaluation.During this evaluation, the Owner/Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) published an article in their magazine, Land Line, prompting the additional two reports.One owner reported owning three Volvo trucks, all of which had a tendency to sway and lean, yet he preferred the ride over other manufacturers peer vehicles.ODI sent an Information Request (IR) letter to Volvo asking about the three concerns identified in the petition.The response indicated Volvo's cab air ride design has been in use since 2005.When evaluating each of the three concerns raised by the petitioners, ODI found that the complaint and warranty data did not establish existence of a defect trend for cab sway or loss of control.There were no reported injuries or loss of control events and less than 0.02% of the population had a cab sway concern.The majority of claims and complaints received involved cab alignment.The 2015 MY did stand out from the other MYs with over 1% of the 2015 population reporting cab alignment issues.This may indicate there is a defect in the design or production of the cab mounting, however there was no indication it created a safety risk.ODI test drove the petitioners' vehicle, employing an investigator with significant experience driving similar vehicles.This test drive revealed a degree of cab sway that appeared to exceed that of peer vehicles.Nonetheless, the ODI driver did not experience any difficulty controlling the vehicle.For additional details see the attached Evaluation Report.This defect petition is denied. The agency has not identified an actionable trend or unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.Should new information become available the agency will take whatever further action is appropriate.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following complaint identification numbers:10747593, 10715844, 10701592, 10781242, and 10822454

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.

BRIDGESTONE GREATEC M885 SUPER SINGLE TIRES.ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THROUGHOUT OUR FLEET THER HAVE BEEN MANY INCIDENTS OF THESE TIRES LOSING TRACTION AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DRIVING CONDITIONS

NHTSA ID

10789756

Incident

Sep 7, 2015

Mileage

270,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 VOLVO VNL. WHILE DRIVING 40 TO 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY SWERVED OUT OF CONTROL. FORCE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE TIE RODS AND TIRES, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 276,000.

NHTSA ID

10781775

Incident

Jan 31, 2015

Mileage

276,000 mi

EXHAUST FLEX PIPE DEVELOPED A HOLE CAUSING AN EXHAUST LEAK WHICH IN TURN PREVENTED THE TRUCK FROM CLEANING THE PARTICULATE FILTER. THIS IN TURN CREATED EXTRA WORK ON THE TURBO WHICH BECAME HEATED BEYOND NORMAL TEMPERATURES WHICH CAUSED THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL TO MELT. VITAL COMPONENTS IN THE AREA OF THE EXTREME HEAT WERE AT RISK OF FAILURE DUE TO THIS EXTREME HEAT CAUSE BY THE BACKUP IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10682485

Incident

Feb 15, 2014

Mileage

207,000 mi

THERE IS FABRIC COVER TO COVER UP AN OVERHEAD WINDOW TOWARDS THE TOP INTERIOR OF CAB COMPARTMENT. IT IS ONLY HELD IN PLACE BY A SMALL SUCTION CUP. NUMEROUS TIMES THIS HAS FALLEN ON ME WHILE I'M DRIVING. I HAVE TRIED TAPING IT AND EVEN THE TAPE WON'T STICK BECAUSE OF THE HEAT/COLD FROM THE WINDOW. AT THE WRONG MOMENT A DRIVER WILL HAVE THIS FALLING AND INTERFERING WITH HIS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE! *TR

NHTSA ID

10566800

Incident

Mar 3, 2014

THE WEST COAST MIRRORS DON'T EXTEND FAR ENOUGH FROM THE SIDES OF THE TRUCK. A DRIVER CAN'T ADJUST THESE MIRROR ARMS TO SUFFICIENTLY OBSERVE TRAFFIC IN THE LANE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE TRUCK. I HAVE OVER 45 YRS EXPERIENCE & KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY ADJUST MIRRORS. IF ADJUSTED TO OBSERVE FAR ENOUGH BACK IN THE ADJACENT LANE, 1/2 THE MIRROR SPACE IS THE NOSE OF THE TRAILER AND SIDE OF THE CAB. AT THIS POSITION YOU CAN'T SEE THE REAR MARKER LIGHT OF THE TRAILER! TO FIND THE REAR TRAILER MARKER LIGHT THE DRIVER MUST LEAN HARD TO THE LEFT WHEN LOOKING IN THE MIRROR. A DISTRACTION THAT CONSUMES SECONDS OF FOCUSING FROM DRIVING. SERIOUS PROBLEM DRIVING IN HARD RAIN/SNOW BECAUSE YOU DON'T WHERE THE BACK OF THE TRAILER IS. IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN YOU DO FIND THE TRAILER REAR THE TRAILER IT IS AT AN ANGLE AND APPEARS TO BE ALREADY JACKNIFING! A TENNESSEE HIGHWAY PATROL WAS BEHIND ME JUST WANTING TO PERFORM A RANDOM ROADSIDE INSPECTION. HE REMARKED "WELL IT TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH TO PULL OVER". I EXPLAINED TO HIM WITH THE NEW VOLVO I CAN'T SEE YOU BACK THERE WHEN PERFORMING NORMAL MIRROR SCANNING WITHOUT PURPOSELY LEANING OVER TO SEE ANYONE BEHIND ME EVEN WITH FLASHING LIGHTS. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THAT DURING OUR CONSTANT MIRROR SCANNING (SMITH SYSTEM ADVISE THIS ABOUT EVERY 7 SECONDS) OTHER DAYS I START TO MAKE A LANE CHANGE AND ANOTHER CAR OR TRUCK WILL SUDDENLY APPEAR ATTEMPTING TO PASS ME WANTING TO DO THE SAME. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THAT CAR OR TRUCK BUT BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED MIRROR ARM ADJUSTMENTS ON THESE TRUCKS I CAN'T DETERMINE THEIR PRESENCE THROUGH TYPICAL MIRROR SCANNING. WHEN STARTING A PASS I CAN'T BE SURE WHERE THE BACK END OF MY TRAILER IS BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THE REAR SIDE MARKER LIGHT. AM SURE I HAVE PULLED IN FRONT OF OTHERS MAYBE TOO CLOSE. OR TAKE MY EYES OFF FORWARD DRIVING TO BE SURE. A CAUSE OF LANE CHANGE ACCIDENTS? YES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10566797

Incident

Mar 3, 2014

VEHICLE BEGAN THROWING BRAKE ECU CODE 136 66 7 AND TCS LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. WHEN THIS CODE IS ACTIVE AND TCS LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED VEHICLE SEEMS TO REQUIRE MORE BRAKING DISTANCE, AND MORE BRAKE AIR PRESSURE APPLIED TO GET THE SAME BRAKING RESULTS AS WHEN THE CODE IS NOT ACTIVE NOR IS THE LIGHT. UNDER ACCELERATION DURING CORNING (WHILE CODE ACTIVE AND LIGHT ILLUMINATED) DRIVE WHEELS WILL SPIN AND TRACTION CONTROL WILL NOT KICK IN TO AVOID WHEEL SPIN (COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE JACK KNIFE). WHEN SERVICE BRAKES APPLIED (WHILE CODE IS ACTIVE AND LIGHT ILLUMINATED) TRAILER ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATES THE ENTIRE DURATION SERVICE BRAKES ARE APPLIED (VARIOUS TRAILERS, VARIOUS MAKES, VARIOUS YEARS). HAVE HAD THE VALVE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CODE REPLACED FIRST TEMPORARY FIX APPROX. 1 WEEK, HAD BRAKE ECU FLASHED TEMPORARY FIX LASTED APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS, HAD BRAKE ECU REPLACED APPROX 1 MONTH FIX, AND NOW SAME BRAKE ECU CODE AND TCS LIGHT ARE ILLUMINATED VEHICLE NOW HAS 90,000+ MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10524514

Incident

Mar 19, 2013

Mileage

22,000 mi

THE OWNER STATES THAT HIS DRIVERS EXPERIENCED TWO SEPARATE TIRE FAILURES ON SAME VOLVO 430 AUTO HAULER (MODEL 2013 VNL64T). THE TIRES INVOLVED IN THE FAILURES WERE MICHELIN XZA2 ENERGY 295/60 R22.5. THE FIRST TIRE FAILED ON 6/19/2012 WITH APPROXIMATELY 12,000 MILES ON IT. THE TIRE WAS A STEER TIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIRE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON 8/7/2012 WITH APPROXIMATELY 18,000 MILES ON IT. THE OWNER CLAIMS THAT WHEN THE SECOND TIRE FAILED (ON THE PASSENGER SIDE), THAT THE REPLACEMENT TIRE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE (THAT HAD RECENTLY BEEN INSTALLED) SHOWED SIGNS OF SEVERE WEAR AND WAS COMING APART. THE OWNER STATES THAT THE TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURES AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WEIGHED SHORTLY AFTER THE FAILURE AND WAS FOUND NOT TO BE OVER LOADED. THERE WAS AN APPROXIMATE 1,000 POUND DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT TIRES. THE OWNER CLAIMS THAT HE USES THESE SAME TIRES ON OTHER VEHICLES WITHOUT PROBLEMS. THE OWNER FEELS THAT THE SPRINGS ON THE TRUCK ARE OVERLOADED AND AS A RESULT THE TRUCK BOUNCES AS IT TRAVELS DOWN THE ROAD. THE OWNER FEELS THAT THIS BOUNCE MAY OVER LOAD THE TIRES AND ALONG WITH THE HEAT FROM THE REGION OF THE COUNTRY THE VEHICLES OPERATE CAUSE THE TIRES TO FAIL. THE OWNERS STATED THAT IN BOTH TIRE FAILURE INSTANCES, THE DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER HAD RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A REGENERATIVE CYCLE THAT PRODUCES A LOT OF HEAT. THE THREE TIRES (TWO FAILED AND ONE SEVERE WEAR) ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION.

NHTSA ID

10481621

Incident

Jun 19, 2012

Mileage

12,000 mi

CBR - Telematics Gateway (TGW) Connect Ability Issues.

CBR - Active "Set Park Brake" Message On Drivers Information Display (DID)

CBR - Automated Manual Transmission ( AMT ) Flywheel Pilot Bearing Wear On Input Shaft.

CBR: TGW Will Not Connect After SIM Card Replacement

CBR: 11L Engine - Air Conditioner (A/C) Line Damaged At Bracket - Model Year 2007 to Present.

TSB: Aftertreatment Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Tank, Level Sensor, Replacement