The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has determined that vehicles subject to Volvo Trucks’ safety recall (NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall Report No. 16V-097000) that have not already received the interim or permanent recall remedy repair specified by Volvo in the recall and are still operating on the nation’s roadways are in unsafe condition and should not be operated; such vehicles are to be immediately ordered out-of-service by federal and state roadside safety inspectors.
On March 10, 2016, Volvo Trucks North America announced the recall of certain model year 2016-17 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks manufactured from May 11, 2015, through March 8, 2016.
The trucks may have been manufactured without a roll pin on the steering shaft. If the roll pin is missing, the lower steering shaft may disconnect from the junction block. Also, the bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not have been properly tightened. Either condition can lead to separation of the steering shaft without warning, resulting in a complete loss of steering, which may lead to a crash. The recall affects nearly 20,000 Class 8 motor vehicles, with nearly 16,000 of the affected vehicles in the United States.
On March 18, 2016, FMCSA issued an Urgent Safety Bulletin advising operators and carriers of recalled vehicles to immediately contact Volvo customer support at 877-800-4945 (option 1) before continuing driving operations. FMCSA does not intend this declaration to provide a basis for further enforcement action but seeks only the immediate cessation of the unrepaired, unsafe trucks. Operators of vehicles declared out-of-service must comply; violating a federal out-of-service order may result in civil penalties, as well as criminal prosecution.
Mack Vehicles Added to Recall A small number of Mack Trucks are not being recalled for the same issue.
The recall pertains to certain model year 2016-17 Titan vehicles manufactured from Feb. 25, 2015, through Feb. 12, 2016. The bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not properly secure the upper steering shaft, which can lead to separation of the steering shaft. Separation of the steering shaft will result in complete loss of steering, which may lead to a vehicle crash. Mack strongly recommends that the affected vehicles not be driven until the interim remedy is applied.
The interim repair is now available, and a notice will be sent to owners when the final remedy is available. Both remedies will be free of charge. Owners may contact Mack customer service at 877-800-4945 (option 1) with recall number SC0401.
As of the time of publishing, FMCSA has not issued an order for the affected Mack vehicles to be placed out-of-service.
