The 2020 Volvo VNR has 11 recalls, the most serious involving steering gear fasteners that can loosen and allow complete loss of steering control, a brake pedal support plate that can fail and leave the driver with no brakes, and on electric models, a coolant line in the high-voltage battery pack that can come loose and cause a short circuit with risk of fire.
On the electric model specifically, adaptive cruise control can trigger an unexpectedly harsh braking response under light loads, causing the rear axle to skid or the brakes to lock up. A separate electrical concern affects the VNRe trim: poor signal strength can cause the main control unit to stop working, taking anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic stability control, and the collision mitigation system offline with it. There is also a transmission circuit fuse that can blow and leave the transmission unable to shift. On the chassis side, an auxiliary air tank bracket can deform and drop the tank onto the road, creating a hazard for traffic. A label recall notes that the rear axle weight rating printed on the certification label overstates the actual capacity of the wheel hubs, which can cause premature hub failure if the axle is loaded to the labeled limit.
