NHTSA (USA)Critical
At a glance
The 2021 Volvo VNR has 9 recalls, the most serious involving multiple brake and steering risks: the parking brake can apply without warning while driving, the brake pedal can dislodge and become inoperable, and the front axle knuckle can separate from the axle entirely.
Two of those brake concerns trace to the same air brake line fitting at the firewall pass-through plate, where damaged fittings can release the air line under pressure and trigger a sudden, unintended parking brake application. The brake pedal itself is a separate issue, where the cast pedal plate can crack at an attachment point and leave the driver with no foot brake. On the steering side, king pin nuts that were not installed or properly tightened can allow the steering knuckle to break free, and separately, loose steering gear fasteners can cause a loss of vehicle control. Note that several of these brake and steering recalls apply only to VNR Electric models: on those trucks, adaptive cruise control can produce an overly aggressive braking response under light loads, causing rear axle skid or brake lockup, and a coolant line in the high-voltage battery pack can unseat and create an electrical short that raises the risk of fire. A label recall notes that the certified rear axle weight rating on certain trucks exceeds what the wheel hubs can actually handle, which can cause hub failure over time. The final recall covers hubcap compression springs that can fling the hubcap off the wheel and onto the road.
At a glance
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What can fail
The coolant line connecting to the high voltage battery pack may not be fully seated and locked, allowing coolant to leak out and potentially causing an electrical short circuit.
What the fix does
Volvo Trucks and battery manufacturer Akasol will inspect and replace the battery pack as needed, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The adaptive cruise control system may cause sudden hard braking when activated under light load conditions.
What the fix does
Dealers will secure wiring, remove radar components, and reprogram the anti-lock braking system to disable adaptive cruise control.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The compression spring inside the hubcap can fail, causing the hubcap to separate from the wheel.
What the fix does
Dealers will remove the hubcap at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Air brake line fittings on the firewall pass-through plate may have been damaged during assembly. A line could detach from its fitting, causing the parking brake to apply unexpectedly without warning.
What the fix does
Take your truck to a Volvo dealer to inspect the fittings on the pass-through plate. Damaged fittings will be repaired or replaced as needed.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Damaged internal jaws in brass fitting inserts may cause air brake lines to completely disconnect from the pneumatic pass-through plate under pressure, potentially causing park brakes to apply unexpectedly.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the air brake line connection in the pass-through plate to ensure proper engagement at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The king pin nut on the axle may be missing or not tightened enough during assembly.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and ensure the king pin nut is installed and properly tightened at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The die cast pedal plate can break at its attachment points, which may cause the brake pedal to come loose.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the pedal plates if needed at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The rear drive axle weight rating printed on the vehicle's certification label is higher than what the wheel hubs can safely support.
What the fix does
Volvo will send corrected certification labels at no cost to replace the inaccurate ones.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The fasteners that secure the steering gear may not have been properly tightened during manufacturing.
What the fix does
Dealers will tighten the steering gear fasteners to the proper specification at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
