Volvo, Mack recall nearly 20,000 trucks for potential steering shaft defect

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Fleet Owner  /  March 17, 2016

Volvo Trucks North America is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks and Mack Trucks some model year 2016-2017 Titan heavy haul trucks due to a possible defect in the steering shafts.

Volvo trucks being recalled were manufactured from May 11, 2015, through March 8, 2016. These trucks "may have been manufactured without a roll pin on the steering shafts," the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced. "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," the agency continued in an email sent Thursday afternoon, March 17.

More specifically, the recall announcement by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that some 19 steering shafts provided to Volvo may not have had the roll pin installed. That could cause the steering shaft to disconnect from the junction block.

Additionally, "the bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not properly secure the upper steering shaft," NHTSA states. Should the steering shaft separate, it would cause "complete loss of steering which may result in a vehicle crash," but Volvo has received no reports of personal injury "and considers this [recall] as a proactive measure." 

The NHTSA has linked the defect to a part supplied to Volvo by Willi Elbe, a German company (http://www.willielbe.de/pages/en_sprachauswahl.php).

UPDATE: Meanwhile, Mack Trucks, Inc. issued a notice on March 11 informing distributors of a recall affecting 51 Titan trucks built from May 11, 2015 through Feb. 12, 2016. In the notice, Mack says it "recently became aware of the risk of failure with a greaseable two-piece steering shaft" provided by a supplier and is contacting owners of affected vehicles "and directing them to take the vehicles out of service as soon as possible." 

Mack stresses that there have been no reports of incidents with the trucks but nonetheless is urging that the 51 trucks be taken out of service "to be overly cautious." The company notes that its intention is to replace the two-piece steering shafts with a one-piece steering shaft, and is also "exploring every option" to limit any customer downtime due to the replacement. 

Mack has set up a customer support line at 877-800-4945 (opt #1) to answer customer questions on the matter and is asking distributors to contact any local customers whose vehicles have the potentially faulty component to inform them of the issue.

 

Important reading:

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM499790/RCLRPT-16V097-9654.PDF

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/Volvo%20Safety%20Recall%20Alert%20Steering%20Shaft.pdf

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Thousands of Volvo trucks recalled, owners face FMCSA penalties for driving

Land Line Magazine  /  March 21, 2016

Volvo is recalling nearly 20,000 trucks because of a substantial defect with the steering.

The defect is so significant that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is urging owners to take affected vehicles out of service as soon as possible or face possible penalties, including being placed out of service.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, the recall affects 2016-2017 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks. Some trucks may be missing a roll pin on the steering shafts, potentially disconnecting the lower steering shaft from the junction block. Additionally, the bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not have been properly tightened. Both situations can cause the steering shaft to separate.

The recall also affects certain 2016-2017 Mack Titan trucks, according to an FMCSA safety recall alert.

Volvo and FMCSA are strongly recommending that owners refrain from driving affected vehicles until the final remedy – replacing the two-piece steering shaft with a one-piece shaft – is available. Initial notices were sent out to vehicle owners on March 14. Owners should expect a second notice when the final remedy is available.

In an “urgent inspection bulletin,” FMCSA noted that driving an affected truck could be considered a violation of FMCSA safety regulation 49 C.F.R. §396.7, which prohibits operation of a vehicle in a condition likely to cause an accident or a breakdown. Motor carriers that violate applicable regulations may face enforcement action including, but not limited to, civil penalties and a finding that the defect constitutes an out-of-service condition.

Volvo is working to secure rental vehicles for drivers. According to an FMCSA recall alert, Volvo will also cover towing where needed. A temporary solution allowing drivers to operate their trucks was made available on the week of March 14.

Owners can call Volvo at 877-800-4945 and choose option No. 1.

Volvo's recall numbers for this campaign are RVXX1602 and RVXX1603.

This recall supersedes safety recall 15V-786.

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Some of Volvo’s Heavy Trucks Ordered Off the Road

The Wall Street Journal  /  March 23, 2016

Transportation Department acts after company says some vehicles may have steering shaft defects

The U.S. Department of Transportation ordered thousands of Volvo AB heavy-duty trucks off the road Wednesday, after the company announced a recall last week because of potential defects that could cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles.

The order marks the first time regulators have ever pulled a particular manufacturer’s trucks from service, regulators say, and will likely force some fleet operators to scramble to find new big rigs to avoid stranding their customers’ cargo.

Earlier this month, Volvo told federal regulators that it may have installed 19 defective steering shafts among the roughly 15,835 trucks sold in the U.S. between May 11 and March 8. The defective units were manufactured without roll pins, parts that ensure a shaft’s two parts hold together. If a shaft comes apart, it could cause the driver to lose control of the truck. Volvo later identified a second steering shaft defect affecting the same pool of nearly 16,000 trucks.

“In this case we’re looking at a [total] loss of control of the vehicle without prior warning, which is an extreme condition for these vehicles,” said Bruce York, chief of the medium and heavy vehicles division with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a regulator helping coordinate safety measures in response to the recall. “The imminent risk is more severe than a lot of other recalls issued by other manufacturers.”

John Mies, a Volvo spokesman, said Wednesday that 13,761 trucks have already been taken out of service and 6,300 of those had been repaired, out of the total of 18,638 sold in the U.S. and Canada. The repair used an interim fix to secure the two parts of the steering shaft. On Wednesday, the company sent instructions to drivers, via their dashboard display software, instructing them to contact Volvo.

Eventually, the company plans to replace the mechanism in all the trucks affected with a one-piece steering shaft. The defective component had not been used prior to May of last year, he said.

“At the time, we believed that it would provide the same quality and durability as the previous, one-piece shaft, while being easier to install and maintain,” Mr. Mies said. “Obviously, we were wrong.”

Wednesday’s announcement by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was a rare and unusually strong measure for the regulator to take and indicates the severity of the safety issue, trucking industry experts said.

The order allows roadside inspectors and highway patrols to immediately pull affected trucks from service.

The recall affects 2016 and 2017 model-year Volvo VNL, VNM and VNX trucks, as well as certain 2016 and 2017 Mack Titan trucks.

The recall is a setback for Volvo, which has been gaining share in the heavy-duty truck market in recent years. Volvo, which also owns the Mack brand, leapfrogged Navistar into third-place in sales of Class 8 trucks, the big rigs used in long-haul freight transportation. It has a nearly 20% share of Class 8 trucks in North America, analysts say.

Volvo also has been among the more aggressive truck builders in North America for installing its own powertrains in its vehicles, lessening the company’s need to use engines and transmissions from outside [American] suppliers.

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FMCSA Orders Recalled Volvo Trucks Placed Out of Service

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 23, 2016

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has determined that vehicles included in Volvo Trucks' recent safety recall that have not been repaired should not be operated and are to be immediately placed out of service.

On March 10, Volvo Trucks announced the recall of certain 2016-2017 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks manufactured from May 11, 2015, through March 8, 2016.

The recalled trucks may be missing a roll pin in the steering shaft that could cause the steering shaft to disconnect from the junction block. This could cause a sudden and complete loss of steering control.

The NHTSA has linked the defect to a part supplied to Volvo by Willi Elbe, a German company (http://www.willielbe.de/pages/en_sprachauswahl.php).

On March 18, FMCSA issued an Urgent Safety Bulletin advising operators and carriers of recalled vehicles to immediately contact Volvo Customer Support at 1-877-800-4945 (Option 1) before continuing driving operations. 

The recall affects nearly 20,000 Class 8 trucks with 16,000 in the U.S. alone. The FMCSA’s announcement is not intended to provide a basis for further enforcement action, but the group seeks the immediate cessation of the unrepaired, unsafe trucks.

Operators of vehicles that have been declared out of service face potential civil penalties as well as criminal prosecution.

The FMCSA’s full notification is available here.

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Volvo Starts Interim Repair Process for 15,835 Recalled Trucks

Transport Topics  /  March 23, 2016

Volvo Trucks North America has begun distributing interim repair information to address the recall of 15,835 of its 2016 and 2017 models in the United States for a steering shaft defect that has prompted both the manufacturer and the U.S. government to urge that the units be taken out of service immediately.

Volvo late last week began distributing information to dealers on the interim repairs that can be made to return the trucks to service, spokesman John Mies said.

Mies said it wasn’t known how many trucks have received the interim repair to the two-piece shafts that can separate because a roll pin is missing or was improperly tightened.

Four crashes and no personal injuries have been linked to the defect, according to Volvo’s filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The first group of parts for the permanent repair, in the form of a one-piece steering shaft that will replace the two-piece version, are expected to begin arriving by the end of next week, Mies said.

Volvo in its dealer communications and public statements has urged fleets to take the affected trucks off the road right away.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and NHTSA, in a joint statement, said unrepaired trucks that are on the road “are in an unsafe condition and should not be operated. Such vehicles are to be immediately ordered out-of-service by federal and state roadside safety inspectors.”

The action covers about 60% of the VNL, VNM and VNX models that were produced between May 11, 2015, and March 8 this year. About 40% of production during the period covered by the recall was not affected since the vehicles had a one-piece steering shaft.

“We have also stopped delivery of any vehicles equipped with the component,” Mies said. Owners are being compensated for the cost of obtaining replacement equipment until the repairs are complete, Mies said. Those with recall questions can contact Volvo at 877-800-4945.

All of the recalled trucks are under warranty.

“We are completely committed to the safety of our customers and those they share the road with, and we are keeping NHTSA and Transport Canada advised as we address this issue,” Mies added. “We have worked as quickly as possible to advise customers to remove the affected vehicles from service, and we’re working as quickly as possible to address the problem.”

In addition to the U.S. recall, there are 2,803 affected trucks in Canada.

The NHTSA statement tied the defect to a part supplied by Willi Elbe, a German company (http://www.willielbe.de/pages/en_sprachauswahl.php).

“We are working closely with Volvo, who is likewise working closely with the relevant regulatory authorities and its customers, to address the issues with the steering shafts in question in a prompt manner,” Frank Veigel, manager of sales at Willi Elbe, told TT.

Mies said the company changed its specifications for the 2016 and 2017 models to give customers the choice of a greasable two-piece shaft or the non-greasable one-piece version. The intent of the new shaft design was to deliver the same quality and durability while improving maintenance and manufacturability, he said.

“Today’s announced declaration is not intended to provide a basis for further enforcement action, but seeks only the immediate cessation of the unrepaired, unsafe trucks,” the DOT agencies’ statement said, while noting that violating an out-of-service order can result in civil or criminal penalties.
 

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FMCSA seeks to place unfixed Volvo units out of service

Fleet Owner  /  March 23, 2016

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) plans to issue a Federal Register notice by week’s end warning operators of Volvo truck models covered by a recent steering system recall that if their vehicle has not yet been repaired, it will be placed out of service (OOS).

“FMCSA is notifying commercial motor vehicle operators that vehicles subject to the recall without the interim or permanent repair will be subject to an immediate out-of-service order,” the agency said.

The recall issued last week – which affects some Mack truck models as well – potentially affects some 16,000 Class 8 units.

In a statement, Volvo Trucks said it is already “proactively contacting” the owners of the affected vehicles and directing them to take them out of service as soon as possible.

“We have also stopped delivery of any vehicles equipped with the component [and] will replace all the two-piece shafts with a one-piece shaft as soon as the parts are available,” says Volvo Trucks spokesman John Mies.

The NHTSA has linked the defect to a part supplied to Volvo by Willi Elbe, a German company (http://www.willielbe.de/pages/en_sprachauswahl.php).

“We are completely committed to the safety of our customers and those they share the road with, and we are keeping NHTSA [National Highway Transportation Safety Administration] and Transport Canada advised as we address this issue,” he added. “We have worked as quickly as possible to advise customers to remove the affected vehicles from service, and we’re working as quickly as possible to address the problem.”

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BREAKING NEWS: FMCSA placing recalled Volvos out-of-service

Land Line Magazine  /  March 23, 2016

As truckers work to get their Volvo trucks repaired after the auto manufacturer recalled nearly 20,000 trucks for a serious steering defect, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced on Wednesday, March 23, that the recalled trucks will be placed out-of-service until the necessary repairs have been made.

In an “urgent inspection bulletin” issued on March 18, FMCSA indicated the truckers driving an affected vehicle might be considered in violation of FMCSA safety regulation 49 C.F.R. §396.7, which prohibits operation of a vehicle in a condition likely to cause an accident or a breakdown. Motor carriers that violate applicable regulations may face enforcement action including, but not limited to, civil penalties and a finding that the defect constitutes an out-of-service condition.

FMCSA followed up the alert on Wednesday with a notice that will post to the Federal Register on Friday, March 25, with the out-of-service directive official that date.

“Today’s notice formalizes that determination and clarifies that FMCSA and its state partners under the MCSAP program will place a vehicle out-of-service if the necessary repair or replacement has not been made, based on the identified out-of-service defect under 49 CFR 393.209(c), which requires that a steering column to be securely fastened.”

Investigators and state partners will conduct a Level IV inspection on any affected vehicle that has not been repaired. Level IV inspections are not included in FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System and will not affect a carrier’s SMS score.

Click here to read the full notice.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, the recall affects 2016-2017 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks. Some trucks may be missing a roll pin on the steering shafts, potentially disconnecting the lower steering shaft from the junction block. Additionally, the bolt connecting the upper steering shaft to the lower steering shaft may not have been properly tightened.

Volvo and FMCSA are strongly recommending that owners refrain from driving affected vehicles until the final remedy is available.

Volvo is working to secure rental vehicles for drivers. According to an FMCSA recall alert, Volvo will also cover towing where needed. A temporary solution allowing drivers to operate their trucks was made available the week of March 14.

Owners can call Volvo at 877-800-4945 and choose option No. 1. Volvo’s recall numbers for this campaign are RVXX1602 and RVXX1603. This recall supersedes safety recall 15V-786.

 

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http://www.truckingboards.com/bb/threads/volvo-s-validated-interim-remedy-for-yrc.73391/

http://www.truckingboards.com/bb/threads/nationwide-major-volvo-recall-detailed-recall-information-for-volvo-vnl.73326/#post-1034065

 

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More than 800 Recalled Volvos Still Need Steering Fix

Fleet Owner  /  April 26, 2016

The federal government is reminding owners of certain recalled Volvo trucks that have not yet been in for repair of a serious steering problem that they could suffer a complete loss of steering and are not to be driven.

Approximately 830 recalled Volvo 2016-2017 VNL, VNX, and VNM trucks remain unaccounted for, notes the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. "These unsafe vehicles should not be operated, as they pose an imminent hazard and are to be immediately ordered out-of-service by federal and state roadside safety inspectors."

On March 10, Volvo Trucks North America announced the recall of certain model year 2016-2017 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. 

Volvo discovered the problem, according to its notice to dealers, when it learned of four cases in which the steering failed on vehicles equipped with a greaseable two-piece steering shaft manufactured by Willi Elbe.

The recall affects nearly 20,000 Class 8 motor vehicles, with nearly 16,000 affected vehicles in the U.S.

On March 18, FMCSA issued an Urgent Safety Bulletin advising operators and carriers of recalled vehicles to immediately contact Volvo Customer Support at 1-877-800-4945 (Option 1) before continuing driving operations. 

The recall has caused some headaches for fleets. At Sherwin-Williams' private fleet, "We were fortunate enough that almost all of our trucks currently in service were built before Volvo made the steering column change," David Phillips, director of fleet operations, told HDT when we contacted him shortaly after FMCSA issued its safety bulletin. Only 11 of its trucks had to be put out of service immediately, he said. "We do however have approximately 30 new trucks on order that are built but can not ship to us right now until Volvo corrects the steering, that's causing us to leverage rentals longer than we would like."