Volvo Electrical System: Cables

Volvo is recalling about 5,207 vehicles over a problem with the electrical system. Loose or chafed cables may lead to overheating of the battery cable and switch which may result in a fire.

Campaign
13V102000
Manufacturer
Volvo Trucks North America
Reported
21 March 2013
Vehicles
5,207
Built between
Apr 2011 – Mar 2013
Models
3
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
7 May 2013
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between April 2011 and March 2013. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2012-2014 Volvo VHDBuilt April 2011 to March 2013
  • 2012-2014 Volvo VNLBuilt April 2011 to March 2013
  • 2012-2014 Volvo VNMBuilt April 2011 to March 2013

What the defect is

Volvo is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 VHD, VNL, and VNM trucks, manufactured from April 18, 2011, through March 14, 2013, and equipped with a horizontally mounted remote battery disconnect switch. The remote battery disconnect switch was manufactured with incorrect hardware allowing the cables to loosen. Additionally, as mounted, the cables may vibrate and chafe.

What could happen

Loose or chafed cables may lead to overheating of the battery cable and switch which may result in a fire.

What gets fixed

Volvo will send owners an interim letter and dealers will replace and relocate the remote battery disconnect switch. The recall began on May 7, 2013.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtApril 2011 to March 2013
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA21 March 2013
  3. Owners notified7 May 2013

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 21 March 2013.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners may contact Volvo's recall support line at 1-877-800-4945 and select option 1.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
RVXX1301
Recalling manufacturer
Volvo Trucks North America
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Volvo's recall campaign number is RVXX1301.Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand