Volvo Trucks North America is recalling 63,095 trucks in the U.S. and Canada because the windshield wiper motor can wear out prematurely, limiting visibility in rainy conditions.
No accidents or injuries are linked to the issue, Volvo told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A driver may notice the wipers slowing or stopping intermittently before the wiper motor gear fails. The risk of a crash increases if the wipers fail.
Volvo decided to conduct a safety recall because warranty claims reached 5.8%. It had 51 reports of service requests due to inoperative wipers. About 6% of the recalled trucks — 2022-2024 VNR, VNL, VHD and VAH models — are expected to exhibit the issue.
Trucks in the recall population were built from May 3, 2021, through July 5, 2023. Of the recalled trucks, 55,012 are in the U.S. and 8,083 are in Canada.
Increasing trend noticed in October 2021
The truck maker first became aware of the issue in October 2021 when its engineers spotted an increasing trend of wiper motor failures.
After reviewing its supply chain, Volvo found motors were manufactured with gears and lubricant from nonverified suppliers. Unvalidated components including motor housing, gears and/or grease create incompatibility of components, which results in wiper motor failure.
Volvo will replace the wiper motor assembly with units produced with verified components. Dealer notification began Friday. Owner notification will begin on or before Sept. 15. The NHTSA recall number is 23V-511.
NHTSA in January fined Volvo Group North America a record of up to $130 million in civil penalties for slow reporting of safety recalls, sloppy record keeping and insufficient employee training in handling product defects.
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