Numerous trucks are being recalled due to an issue that could greatly compromise safety should a crash take place.
VN and VHD trucks of the 2002 through 2013 model years have been recalled by Volvo, equating to a total of just under 1,500 vehicles. Each vehicle comes with a bench passenger seat and was produced between August 4, 2000 and this past June.
The recall was necessitated once it was discovered that the trucks fail to adhere to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard governing Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages. The ability of the seatbelts to restrain vehicle occupants is inhibited because of a seat belt d-ring weld that is lacking. This failure means that the belts would not perform as necessary during a seatbelt test. Should a crash occur, the belt would not tighten up the way it’s supposed to, and the person who was supposed to be restrained could instead be thrust forward to a dangerous degree. The risk of an injury is necessarily increased.
All owners of affected vehicles should receive a notification from Volvo by December 17. At that point, such persons will be able to bring their vehicle in to a dealer to receive a free replacement of the d-ring.
Anyone who owns these vehicles should drive particularly defensively, especially if passengers occupy the affected seats. Until the issue is fixed, it becomes vital to respect the laws of the road and not endanger yourself or your acquaintances.