2012 Volvo Vnl Recalls, Complaints & Specs
14 safety recalls list the 2012 Volvo Vnl, and owners have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
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14 safety recalls for the 2012 Volvo Vnl
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Fifth wheel assembly (trailer hitches)
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 VNL and VNM trucks manufactured June 21, 2010, to December 14, 2012. The affected trucks are equipped with Fontaine Ultra LT Fifth Wheel connectors, which, due to cumulative damage to the fifth wheel and its locking mechanism, have a locking mechanism that may…
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and Fontaine dealers will replace the fifth wheel with an Ultra NT model fifth wheel, free of charge. The recall began on November 23, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at…
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Electrical system
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Volvo VNL trucks manufactured December 1, 2011, to September 1, 2013, equipped with certain Electric Auxiliary Power Units (APU), part number BA600, manufactured by Idle Free Systems (IFS). The affected APUs have metal housings whose mounting points may crack…
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners and IFS dealers will inspect the APU for damage and, where needed, install a welded gusset upgrade kit to strengthen the APU C-channels. All units will receive stronger clamping brackets. The…
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Service brakes
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 VNL and VNM trucks manufactured May 31, 2011, to December 1, 2014. In the affected trucks, the trailer hand brake handle may not to return to the off position due to being restricted by the cut out in the trim panel.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the trim panel slot and make it longer, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at…
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Automatic transmission (power train)
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2012, 2014-2015 VHD, 2012-2015 VNL, and 2014-2015 VNM trucks manufactured June 16, 2011, to August 18, 2014, and equipped with the Eco-Roll option. The affected trucks may fail to re-engage the vehicle drivetrain after using the Eco-Roll feature.
Remedy: Volvo has notified owners, and dealers will update the Eco-Roll software, free of charge. The recall began on December 10, 2014. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this…
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Tires
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 VAH and VNL trucks manufactured May 12, 2010, to October 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may experience premature tire failure during certain operating conditions such as high speeds, heavy load, and high road temperature.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will replace the tires and set the road speed limiter, free of charge. The recall began on January 16, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's…
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Crash imminent braking (forward collision avoidance) and adaptive cruise control (forward collision avoidance)
Volvo Trucks of North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 VNL and 2014-2015 VNM trucks manufactured November 17, 2010, through February 5, 2014, and equipped with enhanced cruise control and without side fairings. In the affected vehicles, the active braking component of the enhanced cruise control can become…
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the control unit software, free of charge. The recall began on August 12, 2014. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this…
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Visibility/wiper
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 VAH, VHD, VNL, and VNM trucks manufactured February 1, 2010, through September 30, 2010 and June 1, 2011, through November 30, 2011. The windshield wiper motor may fail.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor, free of charge. The recallbegan on December 6, 2013. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-336-393-2000. Volvo's recall number is RVXX1304.
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Clutch assembly (power train)
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 VAH, VHD, VNL, VNM, and VT models. The affected vehicles were built without a redundant clutch disengagement switch. Without a redundant switch, a loss of signal from the brake air pressure switch can prevent the clutch from automatically disengaging when the…
Remedy: Volvo Trucks will notify owners and dealers will inspect and repair the vehicles if necessary. The recall began on August 26, 2013. Volvo's recall number is RVXX1303. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-336-393-2000.
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Air (parking brake)
Volvo Trucks North America (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 VHD and VNL vehicles manufactured December 13, 2010, through July 17, 2012. These vehicles are equipped with an MGM Type 24 J-series piston parking brake chamber. The brake chambers may leak pressure allowing the parking brake to drag when it is supposed to be…
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners and the brake chambers will be replaced as needed, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on, or before, June 17, 2013. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-336-393-2000. Volvos…
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Cables (electrical system)
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…
Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Volvo's recall support line at 1-877-800-4945 and…
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Check valve (service brakes)
Volvo is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 vhd and model year 2011-2013 vnl and vnm vehicles, manufactured from december 2, 2010, through january 18, 2012, and equipped with bendix atr-6 traction relay valves. In extremely cold conditions, these bendix relay valves may potentially develop internal leakage. Internal leakage can lead…
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and provide a temporary repair until bendix develops a permanent remedy. A permanent remedy has been developed and notification to owners began on april 27, 2012. This service will be…
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Fifth wheel assembly (trailer hitches)
Volvo trucks is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 vnl and vnm trucks manufactured from may 1, 2010, through january 31, 2011. During the coupling process, it is possible for the driver to partially close the fifth wheel lock and if solely relying on a tug test (pull test), the driver may think that the fifth wheel lock is properly…
Remedy: Dealers will notify owners, and dealers will replace the lock bar free of charge. The safety recall began on december 7, 2011. Owners may contact volvo trucks at 1-800-528-6586.
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Driveline (power train)
Volvo trucks is recalling certain model year 2012 vhd, vnl, and vnm trucks equipped with a meritor driveline. The tubing used to assemble the drivelines has a nonconforming seam weld with insufficient bonding of the material.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the drivelines free of charge. The safety recall began on july 25, 2011. Owners may contact volvo trucks at 1-800-528-6586.
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Slack adjusters (service brakes)
Volvo trucks is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 vhd, vnl, and model year 2012 vnm trucks manufactured from october 15, 2010, through january 31, 2011, and equipped with gunite automatic slack adjusters. Due to an incomplete "knitting" of the iron at the time of casting, inadequate structural integrity of the slack adjuster…
Remedy: Volvo trucks will notify owners and dealers will replace the subject slack adjusters free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about august 12, 2011. Owners may contact volvo trucks at 1-800-528-6586.
5 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Volvo Vnl have filed 5 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 3 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 149,993 miles. Complaints peaked in 2015 with 2 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“I both the volvo 780 semi truck 8 months ago and i do still have a problem. I do replace whole suspension, make a 6 times alignment and truck still sway in the road. Dealer from connecticut do test dr”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, June 12, 2017 · Suspension
“Tl* the contact owns a 2012 volvo vnl. The contact stated that there was a manufacturer recall on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be serviced, but the contact was uncertain if the”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 24, 2017 · Electrical system
Compare Volvo Vnl model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Volvo Vnl model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1992 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1993 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1994 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1995 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 Volvo Vnl | 4 | 0 |
| 1998 Volvo Vnl | 5 | 8 |
| 1999 Volvo Vnl | 5 | 11 |
| 2000 Volvo Vnl | 4 | 10 |
| 2001 Volvo Vnl | 8 | 1 |
| 2002 Volvo Vnl | 7 | 1 |
| 2003 Volvo Vnl | 9 | 2 |
| 2004 Volvo Vnl | 6 | 5 |
| 2005 Volvo Vnl | 6 | 6 |
| 2006 Volvo Vnl | 7 | 7 |
| 2007 Volvo Vnl | 9 | 15 |
| 2008 Volvo Vnl | 12 | 3 |
| 2009 Volvo Vnl | 4 | 2 |
| 2010 Volvo Vnl | 4 | 0 |
| 2011 Volvo Vnl | 12 | 4 |
| 2012 Volvo Vnl | 14 | 5 |
| 2013 Volvo Vnl | 14 | 7 |
| 2014 Volvo Vnl | 12 | 8 |
| 2015 Volvo Vnl | 9 | 5 |
| 2016 Volvo Vnl | 6 | 12 |
| 2017 Volvo Vnl | 5 | 0 |
| 2018 Volvo Vnl | 5 | 8 |
| 2019 Volvo Vnl | 8 | 4 |
| 2020 Volvo Vnl | 9 | 0 |
| 2021 Volvo Vnl | 7 | 0 |
| 2022 Volvo Vnl | 7 | 2 |
| 2023 Volvo Vnl | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 Volvo Vnl | 7 | 0 |
| 2025 Volvo Vnl | 1 | 0 |
Checking a specific 2012 Volvo Vnl
How do I know if my 2012 Volvo Vnl has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 14 campaigns currently list the 2012 Volvo Vnl; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Volvo dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 11V265000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Volvo models
- XC901,528 complaints
- S601,266 complaints
- S80954 complaints
- V70933 complaints
- XC60651 complaints
- S70593 complaints
- 850569 complaints
- S40491 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.