Volvo Trucks North America has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the company will initiate a voluntary safety recall of about 42,000 Volvo VN and VHD model trucks manufactured from November 2002 to January 2006 and equipped with the Volvo D12D engine.
There is the potential for exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler inlet pipes, or the pipes that connect the EGR valve to the cooler, to crack or break. If these pipes fail and are not repaired, the air cleaner and inner fender may be subject to hot exhaust gases, which could lead to a fire.
Volvo Trucks will inspect the pipes, replace any defective parts, and install protective heat shields on all of the trucks.
The heat shield has been designed to deflect direct exhaust gas in the event of a failure of these pipes. These repairs will be made by Volvo's dealers and by warranty-certified fleets, and total repair time is expected to be about one hour.
Customers with trucks affected by the recall can continue to operate their vehicles normally until the repair is made, but if they hear an exhaust leak or noise under the hood, they should stop the vehicle immediately and inspect the pipes.
Volvo Trucks also urges customers to examine these pipes during their pre-trip inspection to check for any cracks or loose sealing.