Volvo VN Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 29 consumer complaints across the 4 model years of the Volvo VN (1998–2020) that have at least 5 complaints. 1999 has the most, with 9. Across all years, the part named most often is suspension (13 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All VN model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6 | 145,980 | 2 | 265 | — | Not enough data |
| 2000 | 5 | 150,000 | 2 | 96 | — | Not enough data |
| 1999 | 9 | — | 5 | 88 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 9 | — | 6 | 83 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Suspension13 25%
- Electrical system8 16%
- Steering7 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain6 12%
- Body and structure5 9.8%
- Engine cooling5 9.8%
- Brakes4 7.8%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)3 5.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2020: “I have just purchased this truck to replace an old truck lost due to a total loss . I picked up the truck in South dakota and drove back to Pennsylvania. When setting the parking brakes parked on a small incline with the truck empty the parking brake hold on the front drive axle and it skids those tires when rolling away. However the rear rear drive axle is not equipped with parking brake chambers which results in insufficient braking force to hold the truck in place. The truck has rolled away on me twice since I have purchased it . …”
NHTSA complaint #11723271, filed 2026-032000: “The contact owns a 2000 Volvo VN. While driving at an unknown speed, the hood of the vehicle opened spontaneously. The frontal visibility is reduced and increases the risk of a crash. The dealer must continually replace the underhood latches and linkages. The failure typically recurs after two years. Currently, all of the remedies have been insufficient in correcting the failures. The failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 156,560.”
NHTSA complaint #10257706, filed 2009-02, 150,000 miles1999: “Vehicle,(vn700 series), is experiencing problems with the wiring harness under dash. Also, consumer started out replacing the u bolts, front shocks, tires, drag arm, and leaf springs. There has been excessive tire wear which cause a vibration resulting in numbness of consumers arms and hands. The vehicle is hard to steer, leans to one side and does not level out.”
NHTSA complaint #565152, filed 2001-08Other Volvo models
1,531 complaintsVolvo S60
1,263 complaintsVolvo S80
953 complaintsVolvo V70
922 complaintsVolvo XC60
654 complaintsVolvo S70
584 complaintsVolvo 850
566 complaintsVolvo S40
491 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology