Volvo VNL Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 107 consumer complaints across the 13 model years of the Volvo VNL (1998–2018) that have at least 5 complaints. 2007 has the most, with 15. Across all years, the part named most often is suspension (32 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All VNL 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 8 | 149,710 | 5 | 249 | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 12 | 30,000 | 6 | 202 | — | Not enough data |
| 2015 | 5 | 50,000 | 9 | 162 | — | Not enough data |
| 2014 | 8 | 100,000 | 12 | 145 | — | Not enough data |
| 2013 | 7 | 207,000 | 14 | 124 | — | Not enough data |
| 2012 | 5 | 118,390 | 14 | 109 | — | Not enough data |
| 2007 | 15 | 110,000 | 9 | 87 | — | Falling |
| 2006 | 7 | 170,000 | 7 | 79 | — | Not enough data |
| 2005 | 6 | 350,000 | 6 | 74 | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 5 | 2,000 | 6 | 69 | — | Not enough data |
| 2000 | 10 | — | 4 | 65 | — | Not enough data |
| 1999 | 11 | — | 5 | 63 | — | Not enough data |
| 1998 | 8 | 400,000 | 5 | 60 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Suspension32 31%
- Steering23 22%
- Transmission and drivetrain12 12%
- Brakes9 8.7%
- Body and structure8 7.8%
- Tires7 6.8%
- Exterior lighting7 6.8%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)5 4.9%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2016: “My stupid dealer cit trucks could not find y my truck was shaking so they played with transmission programing its an I shift no clutch peddle . Stonington il. Got fuel at f.s. Coming back cross rail road tracks and tried to stop for rt 48 . The clutch would not release .this the 4 time .”
NHTSA complaint #11057890, filed 2018-01, 104,000 miles2018: “2019 complained to the dealer about uneven wearing of the front tires they checked alignment then same complaint in march 2020 no defects find then in july 02 2020 I was unable to drive because of vibration , after inspection they found plastic bushings for both kingpins worn out and replaced as whole sets. My complaint is about premature failure components at 300000 miles due to use of plastic bushings by manufacturer. Truck was used on highways not as a vocational truck”
NHTSA complaint #11338922, filed 2020-07, 300,000 miles2015: “We have been experiencing problems with our vehicle from the beginning. We filed an earlier complaint. We have not heard anything coming from that complaint, but have been in contact with an odi investigator. When traveling down the road, our truck hit a bridge abutment and the cab bottomed out hard on the chassis and the cab swayed aggressively to the point the driver lost control. I was in the back of the vehicle when it bottomed out and felt an intense pain go from my lower back and up through my spine to my head. …”
NHTSA complaint #10747593, filed 2015-08, 79,800 milesOther 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