The defect
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 fail to operate or to properly engage.
The risk
If the fifth wheel and locking mechanism are sufficiently damaged, the locking mechanism may fail to operate as intended and the trailer may unexpectedly detach from the tractor, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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 1-800-528-6586. Volvo's number for this recall is RVXX1507.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Volvo VAH | 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Volvo VNL | 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Volvo VNM | 2011, 2012, 2013 |
Components: TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo VAH | 2011 | 0 | 5 |
| Volvo VAH | 2012 | 0 | 6 |
| Volvo VAH | 2013 | 0 | 5 |
| Volvo VNL | 2011 | 4 | 12 |
| Volvo VNL | 2012 | 5 | 14 |
| Volvo VNL | 2013 | 7 | 14 |
| Volvo VNM | 2011 | 0 | 6 |
| Volvo VNM | 2012 | 0 | 10 |
| Volvo VNM | 2013 | 0 | 9 |
Other trailer hitches recalls in 2015
10 of the 863 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2015 concerned the trailer hitches; Volvo Trucks North America filed 105 campaigns in all.
| 15V644000 13 Oct 2015 | Mack Trucks, Inc. |
| 15V616000 1 Oct 2015 | Daimler Trucks North America LLC |
| 15V607000 29 Sept 2015 | Navistar, Inc. |
| 15V576000 16 Sept 2015 | Forest River, Inc. |
| 15V355000 9 Jun 2015 | Vermeer Manufacturing Company |
| 15V253000 28 Apr 2015 | Mastercraft Boat Company Inc |
| 15V151000 16 Mar 2015 | Spartan Tool, LLC |
| 15V139000 11 Mar 2015 | Mack Trucks, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2015