What breaks most · 1998 to 2023 model years
Volvo VNL problems by year
Owners have filed 127 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Volvo VNL across model years 1998 to 2023. Three years stand out: 2007 for exterior lighting complaints, 2016 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 1999 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 2002 and 2003.
- Years to check closely: 2007, 2016, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 2002, 2003
- Complaints on file
- 1271998 to 2023, all trims
- Worst year
- 200715 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 126 fires · 7 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 100kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 172Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 0 | 5 | Suspension (7) | |
| 11 | 0 | 5 | Suspension (11) | |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | Suspension (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 8 | Unknown or other (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 7 | Service Brakes, AIR (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 9 | Electrical system (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 6 | Steering (2) | |
| 6 | 2 | 6 | Steering (4) | |
| 7 | 0 | 7 | Steering (3) | |
| 15 | 2 | 9 | Exterior lighting (4) | |
| 3 | 0 | 12 | Body and structure (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 4 | Tires (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 12 | Suspension (1) | |
| 5 | 1 | 14 | Suspension (2) | |
| 7 | 1 | 14 | Tires (2) | |
| 8 | 1 | 12 | Engine (3) | |
| 5 | 0 | 9 | Suspension (3) | |
| 12 | 2 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (7) | |
| 8 | 1 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (3) | |
| 4 | 0 | 8 | Suspension (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 7 | Engine and cooling (2) | |
| 1 | 0 | 3 | Electrical system (1) |
What fails on the 2007 Volvo VNL
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 27% |
4 | 0 | Shop all exterior lighting parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 13% |
2 | 2 | Shop all steering parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Service Brakes, AIR | 13% |
2 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 13% |
2 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Interior Lighting | 7% |
1 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
1 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The hood bracket cuts through the hood on the passenger side of the truck. This causes the hood to only be secured with one bracket when opening the hood for daily inspections. The hood is only partially secured when operating on roads and highways.
-
Front wheels loose from factor and dealer didn't check, tires psi 1/2 what should been , drive shaft out of phase . Damage the truck more .i know of about 20 of these truck with the drive shaft problem . Dealer and factor wont fix/ this is not safe
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Volvo VNL years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2007, 2016, 1999 carry the most filings on the Volvo VNL. The 2007 alone has 15 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common Volvo VNL problem?
On the 2007 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 4 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Volvo VNL problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Volvo VNL complaints that include mileage is about 100,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.