The last of nearly 16,000 trucks voluntarily recalled by Volvo Trucks North America for a steering defect have been identified and repaired, achieving a 100% safety recall completion, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The recall was announced by Volvo in February and was overseen by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in collaboration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Certain Volvo 2016-2017 Volvo VNL, VNX and VNM vehicles were recalled due to a steering shaft defect that potentially could have caused the truck driver to suddenly lose steering control.

“Over the last nine months, our USDOT team and Volvo Trucks have been laser-focused on protecting the motoring public by ensuring that every one of these recalled heavy trucks was identified and removed from our roadways until they were repaired,” said Anthony Foxx, U.S. Transportation Secretary. “This extraordinary effort, covering such a large number of vehicles, now with a confirmed 100% achievement of the safety recall, averted the risk of injury or death to not only the truck drivers, but also to everyone sharing the road.”

In an unprecedented move, the NHTSA reached out to the FMCSA to assist in getting the recalled commercial vehicles off the road. Working with Volvo, both organizations implemented a nationwide information campaign to alert trucking companies and drivers as well as federal and state inspectors of the recall, and the FMCSA issued an immediate out-of-service order for the trucks.

Volvo Trucks also directly contacted truck owners, and FMCSA and NHTSA posted recall announcements on social media platforms and issued press notifications to news outlets and satellite radio programs aimed at long-haul truck drivers.

“The successful conclusion of this large-scale national recall is a testament to the vital importance of everyone working together,” said Scott Darling FMCSA administrator.  “Many people were called upon to play a role in alerting carriers and drivers of the recall – from the trucking trade media to roadside safety inspectors. I am confident that all of our safety goals can likewise be achieved through this model of collaboration and partnership.”

In January, Foxx joined 18 automakers to commit to proactive safety principles which included a focus on maximizing safety recall rates by working toward the goal of 100% participation.

“We applaud Volvo Trucks’ commitment to addressing every one of these trucks,” said Mark Rosekind, NHTSA Administrator. “Not only has every truck been found, they were repaired or taken out of service before there was any serious crash tied to this dangerous defect. This is exactly what proactive safety is all about.”