The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has determined that vehicles included in Volvo Trucks' recent safety recall that have not been repaired should not be operated and are to be immediately placed out of service.

On March 10, Volvo Trucks announced the recall of certain 2016-2017 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks manufactured from May 11, 2015, through March 8, 2016. The recalled trucks may be missing a roll pin in the steering shaft that could cause the steering shaft to disconnect from the junction block. This could cause a sudden and complete loss of steering control.

On March 18, FMCSA issued an Urgent Safety Bulletin advising operators and carriers of recalled vehicles to immediately contact Volvo Customer Support at 1-877-800-4945 (Option 1) before continuing driving operations. 

The recall affects nearly 20,000 Class 8 trucks with 16,000 in the U.S. alone. The FMCSA’s announcement is not intended to provide a basis for further enforcement action, but the group seeks the immediate cessation of the unrepaired, unsafe trucks.

Operators of vehicles that have been declared out of service face potential civil penalties as well as criminal prosecution.

The FMCSA’s full notification is available here.