The company was cooperative throughout the investigation and agreed to offer a recall repair and extended warranty to address the issue
Sacramento, Calif.—The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced a settlement this week with Swedish engine and vehicle manufacturer Volvo Group North America, LLC for nearly $197 million. The settlement is for undisclosed auxiliary emission control devices (AECD) that violated the state’s emissions and certification requirements.
The state will receive $17.5 million in penalties and costs and $71 million to mitigate the air quality harms caused by the violations. Volvo also is committing $108 million toward emission reduction projects in California.
The case involves approximately 10,000 Volvo model year 2010 through 2016 diesel engines used in heavy-duty trucks throughout California. CARB alleged these engines used AECDs that were not adequately disclosed during the required emissions certification process. Failure to report AECDs completely and accurately to CARB is a violation of California’s heavy-duty engine regulations.
These Volvo engines emitted more smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) than allowed by the emission standard.
Volvo was cooperative throughout CARB’s investigation and agreed to offer a recall repair and extended warranty to address the AECDs. The recall will apply to Volvo’s model year 2014 through 2016 diesel engines at issue in this case.
FAQs
Is there a repair for the violations?
Yes. Volvo is currently developing a software repair for the AECD issues affecting heavy-duty trucks equipped with the model year 2014-2016 Volvo diesel engines listed in Appendix E of the Settlement Agreement (excluding 16-liter engines). Volvo will submit the recall application to CARB for approval in the future and once approved, will notify owners of impacted heavy-duty vehicles.
Why isn’t the repair ready now?
The repair is pending due to the complexity of the software development process. Each variation of the software requires additional calibration, testing, and verification to ensure optimal performance and stability. These steps are critical to avoid creating additional issues that would add significant time to the overall effort and frustration for owners.
What can/should an owner do if they own a vehicle with one of these model year 2014-2016 engines?
Owners of a heavy-duty truck equipped with a model year 2014-2016 Volvo diesel engine listed above (excluding 16-liter engines) should wait to receive a letter notifying them of the recall, which is expected to take place in 2027. This recall is not mandatory. At their option, truck owners can schedule an appointment to have their trucks repaired. Once Volvo repairs the truck, Volvo will provide the truck owner with an extended warranty for specific parts of the emission control system. The extended warranty also carries over to subsequent owners whose trucks had already received the recall software.
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