Volvo Recalls 42,000 Trucks on EGR Concerns

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olvo Trucks North America said Thursday that it will initiate a voluntary safety recall on about 42,000 trucks because of potential flaws in an emissions-reduction system in the trucks’ engines.

Volvo told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the recall was for VN and VHD model trucks manufactured from November 2002 to January 2006, equipped with the Volvo D12D engine.

The company said it found there is potential for exhaust gas recirculation cooler inlet pipes — or the pipes that connect the EGR valve to the cooler — to crack or break.

If the pipes fail and are not repaired, the air cleaner and inner fender may be subject to hot exhaust gases, which could potentially lead to a fire, Volvo said.

Volvo said in a statement it has “reports of a number of trucks suffering heat damage to the inner fender or air cleaner as a result of these failures. There have also been two confirmed instances of a fire caused by this condition. No one has been injured in any of these instances.”

VTNA said it will address the problem by inspecting pipes, replacing defective parts and installing protective heat shields on the affected trucks.

It said repairs will be made by Volvo dealers and warranty-certified fleets, and that the total repair time would be about one hour.