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2012 Volvo VNProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 2 owner complaints about the 2012 Volvo VN, most often about the tires. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-651 the manufacturer reports only 69% of affected cars repaired.

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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 69%Owner complaints20 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem2Tires

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 19, 2025. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2012 Volvo VN has problems

2 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Tires20

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2012 Volvo VN recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

69%repaired · 2017 Q2

Control arm: lower ball joint

Recall 15V-651 · Oct 13, 2015 · 14,934 vehicles · 10,297 repaired

Risk. Failure of the ball joint may cause separation of the socket and a complete loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Seat belts

Recall 12V-510 · Oct 18, 2012 · 1,496 vehicles

Risk. In the event of a crash, an insufficient seat belt weld may prevent the seat belt from properly restraining the occupant.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Volvo.

Best & worst years

2012 vs. every other VN year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the VN median. How we score

'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2012 Volvo VN, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Discrepancies in Required CFR ReportingAQ18005 · closed Aug 4, 2023
    No recall
In owners' words

What VN owners report

Recent tires complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I WAS EMPTY NORTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95 IN GA, NEAR EXIT 49 WHEN TIRE FAILED VIRGIN STEERING TIRE CAME APART LIKE A RECAP
Complaint 11706031 · Dec 19, 2025
TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON INTERSTATE 95 RICHMOND HILL GA, GOODYEAR 11R22.5 STEERING TIRE TREAD SEPARATED FROM CAISIN LIKE A RECAP
Complaint 11706026 · Dec 19, 2025

Own a 2012 VN?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.