Volvo announced it is recalling more than 300,000 of its vehicles in the US and 2.2 million worldwide over a seatbelt component that proved to be faulty.
The company said a steel cable adjoining the front seatbelts to the vehicle risks wearing out easily, meaning the belts may lack the protectiveness they’re designed for. The company Autoliv manufactures the parts, and without functioning properly, they aren’t strong enough to restrain a person.
Vehicles affected include models from 2006-2019 S60, S80, V60, V60 Cross Country, all V70 wagon models, plus XC60 and XC70s.
Defect was caught early
According to Volvo, there have been no reported injuries from the cables wearing out. The company became aware of the issue through routine research and testing, and took action by putting a searchable database of VIN numbers on its website so that drivers of the vehicles can check to see whether their car is part of the recall. The vehicles can be taken to a Volvo dealer for a free repair and replacement of the part.
Volvo is known for its safety features, including lifesaving seatbelt innovation. However, this isn’t the first recall of the year for the Swedish automaker. In March, some of its newest vehicles were recalled due to a fault in its emergency braking system software.
It’s a good idea to continuously check back for possible recalls on any vehicle to see if your VIN eventually shows up as needing attention, since many recalled vehicles are older. The hope is that companies will catch these before they become problematic or someone is affected on the road.