Volvo Automatic Emergency Breaking (AEB) Problems Result in Recall for 121K Vehicles from 2019-2020
More than 120,000 Volvo sedans and crossover SUV’s have been recalled due to a design defect that may prevent the automatic emergency braking system from working, posing an increased risk of crash and injury to occupants.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Volvo recall on March 17, after discovering a software incompatibility issue with the hardware used to control the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system, which may cause the system to fail to recognize pedestrians or obstacles.
The AEB systems are designed to prevent collisions in which the driver does not react fast enough or does not apply sufficient braking power to avoid or mitigate a crash. The braking systems use multiple on-vehicle sensors such as radar, cameras, as well as lasers, to detect potential crash threats.
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Learn MoreAccording to the recall notice, there is a software code missing in the system that will prohibit proper communication with the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM). Due to the incompatibility, the braking system may not always engage when obstacles such as pedestrians are detected, which could increase the risk of a crash and injuries.
The recall includes 121,605 model year 2019 through 2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles manufactured by Volvo Car USA LLC from November 9, 2018 through March 11, 2020.
The impacted vehicles were distributed for sale throughout the United States to licensed dealers.
Volvo indicates it will mail affected customers a notice informing them of the recall. The company will also provide instructions on how to schedule a free repair at a local dealer, who will be instructed to update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge.
According to Volvo, a software remedy has been developed and it anticipates beginning the recall repair campaign by May 1, 2020. Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding the recall may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 and reference the recall campaign number R29998.
2 Comments
TerryMarch 15, 2021 at 9:14 pm
Ashley... The Volvo wasn't designed to protect against that type of failure from the driver. Light poles are very thin object (6 inch) while Radar can only detect objects 3ft or wider. The AEB is designed to prevent rear ending a car at full speed. Yes, your car insurance premium increase because the driver is clearly not a careful driver.
AshleyApril 18, 2020 at 1:43 pm
I know firsthand about this problem. My 2020 Volvo XC90 rolled straight into a light pole in a hotel parking lot 5 months after I bought it. Emergency braking never engaged and I had to replace the front end of my car, resulting in a $5,000 body shop repair plus an increased insurance premium due to filing the incident with my auto insurance company.