Volvo AB said a component in its emission controls setup is wearing out faster than expected, which could cause trucks to exceed limits.
The world’s second-biggest trucker has started informing authorities about the issue that’s the result of materials degrading over time, the Gothenburg, Sweden-based company said Tuesday in a statement. The largest volume of potentially affected vehicles were sold in North America and Europe, Volvo’s two largest markets, which combined represented about two-thirds of its deliveries last year. The cost to remedy the problem “could be material,” the company said.
“We are currently investigating the extent of the problem, and that will determine what the financial impacts or necessary measures will be,” Volvo spokesman Claes Eliasson said by phone.
The company said it uncovered the fault, which potentially releases excessive levels of harmful nitrogen oxide, through its own monitoring system. Truckmakers have so far escaped the kind of scrutiny that has hit carmakers following Volkswagen AG’s cheating on diesel emissions, where the company circumvented regulation on nitrogen oxide.
Volvo said it’s not yet able to estimate the volume of engines or vehicles that may need to be addressed.
By Niclas Rolander
