Total Complaints
44 filings
VOLVO VN · model year
1998 VOLVO VN
44 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998VOLVOVN carries 44 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1998 VN is suspension with 10 filings, followed by unknown or other (4) and equipment (3). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 1998 VN. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
44
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 10 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 |
| EQUIPMENT | 3 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 3 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DRUM | 1 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100927STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLVO VN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SPORADICALLY BECOME EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE STEERING DRAG LINK WAS REPLACED. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF AN UNKNOWN MANUFACTURER RECALL CONCERNING THE STEERING DRAG LINK IN SEPTEMBER 2010. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT SHE WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 600,000.
Mileage: 600,000
20020514ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE LIGHTS AND COMPUTER IN THE DASH HAVE SHORTED OUT AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS IN THE DASH, THE VEHICLE IS OVERWEIGHT AND HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC *NLM
20020514POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
THE LIGHTS AND COMPUTER IN THE DASH HAVE SHORTED OUT AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS IN THE DASH, THE VEHICLE IS OVERWEIGHT AND HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC *NLM
20020514STRUCTURE
THE LIGHTS AND COMPUTER IN THE DASH HAVE SHORTED OUT AS A RESULT OF A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS IN THE DASH, THE VEHICLE IS OVERWEIGHT AND HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC *NLM
20020514SUSPENSION
VEHICLE HAS BEEN RE-ALIGNED AND THE AIR VALVE HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. *SLC
20020514POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *SLC
20020514TIRES
THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. NLM
20020514ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
REAR MAIN SEAL ON MOTOR WAS REPLACED. *SLC
20020514UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE DASH. *SLC
20020514UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DASH BOUNCES AROUND, RSBROWN@WPE.COM. *SLC
20020426SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS SINCE DAY ONE DUE TO THE OVERWEIGHT STEER AXLE, DEALER HAS MADE SEVERAL REPAIRS, HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, VEHICLE VIBRATES AND EXPERIENCES TIRE WEAR. *SLC
20020426POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH WAS REPLACED, FIVE DAYS LATER IT NEEDED ADJUSTED DUE TO NO GREASE NEVER BEING PUT IN, CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A NEW CLUTCH AND THEY WOULD GET USED TO IT, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT. *SLC
20020426ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
REAR MAIN SEAL ON MOTOR WAS REPLACED. *SLC
20020426ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESS, VEHICLE IS A DAYCAB. *SLC . *AK
20020426SUSPENSION
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED U-BOLT PROBLEMS. *SLC
20020426UNKNOWN OR OTHER
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE DASH. *SLC
20020426SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES HE IS HAVING FRONT TIRE PROBLEMS THAT IS CAUSING VIBRATION, THERE HAVE BEEN 4 SETS OF STEER TIRES IN 260000 MILES, THEY WEAR BAD AND GO WAY OUT OF BALANCE, THE VEHICLE HAS LEANED TO THE LEFT SINCE PURCHASE, BOTH SPRINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER THIS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, RSBROWN@WPE.COM. *SLC
20020426UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DASH BOUNCES AROUND, RSBROWN@WPE.COM. *SLC
20020418SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATED THE ALTERNATOR AND IDLE PULLEY WERE BAD, THE AIR DRYER WAS REBUILT, AND THE TORQUE ARM, FOOT VALVE AND SHOCKS WERE REPLACED.*JB
20020418EQUIPMENT
CONSUMER STATED THE ALTERNATOR AND IDLE PULLEY WERE BAD, THE AIR DRYER WAS REBUILT, AND THE TORQUE ARM, FOOT VALVE AND SHOCKS WERE REPLACED.*JB
Compare 1998VOLVOVN to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 VOLVO VN have?▼
The 1998 VOLVO VN has 44 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 VOLVO VN?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 VOLVO VN is SUSPENSION with 10 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and EQUIPMENT.
Is the 1998 VOLVO VN safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.