Total Complaints
164 filings
VOLVO VN610 · model year
1998 VOLVO VN610
164 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1998VOLVOVN610 carries 164 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries, and 2 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 VN610 is suspension with 21 filings, followed by suspension:front:hub (19) and unknown or other (11). 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 VN610. 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.
164
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
6
Injuries
2
Deaths
Crashes Reported
3 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 | 21 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB | 19 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 7 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 7 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 6 |
| STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 5 |
| VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR | 5 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 4 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL | 4 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 4 |
| STEERING | 4 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 3 |
Recent Complaints
20070814CrashSUSPENSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLVO VN610. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING POWER. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BROUGHT IN FOR INSPECTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BALL JOINT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE DRAG LINK FELL APART. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 430,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 428,000. UPDATED 10/16/07 *TR
Mileage: 428,000
20070814CrashSTEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLVO VN610. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING POWER. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BROUGHT IN FOR INSPECTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BALL JOINT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE DRAG LINK FELL APART. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 430,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 428,000. UPDATED 10/16/07 *TR
Mileage: 428,000
20030829CrashSTEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION
TRW MANUFACTURED BALL SOCKET ON DRAG LINK SEPARATED RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING. MINOR CRASH WITH NO INJURIES
20020627ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE ENGINE BRAKE (EXHAUST BRAKE) IS FAULTY. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE ROCKER ARMS HAVE WORN OUT. *TT
20020627VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CONSUMER STATES MUST HOLD BRAKE DOWN 5 SECONDS FOR CRUISE CONTROL TO WORK. *TT
20020627ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH WAS REPLACED TWICE. *TT
20020627POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER STATES EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND POWER CLUTCH. *TT
20020627SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES THAT TIRES WERE PULLED OFF AT 70,000 MILES DUE TO PREMATURE STEER TIRE WEAR. *TT
20020617ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
CONSUMER STATES THE LCD GRAPHICS DISPLAY WAS SHOWING TRIP MILES, MPG, VOLTMETER, AT 98,000 THE MANUFACTURER REPLACED THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, HOWEVER AT 240,000 CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HIMSELF AND THE MANUFACTURER IS OFFERING NO SOLUTIONS.*JB
20020617SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING TIRES AND THEY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT LESS THAN 50,000 MILES.*JB
20020617STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
WHILE DRIVING, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT, CONSUMER STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCKED LIKE WHEN HAVING A FLAT TIRE, CONSUMER WAS INJURED AFTER REPAIRS, CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED AGAIN, THE HEAT VENT FOR THE DASH WAS FOUND STUCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THIS WAS CAUSED FROM THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
20020617UNKNOWN OR OTHER
WHILE DRIVING, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT, CONSUMER STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCKED LIKE WHEN HAVING A FLAT TIRE, CONSUMER WAS INJURED AFTER REPAIRS, CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED AGAIN, THE HEAT VENT FOR THE DASH WAS FOUND STUCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THIS WAS CAUSED FROM THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
20020617TIRES
WHILE DRIVING, STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP, CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT, CONSUMER STATED THAT THE STEERING LOCKED LIKE WHEN HAVING A FLAT TIRE, CONSUMER WAS INJURED AFTER REPAIRS, CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED AGAIN, THE HEAT VENT FOR THE DASH WAS FOUND STUCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THIS WAS CAUSED FROM THE ACCIDENT. *SLC
20020617UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE LED DISPLAY THAT CARRIES THE VOLMETER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED, BUT FAILED AGAIN. TWO GAUGE ARRAYS ON THE DASH DO NOT HAVE LIGHTS. *YH
20020617UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER IS EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE DASH. *TT
20020617SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS CONSTANTLY OVER WEIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE, FORCING CONSUMER TO TRAVEL WITH LESS THAN HALF OF FUEL CAPACITY. TRUCK WEIGHS AROUND 12,000 WHEM EMPTY OR NO LOAD. WITH FULL FUEL, CAN REACH 12,500 TO 13,000. STEER TIRES VIBRATE AND START TO DETERIORATE AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES. *TT
20020617UNKNOWN OR OTHER
CONSUMER STATES EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH WIRING HARNESS UNDER THE DASH. ON SEVERAL OCCASISIONS THE DASH LIGHTS AND GAUGES OPERATE ERRATICALLY. *TT
20020617SUSPENSION
CONSUMER STATES EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH U-BOLTS AND REAR SUSPENSION LEVELING VALVE. *TT
20020617STEERING
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING VARIOUS STEERING PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE SECTOR SHAFT END CAP AND SNAP RING FELL OFF, THE STEERING GEAR BOX HAD TO BE REPLACED AND TIE ROD ENDS FAILED. *TT
20020617SERVICE BRAKES, AIR
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SERVO VALVE FAILED CAUSING AIR LEAKS. SLACK ADJUSTER ALSO FAILED. *TT
Compare 1998VOLVOVN610 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1998 VOLVO VN610 have?▼
The 1998 VOLVO VN610 has 164 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 6 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1998 VOLVO VN610?▼
The most-complained component for the 1998 VOLVO VN610 is SUSPENSION with 21 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1998 VOLVO VN610 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.