Total Complaints
3 filings
Volvo VNL · model year
2003 Volvo VNL
3 NHTSA complaints, and 9 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 3
- Recalls
- 9
The verdict
The 2003 Volvo VNL posts top-quartile complaint standing among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 17%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 9
- recall campaigns
The 2003VolvoVNL carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2003 VNL is electrical system with 1 filings, followed by interior lighting (1) and engine and engine cooling (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 9 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA currently has 28 investigation files overlapping the 2003 VNL. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2003 Volvo VNL
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
Recalls (9)
03V20400030/05/2003
TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH JOST INTERNATIONAL JSK 37U SERIES FIFTH WHEELS, A FATIGUE CRACK CAN DEVELOP IN THE BRACKET PIN WELD UNDER CERTAIN LOADING CONDITIONS.
06V02100026/01/2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH D12D ENGINES, THE EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION (EGR) COOLER INLET PIPES OR THE PIPES THAT CONNECT THE EGR VALVES TO THE COOLER MAY CRACK OR BREAK.
10V28200024/06/2010
STEERING:LINKAGES:DRAG:LINK:CONNECTION
VOLVO TRUCKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2006 VNL AND VNM TRUCKS MANUFACTURED WITH A TRW SEALED DRAG LINKS. CERTAIN FACTORS CAN EXIST, WHICH IF LEFT UNTREATED MAY RESULT IN A BALL SOCKET SEPARATION.
03V26000022/07/2003
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTED TO THE CHASSIS MOUNTED ELECTRICAL INVERTER MAY ALLOW WATER TO ENTER THE INVERTER AND CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE INVERTER.
09V17300021/05/2009
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR
VOLVO TRUCKS IS RECALLING 127,764 MY 2001-2008 VHD, VNL, VNM, AND MY 2005-2008 VT TRUCKS. A SEAL MAY FAIL ALLOWING WATER AND CONTAMINANTS TO SEEP INTO THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR.
07V57300014/12/2007
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS, THE CIRCUIT PROTECTION (I.E. AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT BREAKERS) USED TO PROTECT THE VEHICLE LIGHTING SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION.
03V51600010/12/2003
EQUIPMENT:RECREATIONAL VEHICLE/TRAILER
ON CERTAIN HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKS, WHEN THE BUNK IS RAISED INTO THE STORED POSITION, AN OBJECT LEFT ON THE BUNK MAY INADVERTENTLY TURN ON A BUNK LAMP.
03V03800006/02/2003
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY CLASS 8 TRUCKS, THE SLEEPER SECTION UPPER SIDE WINDOW GLASS MAY DE-BOND FROM THE WINDOW OPENING SLIDE TRACK MECHANISM.
05V49800002/11/2005
WHEELS
CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH FRONT STEER AXLE AIR SUSPENSION MAY DEVELOP A FRONT WHEEL WOBBLE WHEN THE TIRES BECOME WORN.
Recent Complaints
20100106FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO VNL610 TRUCK. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 65-70 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE WAS A STRONG BURNING ODOR INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A LOUD EXPLOSION CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR SLEEPER AREA AND UNDERNEATH THE HOOD ENGULFED INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT WRECKER SHOP. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 728,000. THE VIN WAS REJECTED FROM THE SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE UPDATED UPON RECEIPT OF THE COMPLAINT FORM. THE VIN # WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Mileage: 728,000
20030720FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
COUTESY LIGHTS TOO SOFT TO ACTIVATE, ALSO TOO HOT TO TOUCH, STARTED PILLOW ON FIRE IN SLEEPER BUNK. *AK
20030720FireINTERIOR LIGHTING
COUTESY LIGHTS TOO SOFT TO ACTIVATE, ALSO TOO HOT TO TOUCH, STARTED PILLOW ON FIRE IN SLEEPER BUNK. *AK
Compare 2003VolvoVNL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2003 Volvo VNL have?▼
The 2003 Volvo VNL has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2003 Volvo VNL?▼
Yes, the 2003 Volvo VNL has 9 recall(s). The most common affected component is TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Volvo VNL?▼
The most-complained component for the 2003 Volvo VNL is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include INTERIOR LIGHTING and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2003 Volvo VNL 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.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2003 Volvo VNL; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.