Volvo Semi Truck Might Emit Illegal Amounts of Nitrogen Oxide Due to Faulty Part

A faulty part inside Volvo semi truck catalytic converters might be allowing the vehicles to emit illegal amounts of pollution into the air, according to a recent government report.

Volvo has started talks with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because a component the trucks use to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions seems to be degrading at a faster than expected rate. The defective part could affect Volvo semi truck vehicles and buses sold in North America and Europe.

The EPA emailed a statement to Reuters, saying, “Over the last few weeks, EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have been communicating with Volvo about the problem and are now continuing to meet with the company to develop plans to quickly address this situation.”

Volvo has indicated the component’s rate of degradation appears to vary, not causing identical issues with all affected engines. If you drive a Volvo semi truck, you could be alerted to the problem when a warning light comes on in the cab.

Volvo isn’t sure how many engines or vehicles may be affected by the defective part. But as the second largest semi truck maker in the world today, Volvo sold 51,693 trucks in North America and 115,863 in Europe in 2017. The number of affected vehicles could be substantial.

A recall has not yet been issued, but could be on the horizon once Volvo determines the scope of the problem.

Nitrogen oxide is a pollutant that enters the air through car and truck emissions, power plants, and off-road equipment. The EPA enforces national and regional rules to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide.

The human respiratory system can be irritated by breathing air highly concentrated in nitrogen oxide, which mixes with other chemicals in the air to create particulates and ozone. All of these forms of air pollution are harmful to the respiratory system. Asthma and respiratory infections are more likely to be physical challenges for people who live in areas with heavy vehicular traffic, says the EPA.

High levels of nitrogen oxide also contribute to the formation of acid rain that adversely impacts lakes and forests. This is the pollutant that creates the foggy haze we call smog.

Volvo Semi Truck Issue Not Same as VW’s Tampering

According to Reuters, a U.S. government official indicated the degrading part inside the catalytic converter is thought to be a truly defective part that Volvo did not knowingly use. In that regard, the Volvo issue is different from the diesel emissions scandal that recently hit Volkswagen.

Back in 2015, German automaker Volkswagen admitted to installing a “defeat device” in its diesel vehicles that included the use of software that allowed the vehicles to successfully pass emissions testing, when in reality, the cars polluted the air heavily in regular driving conditions.

In contract, the Volvo semi truck issue does not appear to be the result of a scheme, but is an actual unintended and unexpected failure of a catalytic converter component to hold up under wear and tear.

In addition to the EPA the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has been in talks with Volvo to determine the extent of the problem, how many Volvo semi trucks might be affected, and how to resolve the pollution problem as soon as possible.

Join a Free Volvo Truck Emissions Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your company owns Volvo heavy-duty trucks that include this faulty component that is causing illegal amounts of emissions to be released, you may be entitled to compensation.

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