Volvo issues a global recall for over 2.18M cars for seat belt concerns

Volvo has issued a recall for nearly 2.18M cars that may have seat belt strength issues. The Swedish automotive manufacturer has stated that there may be a potential issue with the cables that were used to attach the front seat belts. As such the automaker is asking owners of the following models to immediately contact their nearest Volvo dealership to have the parts replaced.

Affected vehicles are those that were built between 2007 and 2018. Specific models include the V70, XC70, S60, V60, S80, and the XC60. The automaker has also stated that there are no new models included in this recall.

In a statement released by the Swedish manufacturer, it states that it “has identified a problem regarding the front seat belt fastening, mounted on the outer side of the front seat. The front seat belt fastening cable may overtime suffer from reduced strength under certain circumstances”. Volvo continues by saying that the issue is “extremely rare” and that there haven’t been any reports with regards to seat belt related failures. 

Volvo recommends those with affected seat belts that owners put the driver and passenger seat belt fastening in a vertical position and align it with the backrest so that the belt is not bent over the seat cushion when sitting down. In this manner, it will reduce the amount of tension on the belt to prolong its life before being replaced for free at a dealership.

The Swedish company is doing his recall for free. All of the work will be done free of charge at a Volvo dealership. The automaker states that the majority of the vehicles that have this issue should be fixed before the end of 2020. With that said, it's still great to see that a manufacturer is stepping up to the plate when it comes to customer safety and satisfaction especially when it comes to something as important as seatbelts.