Several popular Volvo models must get new software to meet emissions requirements.
Many car brands have issued recalls in recent years because the cars had too high emissions. Now the same problem has hit Volvo Cars, Car Whiz team can reveal.
A total of five Volvo models are covered by a new recall which means that car owners need to go to the workshop. The cars have too high emissions of nitrogen oxides and thus do not meet the legal requirements. They must be updated with new software.
The cars covered are the Volvo S90, V90 and V90 Cross Country built between April 30, 2018 and August 23, 2020, as well as the XC60 and XC90 SUVs built between November 13, 2017 and May 12, 2019.
“Measures are required for the cars to continue to meet the legal requirements”
It is the Dutch authority RDW that discovered that the cars have too high emissions.
– The recall applies to cars that are part of the same model family because they all have the same diesel engine, says Thérèse de Vroomen from RDW’s communications department to Car Whiz team.
RDW sometimes makes random samples of cars that are type-approved by the authority and have been put into traffic. It was during one of these emissions tests that it turned out that the cars do not meet the legal requirements.
– After a detailed investigation together with Volvo Cars, we decided that measures are required for the cars to continue to meet the legal requirements. Volvo will roll out a software update that is verified by us for these cars, says Thérèse de Vroomen.
How far above the emission limit were the cars during the test drives?
– We are not sharing that information at the moment.
The V90 Cross Country is one of the Volvo models covered by the software update. Photo: Volvo Cars
Irritating to the respiratory tract
The update is confirmed by Magnus Holst at Volvo Cars’ communications department.
– We have been in contact with RDW regarding this and although we plan to launch a related software update on some cars, no such action has been taken yet, he says.
More information will come when the update is complete.
– In order to have full transparency towards our customers, we do not comment or speculate on the details before then.
In Sweden, upwards of 4,000 cars can be covered by the update.
According to the recall, it is the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) that are too high. Nitrogen oxides are toxic and irritate the respiratory tract and mucous membranes. It was excessive emissions of nitrogen oxides that led to Volkswagen’s diesel scandal.
