Volvo recalls over 2 million cars for seatbelt fault

Volvo, the brand that invented the three-pointed seatbelt, found a potential seatbelt fault in 2.2 million Volvo’s around the world which has triggered a mass recall.

Volvo is recalling 2.2 million cars globally due to a securing cable that can suffer fatigue, weakening the action of the seatbelts.

Product Safety Australia and Volvo Australia is yet to publish a local recall relating to the issue at time of writing.

The recall, Volvo’s biggest ever, applies to examples of the S60, S60 Cross Country, V60, V60 Cross Country, XC60, V70, XC70 and S80 made from 2006 to 2018. All of those models are previous, rather than current-generation cars.

Volvo says that instances of the fault manifesting are “extremely rare”, but that “in extreme cases, damage to the cable, which is located in a rubber sleeve on the outside of the seats, could result in reduced seat belt restraint function.”

Volvo has received no reports from anywhere in the world of accidents or injuries caused by the fault. The firm added: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers, and are grateful for their cooperation as we look to perform this precautionary action.”

The Swedish firm, now owned by Chinese car maker Geely, actually invented the three-pointed seat belt in 1959 under the guidance of engineer Nils Bohlin, famously making the patent open so other firms could fit the life-saving device at cost price. Such a large recall for so fundamental a safety feature will, therefore, be all the more embarrassing for Volvo. It shows, however, that recalls are a part and parcel of the automotive industry that no car maker is immune from.

This seatbelt recall follows a similar action for half a million Volvos in July last year due to a plastic intake manifold, which could melt and pose a fire risk. Both of these campaigns pale into insignificance, however, when compared to the Takata airbag scandal, a recall that affects around 60 million cars worldwide, and was caused by poorly manufactured airbag detonators, which caused the death of a man in Sydney.

Cars affected by the Volvo seat belt recall: full list

Hugo Griffiths