NHTSA Announces Consent Order With Volvo Group North America

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced a consent order with Volvo Group North America following an investigation showing that the company failed to recall vehicles in a timely fashion. According to the NHTSA, Volvo Group North America, a collective of several manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and buses, which is a separate entity from Volvo Cars, did not recall vehicles in a timely fashion or comply with other recall and reporting requirements.  

The investigation found that they did not adequately notify owners of recalls or properly report death and injury incidents. The consent order also includes a civil penalty of $130 million, which is one of the largest penalties ever associated with a violation of the Vehicles Safety Act.  

Non-Monetary Provisions For The Volvo Group North America  

The consent order also has non-monetary provisions that include ways for Volvo Group North America to improve compliance with the law and increase the company’s current safety practices. They are developing written procedures for training and for employees on compliance with the Vehicle Safety Act, regulations and consent order. Additionally, they’re launching a user interface on their website that will allow users to search Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) for open recalls and also implement a system to support the NHTSA’s VIN lookup tool.  

Volvo Group North America has agreed to oversight by an independent third-party auditor in addition to meeting with NHTSA representatives on a regular basis. This is to ensure that all provisions are being met going forward and the company is in compliance with all federal safety regulations regarding the Vehicle Safety Act.  

$130 Million Civil Penalty for Volvo Group North America  

The term of the consent order is three years, and that may be extended for an additional two years, if necessary. The company is being required to make an upfront payment of $65 million and spend an additional $20 million on the specific performance obligation to create a safety data analytics infrastructure and an additional $45 million deferred penalty that may become payable under certain circumstances.  

If you have been injured or if you have lost a loved one in a car accident in San Diego or anywhere in Southern California, contact the skilled and proven team at Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. at 1.800.GO.HARRIS for a free case consultation today.