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NHTSA campaign 18V800000 · manufacturer recall R39917

2017–2019 Volvo S90 and 5 other Volvo models: electrical system recall

If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury.

moderate 17,548 vehicles affected 97% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Volvo XC90, S90, V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, XC40, XC60, and V90 Cross Country vehicles. The software installed in the Vehicle Connectivity Module (VCM) may have an error causing the Telematics and Driver Support Systems to function improperly. As a result, the GPS will not provide location information to emergency personnel in the event of an emergency. Risk If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury. Fix Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R39917.

Reported to NHTSA Nov 13, 2018 by Volvo Car USA LLC, owners notified Dec 26, 2018.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

The GPS failure degrades the emergency telematics system (potentially delaying rescue response) but does not directly cause a crash, control loss, fire, or reduce occupant protection during a crash itself.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Not stated in the dealer documents
Remedy Instructions filed: the dealer bulletin exists

Parts named

Part numberDescriptionQty
31472405Total Upgrade: S901
31483292Total Upgrade: XC60, XC901
31493704Total Upgrade: V60, V60CC1
31654144Total Upgrade: S/V90, V90CC1
31676056Total Upgrade: XC401

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign R39917). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 18V800000

Vehicles built Mar 24, 2016 to Nov 1, 2018 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2017 Volvo S90Midsize SedanC4
2018 Volvo S90Midsize SedanB2
2019 Volvo S90Midsize SedanC4
2017 Volvo V60Compact WagonD6
2018 Volvo V60Compact WagonB2
2019 Volvo V60Compact WagonD4
2017 Volvo V90Midsize WagonB2
2018 Volvo V90Midsize WagonA1
2019 Volvo V90Midsize WagonB3
2018 Volvo XC40Compact SUVA1
2019 Volvo XC40Compact SUVD4
2017 Volvo XC60Compact SUVC4
2018 Volvo XC60Compact SUVC5
2019 Volvo XC60Compact SUVF8
2017 Volvo XC90Large SUVD7
2018 Volvo XC90Large SUVB3
2019 Volvo XC90Large SUVD6

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 97%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 18V800000 · the manufacturer calls it R39917

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is R39917 the same recall as 18V800000?

Yes. R39917 is the number Volvo Car USA LLC uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 18V800000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Mar 24, 2016 to Nov 1, 2018. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.