Volvo has announced that it will be recalling 8,438 2010 XC60 SUVs over an issue discovered during crash testing. Volvo says the issue involves the potential for the driver’s seatbelt to become detached from the seat frame during a side impact crash.
Although no incidents have been reported to date by owners of the new XC60, Volvo and the NHTSA have confirmed the problem during crash testing in a lab environment and have released the recall accordingly.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration released a report on the problem and said, “The driver’s seat side cover panel (seat control panel) in certain driver-side impacts may release the attachment of the seatbelt to the seat frame.” The NHTSA report also said, “Should this condition occur in a crash, the seatbelt may fail to properly restrain the occupants, increasing the risk of injury.”
The recall calls for Volvo dealers to modify the inside of the driver-side cover panel to eliminate the potential for an unintended release of the seatbelt restraint.
The recall is scheduled to begin on December 15, 2009.
