HOOD STRUT FAILURE

What NHTSA is examining

Volvo reported four field reports and 62 warranty claims related to hood strut failure on the subject truck/tractors. The hood struts are a single acting oil shock that controls the rate of the opening of the hood. There are two struts attached to the hood assembly, one on each side. Odi's concern was that a failed hood strut would allow the hood to drop on one side, possibly injuring someone working on the engine. In examining the life cycle of hood struts in both truck and passenger car applications, odi found thatall hood struts require periodic replacement due to normal ?wear-out.?during the investigation, odi discovered that when the struts were replaced, the problem started to occur on the subject trucks.the failures resulted from the improper installation of the hood strut.this finding was substantiated by fleets contacted from information supplied by volvo, as well as visits to local dealers. During thisinvestigation, odi performed the following actions:a.reviewed warranty/engineering data provided by volvo;b.contacted the two initial complainants to gather moreinformation;c.conducted field trips to area dealers to inspect subjectvehicles;d.contacted two fleets from outside the washington d.c. Area to discuss their experience with these hood struts;ande.reviewed the appropriate service manuals.based on the data provided by volvo and the information gathered by odi, it is apparent that some dealers and owners may have beeninstallingreplacement struts…

Vehicles under investigation