Volkswagen and Volvo Trucks Announce Recalls for Instrument Cluster Issues

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., is initiating a recall for certain 2025 Volkswagen Taos and 2025 Volkswagen Jetta vehicles due to a potential software error in the instrument cluster. Separately, Volvo Trucks North America is recalling specific 2025-2026 Volvo VNL (4) vehicles because their instrument clusters may intermittently fail. These recalls, reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), involve thousands of vehicles and address potential non-compliance with federal safety standards related to vehicle displays.

The Volkswagen recall affects approximately 75,323 vehicles. The issue stems from a software error that can cause the instrument cluster to fail to display essential information at startup, including vehicle speed, engine speed (RPM), gear indicators, and warning lights. This failure means the vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 101, Controls and Displays. The problem arises when the instrument cluster receives incorrect or corrupted data from its Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) during initialization. In such cases, the software may revert to default settings, which the instrument cluster and immobilizer system are not designed to operate with, leading to a functional failure. While the failure is noticeable at startup, in some rare instances, vehicles could remain capable of starting, creating a potential safety risk. The affected Taos models were produced between November 6, 2024, and June 20, 2025, while the Jetta models were produced from September 23, 2024, to July 1, 2025. Volkswagen attributes this issue to a supplier error from Visteon. Owners will be notified by May 22, 2026, and dealers will perform a software update, with the instrument cluster being replaced if necessary, at no cost to the owner. VINs will be searchable starting March 27, 2026.

Volvo Trucks North America’s recall involves 115 units of the 2025-2026 Volvo VNL (4) model. These vehicles may be equipped with instrument clusters that could go blank while driving. This condition affects compliance with the visibility and illumination requirements of FMVSS 101. While the blanking of the instrument cluster does not impact the vehicle’s operational functions, the absence of critical driver information, such as vehicle speed, could increase the risk of a crash. The root cause has been identified as a soldering process error during the assembly of the instrument cluster by supplier Visteon. No warning lights or indicators precede this failure. Volvo has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to this issue. Dealer notifications are scheduled to begin by April 1, 2026, with owner notifications to follow by May 24, 2026. Affected instrument clusters will be replaced by authorized dealers. Production of vehicles with the corrected soldering process began prior to the recall period, and no vehicles currently under Volvo’s control were affected by this recall. VINs will be searchable starting April 1, 2026.

For owners of the affected Volkswagen vehicles, the recall remedy will be performed free of charge as the vehicles are within the New Vehicle Limited Warranty period. Owners are advised not to drive the vehicles and to park them outside if the instrument cluster failure is observed. For Volvo Trucks, owners are also advised to not drive and park the vehicles outside if the instrument cluster displays are blank.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from NHTSA

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