2016 Volvo VNL 670 Hood Bounces

Hello,

Please don’t hate. If you don’t like Volvo’s, please skip this post.

Now, I’ve dreamed of owning a Volvo VNL since CDL school. That’s all I talked about in CDL school besides working for myself. Long story short, I finally purchased, not my dream model, but my very first Volvo VNL 670. She needs some work but I’m doing that as I progress along. Outside of after treatment issues, bunk windows leaking badly when it rains, and the hood bouncing like someone is jumping on it, she rides and drives smoothly.

I’ve replaced all latches and had the hood cables adjusted. The latches have been adjusted up and down and I have taken her to Volvo dealerships, TA’s, love’s, and Pilot/Flying J’s. They all keep telling me that my hood is supposed to bounce like someone is jumping on it especially when I drive her. The also looks like she isn’t seated all the way down because the gaps are big enough you can stick your whole arm almost into the engine bay. Again, everywhere I go, they say that there’s nothing wrong with my hood. I even had the Volvo dealership mechanic go on a test ride with me. I made sure he saw what I am seeing. He told me there is nothing wrong with my hood and that Volvo’s hoods are supposed to be bouncing around like someone is jumping on it.

I’ve spent well over $2,000 trying to fix this issue. Seriously, that’s how many times I’ve pulled into a shop just looking for someone to fix my hood issues.

Are all these shops right? Are 2016 Volvo VNL hoods supposed to bounce and have gaps like mine? My Pictures may not provide perspective or maybe I’m just not yet used to Volvo’s just yet.

 

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Thanks. I’ve only had one Volvo dealership that suggested that the bushings may need to be replaced. But just last week, when I was at the Volvo dealership, the parts department told me there are no bushings to order. I had bigger fish to fry, I’m having SCR issues at a cost of $8,600 to replace and warranty took a hike on me, that I let it go.

Because I’m female and I don’t know much about fixing diesel engines, they can sell me a bucket of ice water right now. The SCR was replaced just 2 weeks ago with a used one, not my choice it was paid for by the company I’m buying the truck from. Now the warranty company has decided they aren’t paying for anything related to the SCR and they want me to take it back to where they put a used SCR on. Still, the truck runs great. NOX sensors, Doser valve, and 7th injector were replaced by Volvo 4 weeks ago. Just every so often, I get check engine light come on and it’s the dreaded P20EE00 code again. I’m getting the DPF filter cleaned, new DEF filters installed next. The code seems to pop up after it wants me to do a parked regen. I always stop and do the parked regen. I also noticed that the code comes after parked regen’s from prolonged idling time and using IdleSmart. This happens when IdleSmart starts and stops my truck every 4 to 5 minutes because I have cabin temperature set to 75 degrees. Well when outside temperatures are above 90 degrees, cabin temperatures will rise to 75 degrees in about 4 to 5 minutes once the truck shuts off. The truck has a parking AC but it doesn’t work. I’m getting it replaced when I can stay out the shop. Until then, IdleSmart recommends just straight idling when outside temperatures are above 90 degrees like today here in Las Vegas it’s 115 degrees outside. I just let the truck go into clean idle by itself. I’ll have to see in the next couple of days if it causes the dreaded P20EE00 code to come back up.

I’ve spent well over $11,000 just chasing down this code and paying for repairs that don’t seem to work.

Way to welcome me into the family Volvo. But I still love being apart of family. I’m officially divorced from Freightliner and International’s.

 

The truck was in an accident back in 2017 when it was a UPS/T-Force unit. It was in operation with them unit 2019. The frame is not bent and I did have Volvo go over it as a pre-purchase inspection. But as I mentioned, I’ve been to several Volvo dealership and only one said the hood need’s new bushings. Just last week the truck was at the Volvo dealership and again I mentioned the hood and was told there are no bushings. But I didn’t push the issue because the bill was at $8,600 and I was fighting with the warranty company. I know for sure the hood isn’t supposed to be sitting like in the pictures. But they keep telling me it is.

The side fairing is scratched because it keeps falling down because the pins need to be replaced and the safety cords are ripped apart. This truck has seen better days believe me. But I will get this truck back to its original design. It’s just going to cost a lot of money to get it there. The motor is strong and she runs like a charm. But cosmetically she need TLC.

 

I ran 3 vin checks prior to purchase. Vin checks showed no salvage title, no bad history. The only reason I know it was in an accident is because the vin check said it was a no injury/death accident with a tow away. Not sure if the truck was a tow or the other vehicle was a tow away. I figured that if the truck was still used for 2 additional years after the accident, the accident was more a fender bender. UPS/T-Force would have written off the truck if it was too serious to repair.

Frim 2019 to 2022, there is no history on what was going on with this truck. One O/O had the truck in 2022 and the Vin check shows two inspections one pass and one fail due to improper decal on the truck. Both inspections happened two days apart.

The Vin reports then has no history until this year back in February. One O/O and one inspection that was failed due to brakes and again improper decal on truck.

So from the time UPS/T-Force had the truck, there’s gaps of years of no history. Again cosmetically the truck needs some work, but the truck runs strong, just basic maintenance and mileage interval maintenance. I would not say it’s a money pit. A money pit is more engine overhaul, major electrical repairs, and/or a truck that was totaled in an accident that requires structural repairs.

Cosmetic repairs may not win any truck show awards and it may not be the shinny truck going down the highway, but that’s not what I’m in business for. My previous thought process would have been to walk away from this truck. But this market condition has changed the way I operate. Spend the least amount of money for a truck that my business will own with no truck note, less overhead expenses such as insurance, and generate more profit via lower operating costs, rather than spending more money for a newer truck increasing overhead expenses and operating costs while trying to compete for loads at lower rates resulting in less profit being made.