Volvo recalls more than 500,000 cars worldwide over fire risk

More than 500,000 Volvo cars are being recalled worldwide, including 70,000 in the UK, because of a fire risk in the engine.

The manufacturer said a plastic part in the engine has, in rare cases, been liable to melt and deform, resulting in a possible engine fire. The affected models have four-cylinder diesel engines and are 2014-2019 versions of the following cars: S80, S60, V70, XC70, S60 Cross Country, V60, XC60, V60 Cross Country, S90, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC90, V40 and V40 Cross Country.

A spokesman said there had only been “a few” fires to date, with no reports of injuries.

Letters have been sent to owners of the affected cars. Drivers have been told it is safe to continue using their vehicle but Volvo said they should be aware of the potential problem and “symptoms” in the car, including lack of power, and should pay attention if the engine warning light comes on.

The manufacturer plans to contact owners again to notify them of a fix when it becomes available.

In a statement, Volvo said: “We take this situation very seriously and are working to finalise a fix for the cars.

“We are taking full responsibility to ensure the highest quality and safety standards of our cars. We will do our utmost to perform this action without any unnecessary inconvenience to our customers and we apologise for the inconvenience caused and are grateful for our customers’ cooperation.”

The Chinese-owned, Swedish-based Volvo recalled about 30,000 diesel vehicles in the UK in January because of a fault in the fuel lines that could have led to cracks and possible fires.

The British manufacturer Vauxhall has this year been recalling 235,000 Zafira cars for a third time because of a fire risk. The cars were recalled in two stages in 2015 and 2016 after campaigners claimed more than 300 had caught fire.