Volvo recalls nearly 70,000 cars in Britain after fire risk related to engine problem

VOLVO has recalled nearly 70,000 cars in the UK over a fire risk.

The vehicles are being removed from the roads due to an engine problem causing the cars to set alight.

In total, 507,000 cars have been recalled worldwide with 69,616 of those driven by motorists in the UK.

Volvo found that "in very rare cases", a piece of plastic fitted as part of the engine may melt and deform - causing a risk of fire.

The recall applies to the models S60, S80, S90, V40, V60, V70, V90, XC60 and XC90 that were built between 2014 and 2019.

A car with the problem will show an error message in the driver information module - if the car behaves normally and does not show any error message it's safe to drive, Volvo told The Sun.

Customers with the affected vehicles will receive a letter from Volvo urging them to contact their local dealership in order to have their faulty car fixed for free.

Volvo said it won't give compensation to customers as the repair is free, while replacement cars or refunds won't be on offer either.

Yet if you've been significantly inconvenienced by the recall, you can try to claim compensation anyway, Martyn James, of complaints website Resolver, told The Sun.

Volvo claims it's had no reports of accidents or personal injuries as a result of the issue.

The manufacturer said in a statement: "Investigations by Volvo Cars have identified that in very rare cases, the plastic engine intake manifold may melt and deform on certain model year 2014-2019 vehicles with four-cylinder diesel engines.

"In the most extreme cases, there is a possibility that a localised engine bay fire may occur.

"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 most recalled cars in Europe were revealed earlier this year - with a favourite of UK drivers topping the list.

Almost three million dangerous cars which have been recalled by their manufacturer are still on the roads.

Meanwhile, MOT tests could be getting even tougher – meaning one in 13 cars will fail instantly.

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