Volvo told the BBC that in "very rare cases", the plastic engine intake manifold was known to melt and deform, sometimes even causing a fire in the engine bay.

The recall affects 69,616 cars in the UK, and Volvo is currently working on a fix for the problem.

"We are taking full responsibility to ensure the highest quality and safety standards of our cars," said a spokesman for Volvo.

"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."