VOLVO Complaints

I JUST PURCHASED A NEW C70 VOLVO AND I AM HAVING SOME PROBLEMS ALREADY. (1) THERE WAS A LITTLE SNOW ON THE GROUND FROM A SNOW DRIFT AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR WAS SLIDING ALL OVER THE PLACE AS IF I WAS ON OIL AND AS THOUGH THE TIRES WERE NOT TOUCHING THE GROUND. SUBSEQUENTLY, I CALLED THE CORPORATE OFFCE 800.452.1552 AND THEY SAID THAT IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE 17 IN LOW PROFILE TIRES ON THE CAR WHICH TENDS TO GET ON TOP OF THE SNOW AND NOW SUGGESTS THAT I PURCHASE 15 IN SNOW TIRES. IS THIS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM IN THE RAIN AS WELL? I ALREADY SPENT $45,000! (2) BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP, I CAN'T SEE OUT OF THE BACK RIGHT SIDE. THE COMPANY TOLD ME TO READJUST MY MIRRORS AND SAID THAT THE VIEW IS LIMITED IN ALL CONVERTIBLES. I ALMOST HIT SOMETHING BACKING OUT OF A SPACE BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE (ENTIRE AREA COVERED W/THE BLACKTOP MATERIAL). WHY CAN'T THEY INSERT A SMALL PLASTIC-LIKE WIDOW THERE? (3) THE BACK OF MY DRIVER'S SEAT KEEPS LOCKING UP WHEN I PULL IT FOWARD TOWARDS STEERING WHEEL. BY DOING SO, I CAN'T GET INTO THE CAR. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE ENGINE IS RUNNING OR NOT. IT HAPPENED 2 TIMES ALREADY AND ONCE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET BLOCKING TRAFFIC. (I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND MOVED THE SEAT BACK TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE BACK AND THAT'S WHEN IT GOT STOCK). SOMETIMES, THE SEAT MOTOR WORKS AND OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR, THEY KEPT IT AN ADDITIONAL TWO DAYS BECAUSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM W/THE FRONT SEAT CONTROL MODULE AFFECTING THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT. THEY ASSURED ME THAT I WAS NOT GETTING A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. A SERVICE PESON TOLD ME THAT IT'S A REGULAR PROBLEM AND THAT DRIVERS JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO MOVE THE SEATS PROPERLY. CORPORATE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO RECALL AND THAT THE LOCAL LAWS WOULD DETERMINE IF VOLVO COULD BUY MY CAR BACK. DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN ACCIDENT BEFORE NHTSA INVESTIGATES?*AK

DEAR NHTSA, MY COMPLAINT IS DIRECTED TOWARDS ALL MODERN AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHTS, AND IS TWO-FOLD. THE FIRST PART OF MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES NON-SEALED BEAM HEADLAMPS. SINCE ABOUT 1984, AUTOS HAVE BEEN PERMITTED TO USE THIS TYPE OF HEAD LAMP, AND IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE EVIDENT THAT THE PLASTIC USED FOR THE LENSES OF THESE HEADLAMPS DETERIORATES, EVENTUALLY MAKING THE LENS MORE AND MORE OPAQUE. (I'VE NOTICED THIS ESPECIALLY ON VOLVO'S AND CHRYSLER MINIVANS MADE IN THE LATE 1980'S.) THE FORMERLY USED SEALED BEAM HEADLAMPS WERE MADE OF GLASS AND SELDOM CLOUDED OVER. ANY SAFETY ADVANTAGE OF CHANGING FROM GLASS TO PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION IS OVERRIDDEN BY THE LOSS OF VISIBILITY WITH CLOUDED LENSES. IT WOULD BE SO GREAT IF SHATTER-PROOF GLASS SEALED BEAMS WOULD MAKE A COMEBACK! THE SECOND PART OF MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES THE HID HIGH INTENSITY LIGHTS ON SOME NEWER CARS. THEY ARE SO ANNOYING AND DISTRACTING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC! IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BLUE LIGHTS WERE PERMITTED ONLY ON HIGHWAY VEHICLES LIKE SNOW PLOWS, BUT THESE CARS WITH THE BLINDING BLUE HEADLIGHTS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE PREVALENT. PERHAPS THEY DO IMPROVE FORWARD VISIBILITY FOR THE DRIVER, BUT THAT ONLY ENCOURAGES THE DRIVER TO GO FASTER. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY BE LIMITED TO FREEWAY OR HIGHWAY USE, IF AT ALL. THANKS FOR LETTING ME VENT MY WRATH AT THE CURRENT STATE OF AUTO HEADLAMP DESIGN! *JB