1999 VOLVO V70 Complaints

WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES DIDN'T ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP, AS A RESULT THE DRIVER HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY PUMP THE PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS COMPLETE AND TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE ABS UNIT THAT WAS REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER RESET THE LIGHT. *PH *NLM

MY ABS/TRAC DASH LIGHTS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY COMING ON, INDICATING THAT THE ABS IS NO LONGER WORKING. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NEWER (LATE 1990'S AND ON) VOLVOS DUE TO A FAULTY ABS COMPUTER MODULE AND VOLVO ISN'T COVERING THE REPAIRS UNDER A RECALL. THE COST OF THE MODULE IS $500 (NOT INCLUDING LABOR COSTS). I'M REQUESTING NHTSA CONTACT VOLVO HEADQUARTERS TO DEMAND A RECALL ON THIS HINDERING ABS SAFETY PROBLEM. *JB

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH DOES NOT WORK. THE SWITCH CAME APART AND THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT COME ON AT ALL. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS.

I WAS DRIVING A 1999 VOLVO V70XC AND ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOPPED POSITION. I WAS HIT BY A DODGE DURANGO, WHICH WAS MOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE DURANGO HIT THE VOLVO V70XC AT THE LOCATION OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR. THE HIT WAS DISPLACED OVER THE ENTIRE DRIVERS DOOR OF THE VOLVO, BOTH "A" & "B" PILLARS WERE COMPROMISED. THE VOLVO IS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT THE FRONT AIR BAG DID, WITH NO HIT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VOLVO'S DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS CRUSHED AND PUSHED APPROXIMATELY 6 TO 8" TOWARD THE DRIVER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. FURTHERMORE, A TECHNICIAN SPECIALIST REPRESENTING VOLVO NORTH AMERICA, AFTER MUCH DELAY, RECENTLY EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AT A LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP. AFTERWARDS, VOLVO NORTH AMERICA FORMALLY RESPONDED, IN WRITING, THAT THE 1999 VOLVO V70XC PERFORMED ACCORDING TO DESIGN. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I PURCHASED THE VOLVO FOR IT'S PROMOTED SAFETY FEATURES AND I AM DISAPPOINTED THE SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED ABOVE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE VOLVO TO SUBSTANTIATE THE VALIDITY OF CLAIM AND DESCRIBE, IN DETAIL, UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES A CONSUMER COULD EXPECT THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. IT WOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED THAT VOLVO INTRODUCE THIS INFORMATION INTO THEIR SALES AND MARKETING PROGRAM SO THAT PROSPECTIVE BUYER WOULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PROMOTED SIDE-AIR BAG ONLY RESPONDS UNDER CONDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. *JB

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: WE BOUGHT OUR NEW VOLVO V70 GLT WAGON IN 1999 FROM KRAMER MOTOR, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA. JUST RECENTLY THE AIRBAG SAFETY LIGHT (SRS) WENT OFF AND I WAS TOLD BY THE AUTHORIZED VOLVO SERVICE DEALER (RUSNAK, PASADENA) THAT IT MEANT SOMETHING WAS WRONG IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM AND VOLVO WOULD REPLACE THE AIRBAG. ON THE DAY OF THE REPAIR THE DEALER CALLED AND TOLD ME THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY SEAT COVERS - THE COVERS WERE NOT AUTHORIZED VOLVO SEAT COVERS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER) AND THEREFORE THE VOLVO AIRBAG FEATURE MIGHT NOT WORK. SINCE WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW FROM A VOLVO DEALER, WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS SITUATION COULD HAPPEN. VOLVO INFORMED US THAT DEALERS WILL SOMETIMES CHANGE FACTORY PARTS, IF THEY WANT TO, AND THAT VOLVO CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT THEIR DEALERS DO. SINCE THIS DEALER CHANGED A FEATURE THAT HAS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES, AGAIN WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS SITUATION IS CORRECT. HOW IS A CONSUMER PROTECTED IN SUCH A MATTER? WE BOUGHT FROM AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND HOW ARE WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW OR EVEN SUSPECT THAT CRITICAL SAFETY ELEMENTS MIGHT NOT BE FUNCTIONING? VOLVO AMERICA AND THEIR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE, MICHAEL LAFATA, SEEM TO FEEL THAT IT IS JUST A CASE OF LET THE BUYER BEWARE. THE VOLVO AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPERVISOR, KATHLEEN NATALE, WAS MORE UNDERSTANDING AND TRIED TO HELP BUT SHE HAD TO DEFER TO MR. LAFATA'S DECISION THAT VOLVO WOULD NOT REPLACE THESE SEAT COVERS TO RETURN THE AIRBAG SAFETY FEATURE TO AN OPERATING CONDITION. RATHER, RUSNAK VOLVO PUT MY CAR BACK TOGETHER WITH THE NON-VOLVO SEAT COVERS AND SENT ME ON MY WAY WITH A STACK OF PAPERWORK THAT CLEARLY SAYS THAT MY CAR MAY NOT BE SAFE BECAUSE THE AIRBAG FEATURE MAY NOT WORK WITH THE CURRENT SEAT COVERS. AS YOU CAN SEE BELOW, NO ONE HAS BEEN INJURED OR DIED YET, BUT CLEARLY THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT WE BELIEVE VOLVO AMERICA SHOULD QUICKLY ADDRESS. *JB

ON SUNNY DAYS THE WINDSHIELD WOULD GIVE OFF REFLECTIONS SO BRIGHT THAT THE DRIVER WAS UNABLE TO SEE OUT THE WINDSHIELD. DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD. *NLM

SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM,'SRS' WARNING LIGHT IS CONTINUOSLY ON DURING OPERTATION OF VEHICLE.THIS CONDITION HAS PREVAILED FOR OVER ONE YEAR DESPITE ATTEMPTS BY DEALER SERVICE TECHNICIANS TO CORRECT. BOTH DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND FACTORY CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL AGREE THAT 'SRS' SYSTEM MAY BE COMPROMISED.

UPPER TORQUE MOUNT ON ENGINE MOUNTING CRACKED. THIS RATHER UNUSUAL FAILURE SUGGESTED TO ME A POSSIBLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. IN ADDITION, STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR ALSO FOUND TO BE CRACKED. AGAIN, AN VERY UNUSUAL FAILURE WHICH MIGHT RELATE TO A MANUF DEFECT. INVOICE NO. FOR DEALER REPAIR: VOCS221655. DT

ABS BRAKE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRANSMISSION LIGHTS ALL CAME ON. THIRD TIME IN 11 MONTHS. FIRST SERVICE WAS A SOFT WARE PATCH. HARDWARE REPLACED LAST WEEK AND SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. MANUFACTURER UNWILLING TO ASSIST WITH PROBLEM. DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE ODOMETER WILL MOVED BACK AND FORTH CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE THE WRONG ODOMETER READINGS. DEALER NOTIFIED. *MR