1999 VOLVO V70XC Complaints

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON MY 1999 V70 XC FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING MY HEADLIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE AT NIGHT WHEN SWITCHED TO THE "ON" POSITION. WHILE NO CRASH OCCURRED, THERE ARE OBVIOUS SAFETY RISKS INVOLVED WITH A SUDDENT LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC HOUSING CONTAINING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAD CRACKED WITH ALLOWED THE UNIT TO SEPARATE. I HAVE SUBSTANTIAL ANECTODAL EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON 1999 V70 AND S70 MODELS ON VARIOUS INTERNET BULLETIN BOARDS. *AK

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

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

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ONLY 34,000 MILES. REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON AUTOMOBILE AND TIRES. TRANSMISSION BEING REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. HEARD OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FAILURE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. WONDER IF WILL HAPPEN AGAIN NEAR SAME 30,000 MILE INTERVAL AFTER MY WARRANTY IS UP DUE TO FAULTY EQUIPMENT. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT CONSUMER HAS GOTTEN FROM VOLVO. FIRST VEHICLE WAS LEAVING A PUDDLE OF GAS. SO DEALER GAVE CONSUMER ANOTHER VEHICLE OF THE SAME IDENITY. BOTH WERE BRAND NEW. ALSO, A LEAK DEVELOPED UNDER THE SECOND VEHICLE. CONSUMER FEELS ITS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT MAY START A FIRE IF SOMEONE DROPS A MATCH BESIDE VEHICLE.*AK