VOLVO Complaints

WATER STREAKING WAS NOTICED ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD IN FRONT OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT. WE CLEANED THE WINDOW IN CASE THE STREAK WAS LEFT FROM A PREVIOUS CLEANING. DURING A RAINSTORM A FRESH DRIP OF WATER WAS MOVING DOWN THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND SAW THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THE BONDING OF WINDSHIELDS ON VOLVO CARS SO I PUSHED ON THE WINDOW LIGHTLY FROM THE INSIDE AND SAW THE WINDSHIELD MOVE ABOUT 1/16 INCH ON BOTH SIDES. THERE WAS LITTLE RESISTANCE TO MOVEMENT. THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH SENSORS MOUNTED TO THE WINDSHIELD WHICH SERVE TO MAINTAIN FOLLOWING DISTANCE TO OTHER VEHICLES AND ALSO ACT AS SAFETY DEVICES TO AVOID COLLISIONS WITH VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE AIRBAG PUSHES AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN DEPLOYED AND AN UNBONDED WINDSHIELD WILL NOT SERVE TO HOLD PASSENGER IN PLACE. IF THE WINDSHIELD IS SEVERELY UNATTACHED IT COULD COME OUT OF THE VEHICLE DURING OPERATION.

DRIVING ON A HOUSTON HWY 1960 WEST I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE AND COULD ONLY STOP THE CAR BY REPEATED BRAKE PUMPING AS A STEADY PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL HAD THE PEDAL GO TO THE FLOOR. THERE WAS A JUST BRAKE STORE VERY CLOSE SO I TOOK IT THERE AS I WAS STILL OVER 40 MILES FROM A DEALER OR HOME. THEY CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID AND IT WAS EMPTY AND IN TRYING TO ADD FLUID WE SAW IT RUNNING OUT THE BACK WHEEL ONTO THE GROUND. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL, PASSENGER SIDE HAD A BRAKE CALLIPER LEAKING THAT DRAINED THE SYSTEM. WITH ONLY 34,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAULTY PART. THE PART REPLACEMENT HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM. I AM WONDERING IF THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM AND ARE THE REST OF THESE PARTS ON MY CAR AND ALL OTHER SIMILAR CARS A POTENTIAL SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAZARD?

RECENTLY, MY HUSBAND'S VOLVO XC70 BEGAN LEAKING WATER. WE TOOK IT TO OVERLAND PARK VOLVO FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. THEY STATE THE WINDSHIELD SEAL HAS BROKEN AND THAT IS WHY IT IS LEAKING WATER. IT IS A FACTORY INSTALLED WINDSHIELD. THEY STATED IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT A GLASS REPAIR COMPANY WOULD NEED TO FIX IT. SO, WE TOOK IF TO SAFELITE. ALTHOUGH OUT INSURANCE IS COVERING REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT SIMPLY RESEAL IT, SAFELITE STATES THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY VOLVO DIDN'T COVER IT UNDER THEIR WARRANTY DUE TO DEFECTIVE INSTALLATION. IN ADDITION, THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP ADVISED US AND SAFELITE THAT THE SEALS ROUTINELY BREAK ON VOLVOS AND CAUSE WATER TO LEAK IN THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THE SEAL SHOULD NOT LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE WINDSHIELD OR LIFESPAN OF THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THERE ARE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET THAT GUARANTEE THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. WHILE WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A $0 GLASS DEDUCTIBLE, OTHER VOLVO CUSTOMERS THAT DO NOT HAVE THIS DEDUCTIBLE WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT-OF-POCKET TO REPAIR VOLVO'S DEFECTIVE WORKMANSHIP. IN ADDITION, WATER LEAKING INTO A VEHICLE CAN CAUSE ALL TYPES OF CORROSIVE DAMAGE. IN OUR VEHICLE ALONE, THE WATER LEAKED ALL OVER THE FLOORBOARD, ALL OVER THE LEATHER SEATS, ALL OF THE GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM, ETC. IF THE WATER WERE TO GO INTO THE GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM, IT COULD COST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SAME GOES FOR COMPONENTS THAT ARE LOCATED UNDER THE FLOOR BOARD. IT COULD ALSO POSE AS A SAFETY HAZARD ON THE HIGHWAY IF THE SEAL IS BROKEN OR IF THE VEHICLE MECHANICALLY FAILS DUE TO CORROSIVE PARTS.

ENGINE FAILED AFTER 84,000 MILES. ENGINE WAS CARED FOR WELL; VEHICLE RECEIVED SERVICE AT RECOMMENDED SERVICE INTERVALS. THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THAT RESULT IN AVERAGE WEAR AND TEAR.

I HAD THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED, THEN THE PUMP ONLY TO NOT BE ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE BOOSTER PUMP! I WENT RIGHT THROUGH A STOP SIGN. THE MECHANIC SAID HE SEES THIS PROBLEM ALL OF THE TIME WITH THESE CARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLVO V70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG FUEL ODOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED, WAS LEAKING, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V483000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 225,000.

WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF PURCHASE, AND WHILE DRIVING - THE VEHICLE HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RELATED TO ITS HYBRID BATTERY. A WEEK AFTER IT BEING RETURNED, IT DEVELOPED AN "ENGINE MALFUNCTION" LIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK (AGAIN), THE VEHICLE'S "DRIVE MODE" WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO GO FROM ELECTRIC TO AWD. THE FAILURE TO GO INTO AWD IS A REAL DANGER BECAUSE THE VEHICLE CANNOT SAFELY HANDLE ANY ROADS WITH ANY DEGREE OF WATER ON THEM W/O AWD.

THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC HANDSFREE FOOT MOVEMENT TAILGATE OPERATION (OPEN AND CLOSE). THIS ALLOWS THE OPENING OR CLOSING OF THE TAILGATE WHEN YOUR HANDS ARE FULL. IN MY SITUATION, THE VEHICLE IS OFF. WHILE THE TAILGATE IS OPEN AND I AM STANDING NEXT TO THE REAR BUMPER LOADING/UNLOADING ITEMS FROM THE TRUNK, THE REAR TAILGATE HAS CLOSED ON ME UNEXPECTEDLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND HIT MY HEAD/BACK. ON ONE OCCASION, MY CHILD WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME WHEN THE TAILGATE CLOSED ON US UNEXPECTEDLY AND FORTUNATELY THE TAILGATE HIT ME INSTEAD OF MY CHILD. IT APPEARS THAT IF THE FOOT MOVEMENT SENSOR UNDER THE REAR BUMPER SENSES ANY OBJECTS MOVING UNDER/NEAR THE REAR BUMPER (EG. A FOOT, A CHILD STANDING BY THE REAR BUMPER, BAGS, ETC), IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE THE REAR TAILGATE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY DESIGN FLAW AND A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS CAN BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS IF THE TAILGATE CLOSES UNEXPECTEDLY ON A SMALL CHILD OR A LIMB. VOLVO NEEDS TO ADD AN OPTION IN THE SETTINGS OR A SWITCH TO DISABLE THE AUTOMATIC HANDSFREE FOOT MOVEMENT TAILGATE OPERATION IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO USA BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION.

RECENTLY WE LOST THE SERPENTINE BELT WITHOUT KNOWING IT. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR COMPUTER MESSAGE CALLED OUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE RUNNING ON BATTERY. THE ONLY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WE DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO A VOLVO REPAIR FACILITY AND LEARNED WE LOST THE SERPENTINE BELT, THUS THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP,POWER STEERING AND AIR CONDITIONER WERE INOPERATIVE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER CONTROLS EVERYTHING AND WOULD NOT ISSUE A WARNING UNTIL THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND/OR THE BATTERY WAS CLOSE TO FAILING. THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER FOR A DRIVER OR FAMILY WHO MIGHT DRIVE INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION OR AT THE VERY LEAST HARM THE ENGINE THROUGH OVERHEATING. THE LOSS OF THE ALTERNATOR SHOULD SEND A WARNING TO THE DRIVER THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND TO STOP AT THE EARLIEST SAFE PLACE AND SEEK ASSISTANCE.

I STARTED HEARING A LOUD NOISE WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. THE MECHANIC TRIED CHANGING THE POWER STEERING FLUID. THIS REMEDIED THE PROBLEM FOR 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE NOISE RETURNED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY AN IMPORT CAR SERVICE, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEED REPLACING, COSTING $1700.