VOLVO Complaints

ONE OF THE NICE SAFETY FEATURES ON THIS VEHICLE IS THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS), WHICH DETECTS UNDER-INFLATED TIRES. DRIVING ON UNDER-INFLATED TIRES CAN AFFECT A VEHICLE'S HANDLING AND STOPPING ABILITY RESULTING IN A CRASH. LAST WEEK MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR (DAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT) ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON AND STATED, "TIRE NEEDS AIR NOW." SO MY WIFE GOT OFF THE BUSY HIGHWAY AND CALLED VOLVO ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR A TIRE CHANGE, AS THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. WE TOOK THE FLAT TIRE TO A MECHANIC, WHO NOTICED THAT THE TIRE VALVE STEM WAS INSIDE THE WHEEL, SO HE REPLACED THE TIRE AND TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SENSOR. YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND STATED, "TIRE NEEDS AIR NOW." SO I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND CALLED VOLVO ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR A TIRE CHANGE, AS THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. TWO FLAT TIRES WITHIN ONE WEEK AND BOTH WITH THE TIRE VALVE STEMS LOOSE INSIDE THE WHEEL. NOW I REALIZED THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO FAULTY HEX NUTS, SO I CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICE THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL HAD A CRACKED HEX NUT. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE, AS THREE OUT OF FOUR HEX NUTS WERE FAULTY. THIS FAULTY PART HAS CAUSED UNNECESSARY DAMAGE AND COSTLY REPAIRS. THE REASON WE HAVE A VOLVO IN THE FIRST PLACE IS FOR SAFETY; HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS THAT VOLVO IS USING INFERIOR HEX NUTS, WHICH COULD CAUSE UNEXPECTED FLAT TIRES RESULTING IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE FAULTY HEX NUTS ARE A "TICKING TIME BOMB" AND FEEL IT IS MY CIVIC DUTY TO INFORM VOLVO AND THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES OF THIS ISSUE TO ENSURE THAT ANY NECESSARY ACTION IS TAKEN TO AVOID CAR ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM ON OTHER VOLVO VEHICLES. *TR

WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING PLACE, I FELT A SENSATION OF GOING OVER A BUMP. I STOPPED THE CAR AND EXAMINED AROUND AND UNDER THE CAR. NO OBJECT OR "BUMP" ITEM WAS SEEN. I DROVE SLOWLY AND EXPERIENCED METALLIC NOISES COMING FROM THE CAR. UPON HAVING THE CAR CHECKED BY MY REGULAR GARAGE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD BROKEN. I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED (VERY EXPENSIVE) AND THE MECHANIC SAID HE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS TYPE OF EMERGENCY BREAK DAMAGE BEFORE. OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE MAY BE HELPED BY THIS INFORMATION. *TR

VEHICLE (FWD SUV) BEGAN PRODUCING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED; NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. AFTER JACKING UP THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, I LEARNED THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL HAD APPROXIMATELY 1/2 INCH MOVEMENT AND PASSENGER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL PRODUCED A GREAT DEAL OF NOISE WHEN THE TIRE WAS MANUALLY ROTATED (AS IF THE HUB ASSEMBLY NEEDED GREASE). DRIVER'S SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BY MECHANIC. WAS TOLD THE PASSENGER'S SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I UNDERSTAND THE SUV HAS 113,000 MILES BUT I FIND IT ODD AND DANGEROUS THAT BOTH REAR WHEEL BEARINGS/HUB ASSEMBLY UNITS BEGAN FAILING AT THE SAME TIME. NO PHYSICAL INJURY OR CRASH OCCURRED; FIRE AND COLLISION WERE POSSIBLE DUE TO HIGH FRICTION AND/OR PART FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLVO V70XC. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED HOWEVER, THE EXTERIOR LOWER BRAKE LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAILURE FOR THE 2002 V70 MODEL YEARS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V051000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) BUT NOT FOR THE 2001 MODEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I SET CRUISE CONTROL TO 65. WITHIN SECONDS I FELT AS IF I WERE GOING VERY FAST AND I HAD ACCELERATED TO NEAR 90 MPH. I TURNED CRUISE CONTROL OFF, STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND WHEN I LET OFF THE BRAKE THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. AFTER THE SECOND TIME STEPPING ON THE BRAKE THE PROBLEM CEASED. THE SAME TYPE OF INCIDENT OCCURRED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT INVOLVED. STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, THE RPMS IMMEDIATELY JUMPED AND MY CAR ACCELERATED VERY QUICKLY. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS THE ISSUE RESOLVED ITSELF. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 VOLVO 940. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURY TO THE FACE. THE AIR BAGS ALSO FRACTURED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED FOR THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT FAILURE OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 152,000.

THE DASH INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL RANDOMLY GO BLANK AND DISPLAY SRS FAILURE. ALONG WITH ALL INFORMATION LIGHTS START BLINKING ON AND OFF. THE ANALOG GAUGE LIKE THE SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE WILL GO TO "0" OR JUST MOVE ERATICALLY TO ANY NUMBER OR POSITION WHILE DRIVING. AT NIGHT THE ENTIRE INFORMATION CENTER GO BLANK THE CLOCK AND THE MILEAGE(NO LIGHTS AT ALL). *TR

1ST INCIDENT, DECEMBER 2012. ABOUT 760 MILES ON NEW CAR. QUARTER TANK OF FUEL. TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE, VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND HAD TO COAST TO A STOP AT SIDE OF ROAD. FORTUNATELY IN RURAL AREA WITH LOW TRAFFIC SO NO PROBLEMS. AFTER TOWING TO DEALER, NO PROBLEM IDENTIFIED... ECM-P008700 CODE REPORTED AS FUEL PRESSURE LOSS. SOFTWARE MENTIONED AS THE PROBLEM, ECM UPGRADE ACCOMPLISHED. 2ND INCIDENT, MARCH 2013. ABOUT 2350 MILES ON CAR, AGAIN QUARTER TANK OF FUEL. AGAIN ON INTERSTATE, VEHICLE ABRUPTLY LOST POWER AND HAD TO COAST TO A STOP. AGAIN, FORTUNATELY IN RURAL AREA WITH LOW TRAFFIC. PROBLEM ALSO APPEARS TO BE FUEL SYSTEM RELATED, BUT STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP SINCE WERE ON A TRIP OUT OF TOWN. *TR

VEHICLE INVOLVED DAMAGE FRONT AND LEFT FRONTAL AREA. SPEED 40-45 MPH. NO FRONTAL OR SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG AND CURTAIN DEPLOYMENT. FAILURE OF COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM AND ELECTRONICAL INDICATORS, ABS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

CPSC# I1320468A. 2009 VOLVO V70. CONSUMER IS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING DEVICE. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER STATED HE ADDED AIR TO THE SUSPECTED TIRE AND THEN CONTINUED WITH HIS DRIVE. WHEN THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO HIS VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THE MESSAGE READ TIRES NEED TO BE FILLED NOW. THE CONSUMER EXITED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE WAS FLAT. HE THEN NOTICED THE STEM HAD CRACKED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH FROM THE END OF THE STEM ALLOWING THE INTERNAL STEM MECHANISM TO SLIDE PARTIALLY OUT, THUS RELEASING TIRE PRESSURE AT A GOOD RATE. THE FAILED TIRE STEM CORRODED IN APPEARANCE (AS THE OTHER THREE WERE). UPON CLOSE EXAMINATION, WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS, THE TIRE STEM WAS NEARLY CORRODED THROUGH THE WALL THICKNESS OF THE TIRE STEM AND DID NOT EXHIBIT MUCH IF ANY BRITTLE FAILURE APPEARANCE ANY INDICATION OF DISTORTION OR BENDING.