VOLVO Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLVO S90. THE GEAR SHIFT BECAME STUCK WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE. SHE PRESSED THE GEAR RELEASE BUTTON AND PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE WALL AND THEN INTO THE HOUSE. THE VEHICLE, GARAGE WALL, AND HOUSE WERE DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 109,000.

THE LEFT & RIGHT BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL TO COME ON WHEN THE BRAKE IS PRESSED. THE HIGH POSITION LIGHT STILL COMES ON. THIS FAILURE OF THE BRAKES LIGHTS CAN RESULT IN A WRECK. VOLVO REPLACED A FAULTY RELAY WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT IS ADDRESSED IN A VOLVO RECALL (SEE BELOW) FOR 2002 MODELS OF THIS VEHICLE.THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO INCLUDE THE 2001 MODEL. THE REAR LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT RELAYS MAY NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY STAY ON CONTINUOUSLY. THE HIGH POSITIONED BRAKE LIGHT AND ALL OTHER TAIL LIGHTS WILL NOT BE AFFECTED. CONSEQUENCE: IF THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAIL TO COME ON, THERE WILL BE NO LOWER BRAKE LIGHTS TO INDICATE TO FOLLOWING VEHICLES THAT THE VEHICLE IS DECELERATING, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. REMEDY: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE LIGHT RELAY WITH TWO RELAYS OF A MODIFIED DESIGN. VOLVO RECALL NO. R131. *CN

MY CAR GIVES OFF A STRONG GAS/FUEL SMELL, WHICH IS NOT COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, BUT CAN BE SMELLED BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. IT HAS ABOUT 74,000 MILES ON IT, AND IS LESS THAN 8 YEARS OLD. I NOTICED THE SMELL NOW FOR MANY MONTHS, WHICH CONTINUES TO GET STRONGER. I SAW THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE CARS IN ARIZONA AND NEVADA, BUT I LIVE IN FLORIDA, WHERE IT CAN GET PRETTY HOT AS WELL. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUEL PUMP. THIS PROBLEM MUST BE HAPPENING QUITE OFTEN WITH OTHER VOLVO S60S. THE PROBLEM MAY STEM FROM A POORLY DESIGNED PLASTIC PUMP HOUSING. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE VOLVO ETM WARRANTY PROGRAM ON 08/15/07 THINKING THAT THE FUEL SMELL WOULD BE CORRECTED WHEN THEY FIXED THE EMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM. THE DEALER'S RECEIPT INDICATES THEY PERFORMED A FUEL INDUCTION SERVICE BECAUSE OF THROTLE BODY DIRT, BUT THE FUEL SMELL HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO SPEND $$$ TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, WHEN IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. WHAT CAN I DO?*CN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING 55MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE MERGING BETWEEN TWO LARGE VEHICLES. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD NOT RESPOND WHEN HE TRIED TO ENGAGE IT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL, THE THROTTLE AND THE DISC BRAKES FAILED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 45,000.

I HAVE A 2001 VOLVO V70. ENTERING INTERSTATE 95 THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FORCING ME TO MAKE A STOP AND SHUT OFF THE CAR. THE SAME HAS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES MORE DURING THE NEXT DAYS. *CN

TAILGATE LATCH DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AT COLD TEMPERATURES. FAILURE IS COVERED FOR V70, BUT NOT V70XC. LATCH ASSEMBLIES ARE THE SAME. NUMEROUS OTHER REFERENCES TO V70XC LATCH FAILURES FOUND ON INTERNET. PROBLEM IS MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD THAN ACKNOWLEDGED. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS TO MULTIPLE DEALERS. THEY ONLY SPRAY LUBRICANT ON THE LATCH AND IGNORE THE PROBLEM.*CN

I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FROM 64,000 MILES TO 75,000 MILES AND HAVE REPLACED THE FOLLOWING - REAR WHEEL BEARINGS, LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS 4 TIMES, AND NOW THE ANGLE GEAR HAS GONE AT 75,000 MILES - NOT A VERY RELIABLE USED CAR. *TR

MY 2004 VOLVO S40 OCCASIONALLY DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY HYDRAULIC BRAKE ASSISTANCE WHEN IT IS FIRST STARTED IN THE MORNING. THIS WAS VERY OCCASIONAL STARTING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, BUT IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. ON MONDAY, I HAD TO RESTART THE CAR 5 TIMES BEFORE THE BRAKES FELT "NORMAL". *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2006 VOLVO XC90 IN OCTOBER 2006. EIGHT TO TEN MONTHS I STOPPED FOR SOME GAS AND MY CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. I HAD IT TOWED AND THE NEXT DAY THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO START IT RIGHT UP WITHOUT PERFORMING ANY WORK SO I PICKED IT UP. ONE TO TWO DAYS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN AND I HAD IT TOWED AGAIN. VOLVO SERVICE HAD IT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. I WENT TO PICK IT UP AND IT WOULDN'T START THERE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I LEFT IT AGAIN. I HAD A LOANER FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 WEEK OR SO AND THEY DECIDED TO REPLACE THE STARTER. THE VEHICLE RAN WELL FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND ON DECEMBER 23RD WHILE OUT AT THE MALL THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED AND THE TOWMAN CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED WHEN HE ARRIVED AT THE SERVICE LOCATION WHICH WAS CLOSED. TODAY IS DECEMBER 27TH AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DIRECTOR IS DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO TRY AND EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS BEEN A DISHEARTENING EXPERIENCE TO SPEND CLOSE TO $40,000 AND HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND I WAS A PASSENGER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE SUNROOF AND WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 1/4 OPENED, A STEEL BAR, ABOUT 26 INCHES IN LENGTH CAME OUT OF THE ROOF OPENING AND HIT MY WIFE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER HEAD WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. THE GLASS DID NOT BREAK ONLY THE METAL BAR THAT WAS GLUED TO THE GLASS CAME LOOSE AND FELL OUT. HAD SHE TURNED HER HEAD IN MY DIRECTION, THE BAR COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY AND EVEN COULD HAVE HIT ONE OF HER EYES. THIS METAL BAR WAS ATTACHED TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE GLASS. NO ACCIDENT OR SERIOUS INJURY OTHER THAN BRUISED SKIN OCCURRED. ON NOV 29TH THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE EVALUATED AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO SAID HE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE. WHEN HE CALLED A MECHANIC OVER TO ASK HIS OPINION, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THEY JUST REPLACED A SUNROOF GLASS ON A SIMILAR CAR THE PREVIOUS WEEK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER ONLY SAID THAT IF THE GLASS WAS REPLACED, IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY. NO OFFER WAS MADE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE WITH A BETTER PART. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS OR DEADLY ACCIDENT. *TR