VOLVO Complaints

I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AN INCIDENT REGARDING A CAR FIRE, AND RESULTING TOTAL LOSS OF MY LEASED 2006 VOLVO V70. I LEASED THE CAR ON JANUARY 20, 2006. ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 13, 2007, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO YOUNG GRANDSONS. WE WERE JUST STARTING TO HEAD SOUTH ON THE CHARTER OAK BRIDGE WHEN I LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO A STOP ON THE EAST HARTFORD, CT SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. ONE OF MY GRANDSONS SHOUTED "I SEE SMOKE" AND SURE ENOUGH SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. I TOLD THE BOYS, WHO WERE BOTH IN THE BACK SEAT, THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT NOW. I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS AND I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE CAR STOPPED. WE ALL GOT OUT AND STARTED WALKING AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH NOW HAD HEAVY BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF IT AND FLAMES SHOOTING UP FROM THE FRONT END. A MAN STOPPED AND TOLD US TO GET FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH WE DID. 911 WAS CALLED AND IN A VERY SHORT TIME THE CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE AND EAST HARTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE ON THE SCENE. THE CAR WAS LEASED NEW AND IT HAD UNDER 14,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE ONLY SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE WAS THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT 7,500 MILES PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 15,000 MILES. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADVISED IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS, AND ALSO ADVISED THAT THEIR "CAUSE AND ORIGIN SPECIALIST" ADVISED THEM THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT-OUT IN THE POWER MODULATOR. I WOULDN'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE, AND I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THAT FIRE BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT. *NM

ABS / TRAC LIGHTS INTERMITTENT FAILURE, CAUSING OCCASIONAL LOSS OF BRAKING FOR 1-2 SECONDS. *JB

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY AROUND A CORNER IN TOWN WHEN MY LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THE PROPER PRESSURE WAS MAINTAINED ALWAYS. THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ROAD TO DAMAGE THE TIRE. THE TIRE HAS ABOUT 24,000 MILES ON IT.&IT IS A 80,000 MILE TIRE. KELLY SPRINGFIELD NAVIGATOR GOLD. *NM

ANTILOCK SYSTEM AND STABILITY TRACKING SYSTEM FAILED ABRUPTLY DURING BREAKING. NO CRASH OCCURRED, ONLY THE SYSTEM'S WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND STAYED ON. LUCKY I WAS NOT IN A PANIC BREAK POSITION AS THEN THE ABS WOULD NOT HAVE FUNCTIONED. I HAVE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO REPAIR THE SYSTEM INDEPENDENT OF THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP SINCE IT IS MUCH CHEAPER AND A MORE EFFECTIVE FIX IS POSSIBLE THAN USING VOLVO PARTS WHICH AFTER WEB SEARCHING IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. SEEMS EVERY VEHICLE WITH THIS SYSTEM IS FAILING AT ABOUT 65 TO 80K MILES. MY 2001 V70 T5 FAILED AT 70K.

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 XC90 VOLVO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS ISSUED MAY 3 2006. SHE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE SAFETY RECALL UNTIL SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE IN JANUARY 2007. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE PROBLEMS SHE CURRENTLY HAD WITH THE TIRES HAVING UNEVEN WEAR AND WEARING DOWN TO THE INDICATORS, AND CRACKED TREAD WERE CAUSED BY THE DEFECT STATED IN SAFETY RECALL 06V155000.THE RECALL STATED THAT THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT COULD DEFORM AT HIGH LOADS CAUSING A LOSS OF THE CLAMPING FORCE ,AND THE NUT MAY LOOSEN, WHICH MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES CURRENTLY HAVE 17,000 MILES, THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12000. THE CONTACT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE TIRES REPLACED BY THE MANUFACTURER. *AK THE TIRES WEARING WERE DUE TO THE RECALL. UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

I WAS T BONED AT AN INTERSECTION FROM THE RIGHT SIDE, BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING 45 MPH AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! FRONT WHEEL, BOTH DOORS, FRAME, SEAT, POST AND SUSPENSION WERE DAMAGED. $10,000 WORTH. I WAS TEMPORARILY PARALYZED FROM THE IMPACT, I RECEIVED A CONCUSSION FROM HITTING THE AIR BAG CURTAIN EMBLEM. I SUSTAINED HEAD, NECK, BACK, LEFT SHOULDER AND RIGHT KNEE INJURY. VOLVO REPLIED, " THE DOOR HAD TO BE HIT IN A VERY SPECIFIC PLACE TO SET OFF THE AIRBAGS. I HAVE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION NEEDED UPON REQUEST. THANK YOU. *JB

THE CONSUMER'S 2001 VOLVO V70 IS BEING RECALLED. **CC THE CONSUMER IS CURRENTLY STATIONED OVERSEAS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO HAVE THIS RECALL WORK REPAIRED. *NM

CUSTOMER 1997 VOLVO 960 ENGINE FAILED DUE TO TIMING BELT PULLEY FAILURE. **CC THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE A HEAD BOLT HAD SEIZED IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINEWAS IDLING HIGH. VOLVO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE RPM SURGE OCCURRED FREQUENTLY WHEN THE CONTACTWAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON PERIODICALLY. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE ON ALL VOLVO MODELS, BUT NOT FOR THE 240 MODEL. *AK

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS A 1999 VOLVO S70, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC ,AND HE INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE THROTTLE BODY ,AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A VOLVO DEALER. THE VOLVO DEALER PERFORMED A COMPUTER DOWNLOAD. THE CONTACT STATED SHE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. OCCASIONALLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TURN ON. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED HER THAT SHE NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS AND A NEW 02 SENSOR. THE ENGINE SIZE AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN BY THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE PROBLEMWAS RELATED TO RECALL # 06V441000. *AK UPDATED 02/16/07. *JB