VOLVO Complaints

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT DOWNSHIFT OR PROVIDE ANY VEHICLE DECELERATION. RPM GOES TO 750 WHEN FOOT IS REMOVED FROM THE GAS BUT VEHICLE SPEED REMAINS SAME AND ONLY COASTS O SLOW DOWN

THE FRONT TIRE ON MY VOLVO V70 DEVELOPED A CRACK ON THE SIDE WALL BY THE WHEEL RIM UNDER NORMAL USAGE CONDITIONS LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO SMYTHE VOLVO OF SAN JOSE WHERE THE PURCHASE WAS MADE. THE SALES MANAGER, MICHAEL, REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OR EVEN TAKE A LOOK AT MY CAR, AND INITIATED A CHALLENGE FOR ME TO SUE VOLVO. THE SERVICE MANAGER INITIALLY PROMISED TO LOOK INTO RESOLVING THE PROBLEM FOR ME WITH VOLVO CORPORATE, BUT ULTIMATELY FELL THRU. I ESCALATED THE ISSUE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CEO OF VOLVO NORTH AMERICA, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DON'T COVER THE TIRE UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER, PIRELLI, HAS ALSO REFUSED SERVICE SO FAR. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE DESIGN OF THE TIRE. I DID A BRIEF RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, AND PULLED UP 18 PAGES OF MOSTLY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER VOLVO AND AUDI OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TIRES. THE SIDE WALL OF THIS PIRELLI P6 TIRE DEVELOPS BUBBLES AND CRACKS EASILY IF IT RUNS INTO ANY ROAD IRREGULARITY. I DID A SEARCH ON OTHER TIRES OF SIMILAR CONFIGURATION AND FOUND NO SUCH PROBLEM. PIRELLI DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED THE TIRE. VOLVO ENGINEERS AND MANAGEMENT CHOOSE THE TIRE TO PUT ON ITS V70 WAGON AS AN OEM. NOW BOTH OF THEM ARE DISCLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY VIA FINGER POINTING AND TECHNICALITIES ON THEIR WARRANTIES. THEY HAVE GIVEN ME THE USUAL RUN-AROUNDS, AND IN ONE CASE, OUTRIGHT RUDE TREATMENT.*AK

COOLING FAN FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY FREEWAY. THE CAR OVERHEATED SUDDENLY, STOPPED RUNNING AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. THE COOLING FAN WAS REPLACED BY A VOLVO DEALERSHIP. ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION IN NOVEMBER 2001 WHILE DRIVING ON A DESOLATE MOUNTAIN ROAD AT NIGHT THE CAR STOPPED AS THOUGH IT WAS OUT OF FUEL. THERE WAS AT LEAST AN 1/8 OF A TANK OF FUEL. THERE WAS A FUEL LINE DEFECT. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO A DEALER TWO HOURS AWAY AND THE DEFECT WAS REPAIRED. BOTH INCIDENTS CREATED A LOT OF INCONVENIENCE AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *JB

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A VOLVO S60R AUTOMOBILE FOR EAGLE VOLVO OF RIVERHEAD NY. I RECEIVED THE S60 R IN EARLY DECEMBER AND AS OF TODAY (2-04-04) I HAVE APPROX 1750 MILES ON IT. .*AK SO WHY ALL THE DETAIL, WELL SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP THREE (3) TIMES FOR A PROBLEM WITH THE 4C SUSPENSION SYSTEMS. THE FIRST TIME IT SPENT APPROX A WEEK AT THE SHOP AND WAS TO BE RESOLVED WITH A SENSOR REPLACEMENT. THE SECOND TIME WAS BECAUSE A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS REQUIRED FOR THE SYSTEM, AND THE THIRD TIME THEY HAVE SPENT TWO DAYS ON IT AND ARE STILL NOT SURE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. I HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT OVER THIS PROBLEM. I UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS HAPPEN, AND IF IT WHERE NOT FOR MY SALES PERSON WAYNE LAKE COMMITMENT TO ME I WOULD BE PROBABLY LOOKING FOR ANOTHER CAR. THAT BEING SAID I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE I AM GETTING FROM VOLVO ITSELF. EVEN AFTER I CALLED VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE TO ASK FOR SUPPORT IN THIS MATTER , I RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT A FIELD TECHNICIAN WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND HELP IN THE RESOLUTION OF MY PROBLEM FOR TWO WEEK ( NEXT WEEK THEY ARE ALL GOING TO TRAINING) .. TO HEAR THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY CAR FOR NEARLY 10 DAYS IN TOTAL; I HAVE LESS THE 2500 MILES, AND HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SHOP THREE TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE AND EVEN AFTER ALL OF THIS VOLVO DOES NOT FEEL THAT THIS ISSUES WARRANTS A CHANGE IN SOMEONES SCHEDULE OR THE NEED TO MAKE SOME ARRANGEMENTS TO GET MY CAR REPAIRED IN A TIMELY MANNER. WORST YET , YOU WOULD THINK AFTER CALLING VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND OPENING UP A SO CALLED FOLDER THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A CALL EXPLAINING THE SITUATION OR WHAT WAS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. OR AT LEAST OFFERING MY SOME COMPENSATION FOR MY TROUBLES, LIKE A LONG TERM LOANER CAR TO REPLACE THE CAR I DO NOT HAVE DUE TO THIS ISSUE, OR MAYBE EVEN AN OFFER OF EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO ADDRESS MY CONCERNS OVER THE RELIABILITY OF THE 4 C SUSPENSION.

BALL JOINT SEPARATED CAUSING THE PASSENGER WEEL ASSEMBLY TO DISOLDGE AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A SUDDEN STOP. *AK

TOOK MY CAR IN AND FOUND THAT RACK & PINION NEEDED REPLACING. WAS ADVISED BY MECHANIC THAT VOLVO DEALER TOLD THEM THERE IS A NATIONWIDE BACKORDER ON THIS PART AND IT IS NOT AVAILABLE.*AK SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THERE IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE RACK & PINION ON THE VOLVO S80 (MINE IS A 2000 MODEL YEAR.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE DRIVER HAD DIFFICULTY STEERING AND TURNING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

REAR MAIN SEAL FAILURE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE, PRESENTS FIRE HAZARD AND CALLS DURABILITY REPUTATION OF MANUFACTURER INTO SERIOUS QUESTION. *JB

AT APPROXIMATELY 7,000 MILES, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP IN SHIFTS BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. DEALER "READAPTED" TRANSMISSION USING MANUFACTURER'S PROCEDURE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT SLIPPAGE. MANUFACTURER'S TERM FOR THIS PROBLEM IS "SHIFT FLAIR" IN WHICH ENGINE RPM INCREASES DURING A SHIFT MAKING THE CAR FEEL LIKE IT HAS TEMPORARILY LOST DRIVE OR THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROBLEM, THE ENGINE RPM WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND DURING THAT PERIOD THE CAR WOULD LOSE POWER. ONLY THE INERTIA OF THE ROLLING WHEELS COULD KEEP THE CAR MOVING. IF I LET OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DEPRESSED IT, THE CAR WOULD BEHAVE LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. AS MORE MILEAGE WAS PLACED ON THE TRANSMISSION, THE SHIFT FLARES OR SLIPPAGE BECAME MORE FREQUENT. ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE DEALER INCLUDE: READAPTATION OF THE TRANSMISSION, SIGNIFICANT ROAD TESTING, INSTALLATION OF A TEMPORARY DATA RECORDER, APPLICATION OF NEW SOFTWARE, READAPTING THE TRANSMISSION, DETERMINE VALVE BODY ON ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION INCORRECTLY TORQUED AND RETORQUE OF VALVE BODY TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS AND CULMINATING WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. DESPITE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION IN EARLY OCTOBER, 2003 AT 12,636 MILES, THE CAR AGAIN EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION SHIFT FLAIR ON DECEMBER 27, 2003 AT APPROXIMATELY 18,400 MILES. *JB

WHENEVER CONSUMER OPENED THE DRIVER'S DOOR THERE WAS A SQUEAK COMING FROM THE HINGES. DEALER EXAMINED THE DOOR, OILED THE HINGES, BUT THEY STILL SQUEAKED. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, CONSUMER OPENED THE DOOR AND HEARD A LOUD SOUND, AND COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR ANY FURTHER. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND REPAIRED THE HINGES ON DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. *AK *MR