VOLVO Complaints

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN TRYING TO REVERSE AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE ACCELERATED, CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

1996 850 VOLVO WAGON ABS BRAKE FAILURE. THE ABS BRAKE COMPUTER PERIODICALLY TURNS ITSELF OFF (THE ABS DASH LIGHT COMES ON). THIS WOULDN'T BE TOO BAD BECAUSE THE BRAKES WILL WORK FINE EVEN IF THE ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. EXCEPT WHEN THE SYSTEM FIRST MALFUNCTIONS. THERE IS A ONE TO TWO SECOND INTERVAL WHEN YOU TRY TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL FIGHTS YOU, VIBRATES, THEN ALLOWS NORMAL BRAKING (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE ABS CHATTER THAT HAPPENS WHEN IT IS WORKING PROPERLY AND A WHEEL IS SLIPPING). MY ABS SYSTEM TURNS OFF EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR, YOU'RE JUST NEVER SURE WHEN. IF IT DOES WHEN I'M BRAKING, MY BRAKING IS IMPAIRED FOR A COUPLE SECONDS - THAT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC! MY VOLVO DEALER SAYS THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THESE "COMPUTERS", BUT IT DOESN'T AFFECT SAFETY. FURTHERMORE, IT COSTS $700 TO FIX! I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY FACTOR AND I'M APPALLED THAT VOLVO (OF ALL COMPANIES) DOESN'T ISSUE A RECALL.*AK

BRAKE SYSTEM IN CAR WORKS POORLY WHEN CAR IS COLD OR LEFT FOR A FEW HOURS. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE BRAKE PRESSURE IS REQUIRED TO STOP THE CAR WHEN CAR IS COLD. PROBLEM HAS BEEN "FIXED" THREE TIMES BUT HAS RETURNED AGAIN. EVIDENTLY THIS IS RELATED TO FAILURE OF A VACUUM PUMP USED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BRAKE VACUUM FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD.*AK

ON JULY 23, 2003, OUR 1999 S80 VOLVO WAS SERVICED AT MT. KISCO VOLVO. THIS SERVICE INCLUDED THE 45,000 CHECKUP. THE BILL CAME TO $615.15. LESS THAN 48 HOURS LATER, AND AFTER DRIVING LESS THAN 100 MILES THE FRONT END AXLE COLLAPSED ON 124TH STREET AND THIRD AVENUE IN NEW YORK CITY. A YOUNG MAN CAME RUNNING TO THE CAR AND TOLD US THAT THE AXLE HAD BROKEN. AFTER MUCH BADGERING AND A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HAD OCCURRED, CHRIS, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MT. KISCO VOLVO DISPATCHED A TOW TRUCK AND A LOANER CAR. ON MODAY, JULY 27,2003, CHRIS, THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MT. KISCO VOLVO, ADVISED US THAT THE CAR HAD ANSWERED A RECALL IN 2001 FOR THE DEFECT IN THE AXLE. THUS VOLVO WAS AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO TOLD US THE CAR WOULD BE REPAIRED AND READY IN A WEEK AT NO COST TO US. AS OF TODAY NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. IN A CONVERSATION WITH THE OWNER OF MT. KISCO VOLVO IN THE EVENING OF JULY 25, 2003, INFORMED US THAT HE WANTED US TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, CONTACT OUR INSURANCE CARRIER, SIGN A RELEASE AND RETURN THE LOANER BEFORE ANY WORK IS DONE TO REPAIR THE AUTO. MR. STAVIDES, THE OWNER TOLD US HE WOULD GET BACK TO US ON FRIDAY AUGUST 1, 2003. HE IMPLIED THAT UNLESS WE AGREED TO HIS TERMS THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED. HE HAS NOT CONTACTED US AGAIN. I NOTE THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED EXCLUSIVELY BY MT. KISCO VOLVO AND THAT IT HAS BEEN SERVICED NO LESS THAN FOURTEEN TIMES.*AK I NOTE THAT ACCORDING TO THE RULE OF THE NHTSA, " IF A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE OR ITEM OF MOTOR VEHICLE EQUIPMENT THE MANUFACTURER MUST FIX IT AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. "

THE REAR BRAKE PADS ON MY 2002 S40 VOLVO WORE OUT AT ABOUT 21 THOUSAND MILES AND RUINED THE ROTOR. ACCORDING TO VOLVO CORP. THIS IS BECASUE THE GOVERNMENT IS HAS PROHIBITED THEM FROM USING ASBESTOS IN THE BRAKE PADS. VOLVO PUT NOISE MAKING "SQUEALERES" ON THE INSIDE PADS BUT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKES THE OUTSIDE PADS WEAR OUT FIRST CAUSING A RIVIT ON THE PAD TO CONTACT THE ROTOR AND RUIN IT BEFORE THE PADS CAN BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THREE VOLVO SERVICE MANAGERS IT IS NORMAL FOR THE PADS TO WEAROUT AT BETWEEN 15 AND 20,000 MILES.I HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO OF AMERICA BY EMAIL ON TWO OCCASIONS TO ADVISE THEM OF THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THEIR BRAKES THEY ADVISED ME THEY COULD OFFER ME NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PREMATURE BRAKE FAILURE AND WOULD FILE THE INFORMATION .*AK

THE ENTIRE ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS WAS MELTED AND DESTROYED BEFORE THE FUSEABLE LINK OPENED THE CIRCUIT. THIS CLEARLY IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ELECTRICAL DESIGN. IN FACT, IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT IF MY WIFE HAD NOT TURNED THE CAR OFF WHEN SHE DID, DUE TO THE WHITE SMOKE FROM THE FAN, THE WIRING HARNESS WOULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE. MOST LIKELY THE RESULTING FIRE WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE CAR AS THE MELTED WIRING HARNESS IS DIRECTLY UNDER AND AROUND THE ENGINES FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM. PERSONALLY INSPECTED THE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE, AND WAS APPALLED BY HOW MUCH OF THE WIRING WAS FUSED TOGETHER. IF THE SAFETY DESIGN (FUSEABLE LINK) OF THE FAN CIRCUIT HAD WORKED PROPERLY THE ALTERNATOR WIRING HARNESS WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN DAMAGED TO THE EXTENT I SAW AND MORE IMPORTANTLY MY WIFE WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN IN PERSONAL DANGER.I HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO VOLVO AMERICA AND THEY CONTEND THAT A LOOSE FAN MOUNT CAUSED THIS ISSUE. THE REPAIR SHOP WAS AT A LOSE TO EXPLAIN THIS POSITION TO ME AS THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WAS RELEVENT TO THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE CAUSED AS THE WIRING HARNESS MELTED DOWN.*AK

ON 2 OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED, THE DEALER REPLACED A SENSOR, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK *TS *JB

WHILE TRAVELING 30MPH ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE HIT A POTHOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE RIM SPLIT IN HALF. IT COST $390.00 FOR ALLUMINUM ALLOY RIM. *AK *CB

SEAT HEATERS HAD TO BE REPLACED THREE DIFFERENT TIMES. DEALER STATED THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED, BUT VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. VOLVO DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME ONE FOR WHICH THE RECALL IS ISSUED. *AK *CB

THE BRACKET BOLT BECAME LOOSE AND FELL OFF THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *PH