VOLVO Complaints

A WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE TRUCKS 6TH AXLE WHILE DRIVING AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). NLM

REAR BRAKE PADS ON MY CAR ARE COMPLETELY WORN DOWN TO METAL AND THE METAL IS CUTTING INTO THE ROTORS, THIS IS ON BOTH REAR WHEELS ASSEMBLIES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THEM REPLACED IUNDER WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THIS COULD NOT BE DONE SINCE I HAD OVER 12,000 MILES ONTHE CAR, EVEN THEOUGHTHE CAR IS ONLY 10 MONTHS OLD. MY CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT REAR BRAKES, THOUGH THE DEALER LET ME DRIVE AWAY ANYWAY. MY PROBLEM IS THIS, THE VOLVO DEALER, TWO DIFERENT SERVICE MANAGERS, AND VOLVO NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THIS SITUATION IS "NORMAL" AND THEY EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH MANY CUSTOMERS ON A WEEKLY BASIS. IF THIS IT INDEED TRUE, THEN WHY WOULD VOLVO NOT MAKE A NOTATION IN THE OWNERS MANUAL, UNDER THE MAINTENANCE SECTION, TO CHECK BRAKE PADS ON A FREQUENT BASIS. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS TO THE 'T', WHICH CLEARLY STATES THAT BRAKE PADS SHOULD BE INSPECTED AT 7,500 AND 15,000 MILES. IF AS VOLVO SUGGESTS, THE PADS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO LAST 15,000 MILES, WHY IN THE WORLD DO THEY NOT NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION? THIS IS ABOUT THE MOST ABSURB THING I HAVE EVER HEARD OF. BEING A MECHANIC MYSELF, I FIND THIS SITUATION TO BE UNBELIEVABLE. I HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY A MANUFACTURER CAN STAND THERE AND TELL ME THAT I SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO GET MORE THAT 12-15,000 ON A SET OF BRAKE PADS. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I SPOKE TO AT VOLVO NA, VOLVO IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND WORKING ON FINDING A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT PAD THAT WILL PAST LONGER. IN THE MEANTIME, MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN PLACED IN A PRECARIOUS SITUATION, AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF OTHER CONSUMERS, DUE TO VOLVO'S INEPTITUDE, AND GENERAL LACK OF CONCERN FOR CONSUMER SAFETY. I AM DRIVING A CAR THAT I BOUGHT, BECAUSE OF IT'S SAFETY REPUTATION, THEN COME TO FIND OUT IT COULD BE A DEATH TRAP IF THE REAR BRAKES FAIL. I AM ALSO CAUGHT IN A CATCH 22 WITH VOLVO. *AK

MANUFACTURER CLAIMS ROAD HAZARD NOT TIRE DEFECT. HOWEVER, THE TIRE DEALER SAYS THAT THESE WHEELS AND TIRES WILL CONTINUE TO FAIL BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR NJ ROADS. WE HAVE A MERCURY SABLE WHICH WE HAVE DRIVEN ON THE SAME ROADS FOR THE EQUIVALENT AVERAGE MIOLEAGE WITHOUT TIRE FAILURE. AT THESE MILEAGES THREE TIRE FAILURES IN A MONTH IS MORE THAN WE THINK IS NORMAL FOR A CAR BEING DRIVEN ON NORMAL CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER AT THIS POINT THEY WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY.*AK (DOT NUMBER: XTCUCO41 2)

THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLATION OF VEHICLE HAD PLASTIC CLIPS HOLDING THE INTERIOR TAILGATE DOOR ASSEMBLY IN PLACE, WITH RAISING AND LOWERING THE REAR TAILGATE THE INTERIOR ASSEMBLY BREAKS THE PLASTIC CLIPS AND LOOSENS WHICH DISLODGES THE CENTER BRAKE TAIL LIGHT, THE MAUFACTURER RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE PLASTIC CLIPS WITH A LARGER MORE STURDIER CLIP ARRANGEMENT. NLM

BULB FAILED AND BULB FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ON WAY HOME FROM DEALERSHIP. WE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS COMPONENT ON THIS MODEL. THEY ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO REPAIR BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE A SERVICE TECHNICIAN ON SITE. THEY OFFERED ANOTHER CAR BUT WE DECLINED. SIGNAL HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT.*AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND, BRAKE DISTANCE HAS INCREASED, PEDAL FEELS HARD, TO DEALER 4 TIMES, WHO CANNOT FIND PROBLEM. *AK

THE FRONT AXLE WEIGHT EXCEEDS FAWR: WEIGHT LISTED AS 11,620 LBS MAX AS PER LABEL ON THE DOOR, WITH 1/4 TANK OF FUEL, WEIGHT IS 12,220 LBS. *MJS

WITHIN THE FIRST 7,000 MILES, VEHICLE BECAME UNSTABLE, DRIVELINE VIBRATIONS, LOOSENESS IN STEERING, ROUGH RIDE, NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CORRECT CONDITION. PROBLEM CAUSED BY LOOSE FRONT CROSSMEMBER ALLOWING FRAME TO TWIST. WHEN FUEL TANKS ARE FULL THE FRONT AXLE IS OVERWEIGHT. *MJS

PREMATURE WEAR FROM STEER TIRES RESULTING FROM IMPROPER COMBINATION OF RACE/BEARINGS IN MERITOR AXLES. LOST WHEEL ASSEMBLY. *MJS

PREMATURE WEAR FROM STEER TIRES RESULTING FROM IMPROPER COMBINATION OF RACE/BEARINGS IN MERITOR AXLES. *MJS