2000 Volvo S40

REAR BRAKES GO ON AVERAGE AT 8,000-16,000 MILES, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. I ALSO HAVE CONITINUOUS PROBLEMS STOPPING MY CAR, WHICH THE DEALER SAYS THE CANNOT DUPLICATE. THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT RELATED TO THE REAR BRAKES NEEDING REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE IT IS MORE A HYDRAULICS PROBLEM. THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT THERE FOR THE PROBLEM, BUT DEALER STATES DOES NOT APPLY TO MY CAR. I HAVE FOUND AVER 50 OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I WILL REFER TO THIS SITE. AS FOR GAS CONSUMPTION, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE A SAFETLY ISSUE. MILEAGE WAS 21 MPG, DROPPED TO 16.5. DEALER MESSED WITH TRIP COMPUTER TO MAKE ME THINK MY MILEAGE IMPROVED, HOWEVER UPON MY DIVISION SKILLS IT IS STILL THE SAME AS WHEN I TOOK IT IN. THIS DECEPTIVE PRACTICE DOESN'T MAKE ME VERY HAPPY THAT THEY JUST REPAIRED MY REAR BRAKES. *AK

I CONTACTED MY VOLVO DEALER 3 MONTHS AGO FOR REPLACEMENT WHIPPER BLADES. THE PARTS MANAGER EXPLAINED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS DEFECTIVE. IT "WOBBLES" ON THE WINDSHIELD. HE SAID TO WAIT 2 MONTHS FOR NEW ONE. I CONTACTED HIM A WEEK AGO AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER PUT A SET ON MY CAR AND SHOWED ME HOW THEY WILL WOBBLE AND FALL OFF. I CONTACTED VOLVO USA AND WAS TOLD "THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT ARE NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES." THEY FELT THEY WOULD ONLY FALL OFF IF THE WIPER WAS LIFTED FROM THE WINDSHIELD LIKE FOR CLEANING. *AK

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