2001 Volvo S40

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 40 MPH AND CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED HEAD AND NECK INJURIES. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 300,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 VOLVO S40. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETAIN THE DRIVER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE DRIVER SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY WHEN THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS A LEASE THAT I HAD JUST AGREED TO BUY THAT MORNING, SO I CALLED VOLVO CONSUMER AFFAIRS THE NEXT DAY (4/16/04) AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT TO THE SMYTHE DEALERSHIP SO THAT THEY COULD SEND AN INSPECTOR TO INVESTIGATE. I ALSO TOLD VOLVO THAT I HAD NO INTENTION OF BUYING THE CAR ANYMORE SINCE THE CAR WAS DEFECTIVE. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE SMYTHE DEALERSHIP ON 4/17/04 AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THE SITUATION AND THAT VOLVO WOULD BE SENDING AN INSPECTOR. I CALLED VOLVO ON 4/19/04 TO LET THEM KNOW THE CAR WAS THERE AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE 10 DAYS TO INVESTIGATE. IT TOOK VOLVO UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE TO GET BACK TO ME WITH RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION. I FOLLOWED UP WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY GAVE ME SEVERAL DIFFERENT EXCUSES LIKE THEY DID NOT KNOW THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THAT THE DEALER MISTAKENLY SENT THE CAR TO MILWAUKEE. IN THE END ONCE THEY FOUND THE CAR AND INVESTIGATED, VOLVO TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THAT IT WAS PRODUCT FAILURE BECAUSE THE CAR HAD PASSED THROUGH TOO MANY HANDS. I SAID THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT IT PASSED THROUGH TOO MANY HANDS. I ALSO SAID AN AIRBAG SHOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS THEIR IS IMPACT. THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS UNTRUE AND SOMETIMES THEY DEPLOY DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSORS. I THEN SAID THAT SENSORS ARE ALSO PART OF THE PRODUCT AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A SENSOR IT IS PRODUCT FAILURE. THEY SAID THAT EXTERNAL FORCES COULD AFFECT THE SENSORS, SO IT IS NOT PRODUCT FAILURE. THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE FAILURE EXCEPT TELL ME THEY WOULD PAY FOR MY DISPOSITION FEE AND OVERAGE MILES IF I LEASE ANOTHER VOLVO. WHEN I HAD DECIDED TO BUY THE CAR IN APRIL, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PAY EITHER OF THOSE, SO BASICALLY VOVLO IS DOING NOTHING FOR ME BECAUSE IN THEIR OPINION THE INCIDENT WAS NOT PRODUCT FAILURE. *AK

BATTERY WAS DRAINED, AND THIS CAUSED CAR NOT TO START AT 150 MILES. SRS LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AT 1100 MILES. THIS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH AIRBAGS. AT 1400 MILES, SRS LIGHT APPEARED AGAIN AFTER DEALER HAD CORRECTED PROBLEM.*AK THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE FORWARD AND BACKWARD SEAT ADJUSTMENT WAS NOT WORKING. THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM THE SUNROOF. THE ENGINE WAS NOISY. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. *YH

I AM REPORTING THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS FULLY DEPLOYED WHEN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CAR AND RIGHT FRONT TIRE STRUCK PAVEMENT AT APPROX. 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR DID NOT STOP, AND THE DRIVER HAD TO MANUALLY BEAT THE AIRBAGS BACK WITH HIS HANDS TO SEE AND BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO VOLVO USA, THEY REMOVED THE SENSORS FOR INVESTIGATION, THEN REPORTED BACK TO ME IN WRITING THAT THEY OPERATED NORMALLY, AND THAT THERE WAS SUFFICIENT IMPACT TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE TO CAUSE DEPLOYMENT. I DISAGREE, AND FEEL THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. EITHER THE DESIGN OF THE S40 OR IT'S SENSORS ARE DEFECTIVE. EVERYONE THAT SAW THE CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT WAS VERY SURPRISED THAT THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AT ALL, SINCE THERE WAS NO COLLISION INVOLVED -- DAMAGE TO THE OUTSIDE BODY OF THE CAR WAS MINOR. ALL DAMAGE WAS TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND INTERIOR (DUE TO THE AIRBAGS). HAD THERE BEEN ANY CARS TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, VERY SERIOUS INJURY WOULD HAVE RESULTED SINCE THE DRIVER WAS BLINDED AND WOULD HAVE ONLY HAD THE PROTECTION OF ALREADY DEFLATING AIRBAGS HAD A HEAD ON COLLISION OCCURED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. I HAVE ALL DOCUMENTATION REPORTED TO VOLVO, AND THEIR WRITTEN RESPONSE.*AK