2012 Volvo S60

ON AUGUST 24, 2013, I WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. A CAR STOPPED SHORT ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME HIT THAT CAR. I THEN HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD ONLY A FEW SECONDS TO REACT. ANOTHER CAR THEN RE-ENDED ME. MY AIRBAG NOR SEATBELT PRETENTIONERS DEPLOYED. I HAD DIFFICULTY TURNING THE CAR OFF. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF THE INCIDENT, I REPORTED THE MATTER TO VOLVO. THEY SENT AN INVESTIGATOR OUT. VOLVO CLAIMS THAT SENSORS WERE NOT ACTIVATED SINCE THE DAMAGE WAS ABOVE THEM, AND THERE WAS NOT ANY PROBLEM. HOWEVER, AT THE SPEED I HIT, THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR WHY THE AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT HAVE DEPLOYED. EITHER THE CAR IS DESIGNED IMPROPERLY IN TERMS OF WHERE THE SENSORS ARE PLACED OR THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, OTHER S60S (NOT MY VID#) HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT COULD CAUSE AIRBAGS NOT TO DEPLOY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 VOLVO S60. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND THE REAR END SPUN UNCONTROLLABLY. THE DYNAMIC TRACTION CONTROL FAILED TO ACTIVATE AND THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CURBSIDE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL RIMS. IN ADDITION, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE RIM AND FRONT BUMPER WAS DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. A TROUBLE CODE WAS DETECTED FOR THE SRS MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,991.

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER. AFTER LITTLE OVER 12K MILES, THERE IS SEVER PAINT DAMAGE ON THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE CAR. THE PAINT APPEARS TO BE BUBBLING FROM UNDERNEATH. REQUIRES $8609.66 TO REPAIR. VOLVO ONLY WARRANTY THE PAINT FOR 12K MILES BUT ADVERTISES THE CAR HAVING 48 MONTH 50K MILES WARRANTY. VOLVO STATES THAT THE CAR MUST BE DRIED EVERY TIME IT GETS WET (INCLUDING WIPING THE CAR DRY AFTER IT RAINS). THEY HAVE GIVEN ME THE FOLLOWING EXCUSES FOR WHY THE PAINT IS DAMAGED: 1) WATER (E.G. RAIN) 2) SPRINKLER WATER 3) ACID RAIN 4) PESTICIDES I HAVE OTHER CARS MUCH OLDER THAN THIS CAR WHICH DO NOT HAVE SIMILAR PAINT DAMAGE. *TR

PLEASE, PLEASE BACK OFF ON YOUR HEAD REST REQUIREMENTS FOR SAFETY. PLEASE ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO CHOOSE THE POSITION OF THE HEAD REST. NOT ONLY HONDA, BUT FORD, GM, CHRYSLER, ALL MANUFACTURERS ARE CREATING VERY PAINFUL CAR SEATS SINCE 2009 DUE TO THIS AWFUL HEADREST REQUIREMENT. SEATBELTS ARE A LAW, BUT I CHOOSE TO WEAR THEM. MOTORCYCLE HELMETS ARE NO LONGER A LAW, BUT I CHOOSE TO WEAR THEM. NOW LET ME CHOOSE MY HEADREST POSITION. I THINK THESE NEW DESIGNS ARE GOING TO CAUSE FAR MORE INJURIES AND INSURANCE CLAIMS FROM PEOPLE HAVING THEIR HEADS COCKED FORWARD, IN A FORCED IMPROPER POSTURE. I HAD MIGRAINES DUE TO MY HEADREST BEFORE I RESOLVED THIS ISSUE IN MY CAR BY MAKING MODIFICATIONS. I SIT WITH PROPER POSTURE AND MY HEAD IS FORCED FORWARD. THE ONLY CHOICE I HAD WAS TO SIT IMPROPERLY IN ORDER TO TRY TO AVOID THE TERRIBLE DISCOMFORT THIS NEW LAW FORCES ON ME. PLEASE CHANGE THIS LAW. *TR

THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL IN MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN OCCASIONALLY MALFUNCTIONING (ABOUT 10-15 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING MY VEHICLE IN MAY) CAUSING IT TO APPLY THE PARKING BRAKE AT SPEEDS OF ABOUT 5 MPH. THIS CAUSES MY VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY STOP WITHOUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS BEING ACTIVATED. I THEN HAVE TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE. THEN MY CRUISE CONTROL IS INOPERATIVE UNTIL I RESTART THE VEHICLE. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED AFTER THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE. I'VE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST VOLVO REPAIR CENTER FOUR TIMES TO BE REPAIRED BUT THE MALFUNCTION STILL OCCURS. VOLVO IS UNWILLING TO REPLACE MY CAR UNDER THE LEMON LAW. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND OCCASION ON WHICH THIS DEFECT HAS APPEARED, THE PRIOR INCIDENT HAPPENING IN APPROXIMATELY MARCH 2012, AT A MILEAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR JUST UNDER SIX MONTHS. I LIVE IN A SOUTHEASTERN US STATE AND TRAVELLED TO MY SECOND HOME IN FLORIDA. THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN FLORIDA FEWER THAN 20 TOTAL DAYS. ON BOTH OF THE LAST TWO OCCASIONS DURING WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FLORIDA, AN ANIMAL WAS APPARENTLY ABLE TO CLIMB DEEP INTO THE UNDERBODY OF THE CAR AND CHEW ON WIRES CONTROLLING THE DYNAMIC TRACTION STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM, THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM, AND THE VOLVO CITY SAFETY CRASH AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE INTERNAL CAR ALERT SYSTEM DETECTED THE PROBLEM, ALERTED ME, AND VOLVO AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, THOUGH TODAY, ON THE SECOND OCCASION, VOLVO INDICATED THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS FORM OF DAMAGE IN THE FUTURE. I PROPOSED TO BOTH MY VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND TO THE NATIONAL VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE CENTER THAT AN APPROPRIATE FORM OF SHIELDING SHOULD BE ADDED TO COVER THE WIRES CONTROLLING THESE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT AN ANIMAL'S ACCESS TO THEM. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS SUGGESTION WAS IGNORED, AS NO SPECIAL SHIELDING WAS DESCRIBED/OFFERED, DESPITE THE CRITICAL NATURE OF THESE SYSTEMS. THIS PROBLEM HAS NEVER OCCURRED WITH EITHER OF THE OTHER TWO VEHICLES WHICH I REGULARLY TAKE TO THE SAME LOCATION, THUS, I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN WHICH EITHER THE MATERIALS USED IN THESE WIRING SYSTEMS ARE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE TO WHATEVER ANIMAL CHEWED THE WIRES (E.G. SOY-BASED WIRE COATING POLYMERS PERHAPS), OR MORE LIKELY, THE WIRES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY SHIELDED/JACKETED TO PREVENT SUCH DAMAGE. IN EACH CASE, SINCE THERE WAS NOT A NEARBY VOLVO DEALERSHIP, I DROVE MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED IT WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL SAFETY SYSTEMS.

THE ACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL STOPS FOR NO REASON. THIS PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS (~20 TIMES SINCE I PICKED UP THE CAR), THE CAR SLOWS DOWN AS THE TRAFFICS SLOWS DOWN. THE CAR IS ALMOST AT A STOP (5-10 MPH) AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKES COMES ON, THE CARS BRAKES HARD & STOPS AND THE PARKING BRAKE TURNS ON. THE ALERT "CRUISE CONTROL UNAVAILABLE" SHOW IN THE DISPLAY. THEREAFTER THE CRUISE WILL NOT ENGAGE. AFTER I SHUT OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT, THE CRUISE AGAIN WORKS AGAIN. IN ADDITION TO NOT PERFORMING AS ADVERTISED, THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR