1998 Volvo V70XC

THE TAILGATE LOCK MECHANISM ON MY 1998 V70XC WAGON OFTEN FAILS TO LATCH IN COLD WEATHER. THIS AS NOT BEEN TOO BIG A PROBLEM HERE IN ARIZONA - TYPICALLY OCCURRING IF THE TAILGATE IS OPENED IN THE OCCASIONAL COLD MORNINGS - AS THE DAY WARMS UP THE MECHANISM USUALLY ALWAYS LATCHS CORRECTLY. USUALLY WHEN IT BEGINS NOT TO LATCH A LITTLE CLEANING AND LUBRICANT WOULD CURE IT FOR A WHILE. THIS SOLUTION IS NOW PRODUCING LIMITED RESULTS, AND NOT WANTING TO DRIVE THE KIDS TO SCHOOL WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THEIR BACKPACKS FALLING OUT OF THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE, I HAVE DECIDED TO REPLACE THE LATCH. WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR REPLACEMENT INFORMATION, I CAME ACROSS NUMEROUS OWNER REPORTS OF OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE, AS WELL AS A RECALL OF THE MODEL YEAR 2000 VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE FOR THE SAME ISSUE. I MADE A CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE MECHANICAL PART OF THE LATCH, AND IT APPEARS THAT THE TWO ROTATING ELEMENTS THAT FORM THE CATCH & LOCK ASSEMBLY ARE NOT WELL ALIGNED (ARE NOT MOVING IN THE SAME PLANE), POSSIBLY DUE TO THE POOR FORMING AND/OR ASSEMBLY OF THE STAMPED AND FOLDED STEEL HOUSING IN WHICH THESE TWO PIECES ARE LOCATED. THIS MECHANICAL PROBLEM IS LIKELY THE REASON THAT THE CLEANING/LUBRICATION SOLUTION HAS ALWAYS PRODUCED LIMITED RESULTS. IN ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS (POWER LOCK/UNLOCK, LATCH RELEASE, CHILD LOCK, ETC.) THE ASSEMBLY WORKS CORRECTLY, IT IS JUST THE BALKY ROTATION OF THE LOCKING CATCH THAT APPEARS TO BE KEEPING THE LATCH FROM OPERATING PROPERLY. I CALLED VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE TO SEE IF THE 2000 MODEL YEAR RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO MY YEAR VEHICLE, BUT WAS TOLD NO. I BELIEVE THE FAILURE IS DUE TO AN APPARENT DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFICIENCY AND NOT FROM JUST WEAR AND TEAR. DUE TO THE SAFETY ISSUE, I HAVE REPLACED THE LATCH ASSEMBLY, THOUGH I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THIS HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM UNTIL COLDER WEATHER.

THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT OPEN ON COLD DAYS. BECAUSE OF THAT I CANNOT FILL THE WINDSHIELD FLUID AND WHEN THE WINDSHIELD GETS DIRTY FROM THE VEHICLES IN FRONT, MY WIFE CAN BARELY SEE HER WAY.*AK I COMPLAINT TO THE DEALER ABOUT IT SINCE THE FIRST WINTER, WE GOT THE CAR IN 1998. THIS YEAR I WENT TO THE DEALER MAYBE 3 TIMES WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE COULD NOT FIX IT. I COMPLAINED TO VOLVO HEADQUARTERS BUT THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER.