2016 Volvo XC90

ON TODAY, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY YOUNG CHILDREN IN OUR 2016 VOLVO XC90 WHEN SUDDENLY THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL WENT BLANK AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN DRAMATICALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE CAR STARTED TO CRAWL AT APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, POWERED OFF THE CAR, RESTARTED IT AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. EACH TIME WE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR FAILED TO RESPOND AND SEEMED AS IF IT WERE GOING TO LOSE TOTAL POWER. AS SEMI-TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING BEHIND US, OUR FAMILY VEHICLE WAS IN GREAT DANGER OF BEING HIT. I CALLED VOLVO ON CALL AND THEY REMAINED ON THE PHONE WITH US UNTIL WE WERE ABLE TO SLOWLY EXIT THE INTERSTATE AND DRIVE TO A SECURE LOCATION. THE APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM SPEED THAT WE DROVE WAS NO MORE THAN 5-10 MPH. A TOW SERVICE WAS DISPATCHED TO OUR LOCATION AND THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP. WHILE THIS IS INDEED A SAFETY CONCERN, IT WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND MY YOUNG CHILDREN.

WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING IN MY GARAGE AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR CLOSED, I BELIEVE I PUT IT IN REVERSE THEN WENT TO OPEN THE FRONT DOOR TO SEE IF MY DAUGHTER WAS TIGHTENED IN HER CAR SEAT, THE CAR DIDN'T MOVE. I AM NOT SURE IF I PUT IT BACK IN PARK BUT AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, IT DIDN'T MOVE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS AND MY FEET AND BODY COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CAR, IT STARTED TO GO BACK AND ALMOST RAN ME OVER. LUCKILY I JUMPED BACK IN THE VOLVO TRUCK AND THE DOOR CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE. THIS IS A BRAND NEW TRUCK AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP WITH SOME RECALLS ON THE COMPUTER SYSTEM A FEW WEEKS PRIOR. THE COMPUTER SYSTEM HAS SHUT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING AND I BELIEVE THE LONG DELAY IN GOING BACK MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITH SOMETHING WITH THE ELECTRONICS/MOTOR. THERE IS NO WAY ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPLETELY GET OUT OF A CAR WITHOUT KNOWING IT IS IN GEAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

AROUND 10.30 AM ON SUNDAY, 26TH JUNE 2016, I WAS DRIVING ON I-95 (NEAR STAMFORD CT) WITH MY FAMILY WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, SLOWED DOWN DRAMATICALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF I-95 AND STARTED TO CRAWL AT 10 MILES/HOUR. WE WERE IN DANGER OF BEING HIT BY A NUMBER OF VEHICLES WHILE I NEGOTIATED TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY ON EXIT 9 AND PULLED OVER INTO A SIDE STREET. THE INSTRUMENTATION PANEL OF THE CAR HAD BLANKED OUT. THE CAR COULD ONLY CRAWL AT ABOUT 10 MILES/HOUR. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT TO HIGHER GEAR EVEN IN MANUAL MODE. I CALLED THE VOLVO ON CALL AND THEY ADVISED ME TO SWITCH OFF THE CAR, EXIT THE CAR AND THEN RE START THE CAR AFTER FIVE MINUTES. I DID THAT AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. I SOME HOW DROVE THE CAR TO THE NEAREST VOLVO DEALERSHIP (STAMFORD VOLVO) WHICH WAS CLOSED ON SUNDAY. DROPPED THE CAR OFF IN THE LOT, RENTED A CAR AND DROVE 200 MILES BACK TO BOSTON.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN ECO DRIVE MODE WITH THE AUTO START/STOP FUNCTION ENABLED. THE AUTO STOP KICKED IN AND STOPPED MY ENGINE, BUT WHEN I WENT TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL, THE AUTO START DID NOT RESTART MY ENGINE AND THE GAS PEDAL WAS UNRESPONSIVE. NO ALERTS OR WARNINGS POPPED UP - EVERYTHING REMAINED ON (HEADLIGHTS, RADIO, ETC), AND NOTHING APPEARED WRONG EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE/ACCELERATE. I WAS GOING AROUND 1MPH AT THIS POINT, AND PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER, PARKED, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE MANUALLY. I THEN DROVE HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BROUGHT IN THE CAR TO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY. THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX B/C NO CODES SHOWED UP DURING THE DIAGNOSTIC, AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THEY DOWNLOADED "SOFTWARE 1 AND 2" AND SAID THAT MIGHT FIX THE PROBLEM BUT THEY DON'T KNOW. THEY SAID CORPORATE DOESN'T TELL THEM WHAT THE SOFTWARE UPDATES DO, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THE UPDATE MAINLY PERTAINED TO THE RADIO WHICH CLEARLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY ISSUE. THEY TRIED TO RETURN THE VEHICLE TO ME A WEEK LATER (11/27) AND I REFUSED, AND ASKED THEM TO ESCALATE THE ISSUE B/C I DIDN'T FEEL THE CAR WAS SAFE AND THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION. THEY ASSURED ME THAT CORPORATE'S FIELD TECH SPECIALIST WAS CONSULTING WITH THEM ON THE PHONE AND AGREED THE CAR WAS FINE TO BE RETURNED TO ME B/C THERE WERE NO CODES AND THE ISSUE COULDN'T BE REPLICATED. I SPOKE TO CORPORATE (VOLVO NORTH AMERICA) AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD ESCALATE ON THEIR SIDE BUT HAD NO SPECIFIC DETAILS TO REASSURE ME THE PROBLEM WAS TAKEN CARE OF. I ASKED FOR A FLIGHT COMPUTER TO BE INSTALLED TO LOG THE CAR DATA IN CASE THE ISSUE HAPPENS AGAIN, AND NO ANSWER ON THAT REQUEST SO FAR. I GOT THE CAR BACK TODAY (12/8) B/C THEY DON'T KNOW HOW/WHAT TO FIX. THE DEALER HAS MECHANICS AND NOT THE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS THAT NEED TO LOOK AT THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.