1993 Volvo 240

THE COLLISION ON 1/5/99 DAMAGED THE LEFT REAR QUARTER PANEL AND TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY. . ALSO, THE HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP NO LONGER WORKED. WHEN THE REPAIR SHOP LOOKED AT THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE TAILGATE, THEY DETERMINED THAT, THOUGH THE IMPACT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE WIRES FOR THE TAIL LIGHT TO SEPARATE, THE PROBLEM WAS PRE-EXISTING IN THAT THE DESIGN OF THE WIRING HARNESS CAUSED THE WIRES TO FLEX EACH TIME THE TAILGATE OPENED AND CLOSED. WITH TIME, AS THE WIRES GET BRITTLE WITH AGE (DUE TO METAL FATIGUE), THEY ARE BOUND TO BREAK. THE WIRES FOR THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR SOME TIME, THOUGH I WAS UNAWARE OF THAT, AS THERE IS NOT MUCH NEED TO USE THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER WHEN THE CAR IS KEPT IN A GARAGE IN TEXAS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOT WILLING TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS AS IT WAS A "PRE-EXISTING" CONDITION. (THE BROKEN WIRES DID NOT CAUSE THE ACCIDENT, BUT NOW THE CAR WILL NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION). THE BODY REPAIR SHOP WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE VOLVO DEALERS IN THE AREA, AND HAS BEEN TOLD BY THESE DEALERS THAT THEY OFTEN REPLACE THE TAILGATE WIRING HARNESS. A SEARCH THROUGH THE NHTSA COMPLAINT DATABASE SHOWS THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY THE FOLOWING REPORTS: ODI ID: 516365 MAKE: VOLVO MODEL: 240 YEAR: 1993 COMPONENT: LIGHTING:GENERAL OR UNKNOWN COMPONENT: SUMMARY: HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP HIGH MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT FAILED. COMPONENT: HEATER:WATER:DEFROSTER:DEFOGGER SUMMARY: REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER FAILED DUE TO A BROKEN WIRE. ODI ID: 97V4608 DATE OF FAILURE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 06, 1995 COMPONENT: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:HARNESS:REAR COMPARTMENT SUMMARY: THE REAR LIGHT WIRES ARE BEING BROKEN DUE TO METAL FATIQUE AND CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT NOT TO WORK. ODI ID: 385260 DATE OF FAILURE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1990 COMPONENT: HEATER:WATER:DEFOGGER REAR-VIEW WINDOW:HOSE DUCT:AIR SUMMARY: REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER INOPERATIVE. *AK