1995 Volvo 960

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 30 MPH AND WITH NO WARNING THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAD BEEN CONTACTED ON TWO OCCASIONS. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO THE RIGHT AND HE/SHE LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD GONE ONTO THE SIDEWALK(S), SIDE SWIPED OBJECTS, AND COLLIDED INTO A BUILDING. *SCC *JB

THE FUEL RAIL ON MY 1995 VOLVO 960 LEAKS. IT LEAKS AT THE PLUG ON THE END OF THE RAIL. IT LEAKS A STEADY STREAM OF GAS THAT POURS OVER MY ENGINE. AFTER REVIEWING VOLVO USER FORUMS IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS TYPE OF VOLVO. IT IS A SEVERE FIRE HAZARD! WHY HAVEN'T YOU FORCED THE DEALER TO ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE?

ON 8/31/2002 MY 1995 VOLVO 950 WAS HIT AT THE LEFT REAR END WHILE MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVEL EAST BOUND ON HIGHWAY 60 IN CALIFORNIA, STOPPING DUE TO TRAFFIC CONDITION AHEAD. DURING THE REAR END COLLISION IMPACT, THE SEATBACKS OF BOTH FRONT SEATS COLLAPSED REARWARD. WE SUFFERED ARM, NECK, SHOULDER, AND BACK INJURIES BECAUSE THERE WERE NO SEATBACK SUPPORTS. DURING THE COLLISION THE WINDSHIELD AND OTHER WINDOWS, EXCEPT THE LEFT REAR ONE, REMAINED INTACT. WE WERE LUCKY NOT HAVING MORE SERIOUS INJURIES. COLLAPSE OF SEATBACKS REARWARD WOULD HAVE CAUSED MORE SERIOUS INJURIES, OR EVEN DEATH. DT

THE FUEL RAIL HAS A MANUFACTURING HOLE AT ITS FRONT END, WHICH IS PERMANENTLY PLUGGED BEFORE INSTALLATION. IN RECENT WEEKS, THIS PLUG BEGAN LEAKING RAW GASOLINE, WHICH IS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE WITHIN THE FUEL RAIL TO SUPPLY FUEL TO THE FUEL INJECTORS. THE SOURCE WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY EVIDENT, UNTIL JANUARY 25TH, WHEN THE FUMES BECAME SICKENING. AT THAT TIME, WE OBSERVED RAW FUEL DROPLETS LEAKING PAST THIS FUEL RAIL PLUG ON THE ENGINE. WE IMMEDIATELY KILLED THE ENGINE. IN TALKING WITH VOLVO DEALERSHIP PERSONNEL, THEY WERE IMMEDIATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE SITUATION, INDICATING THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE. MY IMPRESSION IS THAT IT IS HAPPENING MANY MORE TIMES THAN IT SHOULD, CONSIDERING THE FIRE HAZARD THAT FUEL CAN BE. OBVIOUSLY, NO ONE WAS GOING TO GIVE ME NUMBERS, BUT MY CONCERN IS OBVIOUS. THE REPLACEMENT FUEL RAIL (P/N 9179348) IS FOR THE S90, SUGGESTING TO ME THAT THE PROBLEM WITH 960 FUEL RAILS IS WIDESPREAD, SUCH THAT A DIFFERENT PART OR A REDESIGN IS NEEDED. THE TWO FUEL RAILS ARE DISSIMILAR, SO ADDITIONAL PARTS ARE REQUIRED TO MATCH THE NEW RAIL TO THE 960 MODEL. IN MY OPINION, THIS ISSUE IS WORTH INVESTIGATING FOR POSSIBLE RECALL. FYI  I DO MOST OF MY OWN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS, SO I HAVE FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SITUATION.