1996 Volvo 960

I AM THE OWNER OF A 1996 VOLVO 960. I AM WRITING BECAUSE OF A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE I HAD WITH 3 FRIENDS WHILE DRIVING ON A TRIP FROM NEW YORK TO OHIO. OUR TRIP BEGAN ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 AT 3:00. I HAD JUST HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT BAY RIDGE VOLVO TWO EVENINGS BEFORE. ONE PROBLEM THEY CORRECTED WAS A ROUGH IDLE I HAD WHEN STARTING THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME THE THROTTLE PLATE WAS STICKING A LITTLE, SO THEY UNSTUCK IT. I HAD PICKED UP THE CAR ON THURSDAY, AND JUST DROVE IT HOME. WE WERE 15 MILES OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, ON INTERSTATE 280 IN NEW JERSEY, NEAR EXIT 4 (LAUREL ROAD.) WE WERE GOING UP A LONG HILL AND I LET MY FOOT UP OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTICED THAT THE CAR DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN AS IT SHOULD. MY CONCERN GREW WHEN AS WE CRESTED THE HILL, AND BEGAN GOING LEVELING OUT, THE CAR WAS SPEEDING UP BY ITSELF. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON, BUT IT WASN'T. THEN I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR, TO SEE IF MAYBE IT WAS STICKING, BUT IT WAS NOT. MY FRIENDS BEGAN TO REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND ONE OF THEM SAID I SHOULD PULL OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT. I VAINLY ATTEMPTED TO PUT CRUISE CONTROL ON TO CONTROL THE SPEED, BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK. I THEN SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL, AT WHICH POINT THE ENGINE RACED, SO I PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE. I HAD MY FOOT DOWN CONSTANTLY ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING TOO FAST. I STARTED TO PULL OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, THEN REALIZED THAT TO MY HORROR I COULDN'T SLOW DOWN, EVEN WITH THE BRAKE ALL THE WAY DOWN. I QUICKLY GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE, LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE WAY. I QUICKLY THOUGHT TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AS I PULLED OFF ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, AND I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE CAR. AS WE CAME TO A STOP THERE WAS SMOKE AND A BURNED RUBBER SMELL COMING FROM THE BRAKES. MY THREE FRIENDS AND I WERE ALMOST PROPELLED TO OUR DEATHS DRIVING WHAT IS SUPPOSEDLY THE SAFEST CAR ON THE ROAD.

OUR 960 HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THE WARPING OF THE BRAKE ROTORS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY. TODAY (12/30/98) IS THE FOURTH TIME. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH VOLVO 960'S AND THAT IT COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS AND/OR INJURIES IF NOT REPAIRED ON ALL VEHICLES LIKE OUR 960. THE WARPED ROTORS CAUSE EXCESSIVE SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND VIBRATION IN THE CHASSIS AND SUSPENSION WHICH MIGHT MITIGATE THE BRAKES EFFECTIVENESS IN SOME CONDITIONS.