2000 Volvo S40

2000 VOLVO ("V") S40.ON BELOW DATE I EXIT. HWY AFTER DRIVING NORMAL&WITHIN SPEED LIMIT&PARK AT A GAS PUMP.I WAS AT PUMP FOR 30 SEC. WHEN I HEARD "BANG", "POP", "HISS",& FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF CAR DIPPED DOWN.TIRE HAD GONE FLAT IN 2 SECONDS.I & EMPLOYEES TRIED TO CHANGE TIRE. WE COULD NOT PULL TIRE FREE. COIL AROUND STRUT SNAPPED&WHEN UNWINDING (I ASSUME), COIL WENT THROUGH ONE SIDE OF BACK OF TIRE & CAME OUT OTHER SIDE.TIRE WAS BEING HELD ONTO CAR BY COIL. CAR WAS TOWED TO NEAREST GARAGE ABOUT 50 FT. AWAY.WASN'T TOWED TO NEAREST V DLR FOR MANY REASONS INC. DEALER WAS AT LEAST 15 MILES AWAY, WAS 3:00 AM BY THE TIME I COULD GET A TOW,& DLR HAD DAMAGED MY CAR ON AT LEAST 2 OCCASIONS WHEN I BROUGHT IT THERE FOR SERVICE.TIRE THAT WAS PUNCTURED WAS LESS THEN 2 MON. OLD BECAUSE DEALER HAD PUNCTURED IT WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN FOR RECALL.I ASKED GARAGE TO KEEP DETAILED RECORDS OF REPAIRS,TAKE PICS IF THEY HAD A DIGITAL CAMERA,&SAVE ALL PARTS SO THEY COULD BE EXAM. TO DETERMINE WHY THEY FAILED.GARAGE REPLACED PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE FRONT END SUSPENSION ON BOTH SIDES.MECHANIC COULDN'T SAY WHY COIL FAILED, BUT SAID (BEARINGS WERE MISSING FROM TOP OF STRUT (?)).I CLD V ON 8/2/04 & TALKED TO SAM. TOLD ME THAT V WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW FAILURE OCCRD SINCE I HAD NOT HAD CAR FIXED AT V & THAT V WOULD NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR OVER $1300 IN REPAIRS CUZ I DID NOT GO TO A V DEALER. I TOLD HIM V NEEDED TO FIND OUT WHY COIL SNAPPED BECAUSE FAILURE IS VIRTUALLY UNHEARD OF ON OTHER CARS. TOLD ME HE WOULD LOOK INTO SENDING A FIELD REP OUT TO LOOK AT PARTS,ALL OF WHICH I SAVED.NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS V HAS REC'D ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM SO IT CAN BE CORRECTED. HAD FAILURE OCCURRED 60 SECONDS SOONER,I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW,OR WOULD BE VERY SERIOUSLY INJURED. V DOES NOT SEEM TO BE TAKING THIS PROB. SERIOUSLY & SHOULD INVESTIGATE TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS A COMMON DEFECT IN PART & REIMBURSE ME FOR HAVING PROBLEM FIXED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WILL LOOSE ELECTRICAL POWER AND SHUT OFF. SOMETIMES PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING LIGHTS WILL DIM AND FLICKER. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WILL STUMBLE. THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE WHEN IT IS HOT OUTSIDE AND THE AC IS ON. THIS HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN CAR IS AT IDLE OR LOW SPEEDS. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER AND THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

A SLIGHT SQUEAKING OR SQUEALING NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR, NO VISIBLE DEFECTS APON INSPECTION. THE SOUND WAS THE WATER PUMP FAILING. AS I WAS TAKING THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC THE WATER PUMP FAILED (CEASED) AND CAUSED THE BELT DRIVING THE WATER PUMP TO SNAP. THE WATER PUMP WAS DRIVEN BY THE TIMING BELT. I AM TOLD THAT WHEN THE TIMING BELT SNAPS THAT SERIOUS DAMAGE OCCURS TO THE ENGINE. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY A FAILURE OF SUCH AN ORDINARY PART CAN CAUSE SUCH DAMAGE. VOLVO STATED THAT THE REPAIRS CAN RUN FROM 3-6 THOUSAND DOLLARS. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED, FERRIED AND TOWED AGAIN TO GET TO THE CLOSET DEALER. *AK

2000 S40 PURCHASE NEW. I HAVE REPLACED 8-10 HEADLIGHTS ALREADY. VEHICLE HAS BEEN COSTLY TO MAINTAIN. DEALER HAS TAKEN A MINUMUM OF 3 VISITS TO LOCATE PROBLEMS. NONE HAS BEEN RESOLVED COMPLETELY. BRAKES PADS REPLACE AT 37K- MY COST- DELAR SAID THEY WORE THIN. I HAVE THEM CHECK THE BRAKES EVERY TIME I GET AN OIL CHANGE - TO FEEL SAFE. PROBLEMS WITH HIGH PITCH WHISTLING NOISE STARING AT 60 MPH TOOK BACK SEVERAL TIMES NOT ABLE TO STOP NOISE BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRED. RECENTLY: VEHICLE RAN ROUGH TOOK IN TO DELAER FOR 90K TUNE-UP. DEALER SAID BUSHING ON MOTOR MOUNTS ARE GONE COST TO REPLACE IS $800. NOTICED THE DRIVERS SIDE POWER WINDOW GOING OUT NOW. *AK