2003 Volvo S40

THE FOLLOWING IS A SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL E-MAIL I SENT TO VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA FOR YOUR RECORDS. *AK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I FINALLY HAD MY 2003 VOLVO S40 SERVICED FOR EXCESSIVE BUMPY RIDE PROBLEM THAT IVE COMPLAINED ABOUT SINCE THE TIME I BOUGHT IT FROM HOWARD ORLOFF IN MAY 2003. IM APPALLED TO LEARN THAT FOLKS AT HOWARD ORLOFF LEFT THE SPRING SPACERS IN PLACE ALONG THE FRONT SUSPENSION WHEN THEY SOLD ME THE CAR; AND AFTER SEVERAL COMPLAINS (OF WHICH YOU FOLKS HAVE ALL THE RECORDS OF MY E-MAIL COMMUNICATIONS) AND TEN MONTHS, VOLVO OF LISLE FINALLY FIGURED THE ISSUE OUT. I DONT KNOW WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED TO MY CAR FOR ALL THESE MANY MONTHS. AS OF WRITING THIS MESSAGE, MY CAR IS DANGEROUS AND PRECARIOUS MORE THAN EVER. AFTER ALMOST LITTLE OVER A WEEK OF DRIVING SINCE I GOT MY CAR BACK, THE CARS RIDE IS WORST THAN EVER; THE STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AND DOES NOT AFFORD CONTROL OF THE CAR; QUITE OFTEN DASHBOARD ICONS FLASH AS I HIT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BUMP ON THE ROAD; THE REAR RIGHT WHEEL SEEMS TO GET AIRBORNE WHILE THE LEFT FRONT END STAYS DIPPED INTO THE PAVEMENT. BEFORE VOLVO OF LISLE ADDRESSED THE SPRING SPACER PROBLEM, THE CD-PLAYER KEPT SKIPPING THE TRACK INCLUDING THE TUNER MODE CHANGED FROM CD TO TAPE OR AM/FM MODE 3 OR 4 TIMES SOLELY DUE TO THE CAR HITTING A BUMP WHILE DRIVING. AT THIS RATE, IM AFRAID IT IS GOING TO CAUSE MORE DAMAGE TO TIRES, WHEEL RIMS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE AND OTHER INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR COMPONENTS OF MY CAR. IM DEFINITELY CONCERNED AND EVEN SCARED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND MYSELF ALONG WITH OTHERS ON THE ROAD WHEN DRIVING THIS CAR. IN LIGHT OF THE SAME RECURRING PROBLEM, VOLVO SHOULD REPLACE MY CAR WITH A NEW ONE AT NO EXTRA COST TO ME. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU BY MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2004 OR SOONER.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A COMPLAINT THAT ONE OF THE MICHELIN TIRES ON MY NEW VOLVO S40 (BOUGHT ON JAN 25, 2003: [XXX]) BLEW OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO WORK. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 25MPH. ON THE SAME DAY FRIDAY (DEC 12, 03) I CONTACTED THE VOLVO DEALER WITH A REQUEST TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THEY REFUSED TO EVALUATE THE TIRE AND ONLY TOLD ME TO CALL MICHELIN. ON DEC 15, 03, I CALLED MICHELIN AND WAS TOLD THAT VALLEY FORGE TIRE AND AUTO CENTER WAS THE CLOSEST CERTIFIED MICHELIN DEALER IN MY AREA. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THEM AND WENT THAT DAY. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THIS TIRE WAS NOT FAULTY, AND COULD NOT BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE TIRE ANYWAY BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO EUROPE, AND I NEEDED THE CAR TO GET TO THE AIRPORT IN NEW JERSEY. (I WAS IN PENNSYLVANIA AT THAT TIME) AFTER I RETURNED FROM MY VACATION, I CONTACTED AN EXPERT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE BLOWOUT WAS THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER BECAUSE: 1. ON THE INSIDE LAYER OF THE TIRE THE RUBBER WAS PEELING (THE RUBBER WAS COMING OFF OF THE TIRES LIKE SCALES) 2. IN ANOTHER PLACE ALSO ON THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE THE WHITE THREADS THAT MAKE UP THE TIRE UNDER THE RUBBER WERE SHOWING, I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIRE WOULD HAVE BLOWN OUT IN THIS POINT IF NOT IN THE OTHER. IN THIS SITUATION I WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES THIS WEEK TO GOODYEAR. PLEASE ADVISE ME HOW YOU PLAN TO DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND SPECIFICALLY THE VOLVO BECAUSE I WAS PLANNING TO DO A LOT OF DRIVING THIS YEAR AND NEEDED A SAFE AND RELIABLE CAR. I TRUSTED VOLVOS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY AND RELIABILITY, BUT NOW I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. [XXX]. *AK UPDATED 07/30/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING A 2003 VOLVO S40. IT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A TRANSMISSION SLIP BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD GEARS. I HAD TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER FOR TWO TIMES DUE TO THE ABOVE PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING THEY DID WAS UPGRADING THE PROGRAM, WHICH IT DID NOT HELP AT ALL. THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS I ALMOST GOT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON 6/27/2003 WHILE I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THE CAR LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE ON COMING TRAFFIC BARELY MISSED RUNNING INTO MY VOLVO. THIS TRANSMISSION SLIPPING USUALLY LAST FOR 2 TO 3 SECS AND THIS LOST OF POWER CAN PUT ME INTO MAJOR ACCIDENT EASILY. I ASKED VOLVO TO TAKE MY CAR BACK, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM WHILE THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP, THE TURTH IS, THE PROBLEM DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERYDAY. I AM EXTREMLY MAD THAT VOLVO DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE LIFES OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. IN FACT, THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM EVEN VOLVO HAS A TECH NOTE FOR THIS. BUT I GUESS AS LONG AS THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM, THEY DONT CARE EVEN WE ARE TAKING ABOUT POTENTIAL MAJOR ACCIDENTS HERE. PLEASE HELP. THANKS.*AK