2003 Volvo S60

THE OEM JACK THAT CAME WITH MY VOLVO FAILED MISERABLY WHEN I HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE JACK WAS NEVER USED BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. WHILE THE JACK WAS PLACED ON A LEVEL SURFACE AND WAS COMPLETELY VERTICAL, THE FORCE NECESSARY TO SPIN THE JACK HANDLE CAUSED THE JACK TO VERY SLOWLY SLIDE SIDEWAYS IN AN INCREASINGLY PRECARIOUS POSITION. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER SEVERAL TIMES ONLY TO RENDER THE SAME RESULT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, I WAS ABLE RAISE THE CAR HIGH ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT REMOVAL OF THE FLAT TIRE. THE JACK HOWEVER WAS VERY UNSTABLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE TIRE, THE JACK FAILED AND THE CAR FELL TO THE GROUND. LUCKILY, THE FLAT TIRE WAS STILL ON THE CAR. SINCE I WAS IN MY PAVED DRIVEWAY, I WAS ABLE TO USE ANOTHER JACK. SINCE IT WASN'T A VOLVO JACK, I WAS ABLE TO USE WOODEN BLOCKS TO CRIB OR SECURE THE CAR BY STACKING WOOD UNDER THE CAR AS THE JACK RAISED THE CAR SO IT WOULDN'T FALL OFF THE JACK. THE VOLVO JACK IS BENT AND UNSAFE TO USE AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T SAFE TO USE THE FIRST TIME. I AM REPORTING IT AS I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER VOLVO OWNERS ON THE WEB WHO HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR VOLVOS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RAINY AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER 2-3 MINUTES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS AND THE MECHANIC HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE EACH TIME. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 07V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

THE CAR STALLED REPEATEDLY WHILE THE ENGINE WAS IDLING. ALL POWER WAS LOST MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND BRAKE. I NEARLY GOT INTO SEVERAL ACCIDENTS THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE: 1) STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT 2) WHILE SHIFTING GEARS ON THE HIGHWAY 3) WHILE SHIFTING GEARS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES BEFORE THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY FIXED. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE REPLACED BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM: 1) FUEL PUMP 2) MAP SENSOR (REPLACED 2 TIMES) NEITHER OF THESE FIXES WORKED. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED AFTER MODIFYING THE SOFTWARE ON THE COMPUTER BOARD. *JB

THE VEHICLE IS A 2003 VOLVO MODEL S-60 T-5, PURCHASED MAY 6, 2006. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE WARRANTY OF 50,000 MILES AND WAS SERVICED FOR WARRANTY ITEMS BY RICKENBAUGH VOLVO. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 60,500 MILES. UPON USING THE SEAT WARMERS FOR THE FIRST TIME DECEMBER 27, 2006, A SMALL HOLE BURNED IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT FROM THE SEAT HEATING ELEMENT. SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE HOLE WHEN I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE SEAT WARMER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY (DECEMBER 27, 2006) TO VOLVO PARTS, INC. FOR INSPECTION. THERE IS A SHORT IN THE HEATING ELEMENT THAT MAKES THIS VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I CALLED THE VOLVO CORPORATION CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT SAME DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED BY THE VOLVO CORPORATION BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I PHONED RICKENBAUGH VOLVO THAT SAME DAY AND WAS TOLD THE HEATING ELEMENT AND PAD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $630.00. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT WAS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED CAUSING A SHORT, OR THE ELEMENT IS DEFECTIVE. IN ANY CASE, THE PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE WHEN IT WAS STILL UNDER A WARRANTY OR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE, BUT INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE SAFETY ISSUE, THE VOLVO CORPORATION IS FOLLOWING ITS STANDARD PROCEDURE OF HIDING BEHIND ITS WARRANTY TERMS. THIS IS WHAT CONCERNS ME THE MOST. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO A PERSON, HOWEVER, THE LEATHER SEAT NOW HAS A HOLE FROM THE SMALL FIRE CAUSED BY THE HEATING ELEMENT. I HAVE NOT REPAIRED THE DEFECTIVE ELEMENT BECAUSE OF COST. PLEASE ADVISE ME AS TO WHAT DANGER THIS MAY PRESENT, OR WHAT OTHER OPTIONS I HAVE IN THIS COMPLAINT PROCESS. I WELCOME A DOT ASSIGNED ENGINEER TO INSPECT THIS VEHICLE FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. VOLVO PARTS, INC., ONLY INDICATES THAT THEY CHECKED CONNECTIONS AND FUSES AND THAT THEY ARE "OK". I WAS CHARGED $75.00 IN LABOR. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON I-290 THE ENGINE OF MY 2003 VOLVO S60 SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. I NARROWLY ESCAPED SEVERAL SERIOUS ACCIDENTS ON A BUSY CHICAGO HIGHWAY. WHEN THE CAR LOSES POWER THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING THE OPERATOR CAN DO TO MOVE OVER TO THE SIDE. I WAS DRIVING APPROX. 60 MPH WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED, AND I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER APPROX. 30-60 SECONDS. THE PROBLEMS EXHIBITED BY THE CAR ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE RECENT RECALL THAT VOLVO HAS ANNOUNCED FOR VOLVO VEHICLES. MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. THE CAR IS NOW STALLING RANDOMLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 VOLVO S 60 THAT HAS BEGUN STALLING OUT WHILE DRIVING. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SIMILAR TO OTHER CAR PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED RECENTLY. THE CAR DIES AFTER IT HAS REACHED OPERATING TEMPERATURES. IT JUST STOPS ON THE INTERSTATE OR AT A STOP LIGHT, IN INTERSECTIONS, ETC. IT TAKES BETWEEN 10 AND 30 SECONDS BEFORE IT CAN BE RESTARTED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS COULD BE AN RECURRING UNREPORTED PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *NM

THE TRANSMISSION OF MY S60 INADVERTENTLY MIS-SHIFTS AT A VARIETY OF SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN BACKING OFF BETWEEN GEARS AND FEELS LIKE IT UP SHIFTS AT AN INAPPROPRIATE TIME AND SPEEDS UP. OTHER TIMES THE TRANSMISSION WILL MIS-SHIFT UPON ACCELERATION CAUSING HIGH REVS, WITH NO POWER. TALKED WITH VOLVO SEVERAL TIMES AND FIRST SERVICE VISIT PAID $100 FOR A SOFTWARE UPGRADE THAT DID NOTHING. NEXT TIME TO SERVICE THEY CHECKED THE SERVOS AND STATED THEY WERE OK. LAST TRIP TO SERVICE ADDRESSED ISSUE W/ SERVICE REP AND REQUESTED TO HAVE IT DOCUMENTED. SERVICE REP STATED CAR HAD A 100K GUARANTEE DISMISSED REQUEST. CAR HAS 80K ON IT AND PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE INCREASING. AFRAID IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL. *JB