2013 Volvo S60

NO SPARE TIRES IN NEW CARS PUTS US CONSUMERS IN DANGER YOU SHOULD BE AS DEEPLY CONCERNED, AS I AM, OF THE GROWING TREND AMONG CAR MANUFACTURERS TO LEAVE OUT SPARE TIRES. IN FACT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE SPACE TO CARRY THEM. *TR DISCOUNTING THE QUESTIONABLE BENEFIT TO THEIR BOTTOM LINE THIS IS A TREND THAT PUTS US DRIVERS IN CONSIDERABLE DANGER. IT ALSO LEAVES THE US CONSUMER AT THE MERCY OF TOW TRUCK OPERATORS AND PRICE GOUGING BY THE DEALERS WHERE THE CAR IS TOWED. INSTEAD OF A SPARE THEY PROVIDE A FORM OF ?FIX-A-FLAT? THAT PUMPS A SEALANT AND AIR INTO THE PUNCTURED TIRE. THIS WILL ONLY WORK WITH TIRES WITH A SMALL PUNCTURE IN THE TREAD NOT ON LARGER HOLES OR SIDEWALL DAMAGE. IT ALSO CAUSES IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO POSSIBLY SALVAGEABLE TIRE. THE ONLY OTHER OPTION IS TO CALL AND WAIT FOR EMERGENCY HELP, WHICH COULD TAKE HOURS, DAYS OR BE NON-EXISTENT IN MANY AREAS. YOU CAN EASILY IMAGINE MANY SCENARIOS WHERE THE LACK OF A SPARE TIRE, AND WAITING HOURS FOR A TOW, COULD BE MORE THAN A BIG INCONVENIENCE, BUT A THREAT TO LIFE. A FLAT TIRE ON A LONG DESERTED STRETCH OF ROAD LATE AT NIGHT. A FLAT IN A BAD SECTION OF THE CITY OR A SECTION WHERE ROAD DEBRIS CAUSES MULTIPLE VEHICLES TO GET FLATS AT THE SAME TIME OVERWHELMING EMERGENCY SERVICES. FOR THE SAFETY OF US DRIVERS SPARE TIRES MUST BE SUPPLIED AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON ALL CARS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES.

I WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 30 - 40 MPH IN MY 2013 VOLVO S60 WHEN I STRUCK AN SUV FROM BEHIND. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE DEPLOYED, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A DIRECT REAR END COLLISION. AFTER THE COLLISION MY INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAYED THE WARNING MESSAGE 'SRS AIRBAG SERVICE URGENT'. MY VOLVO S60 IS EQUIPPED WITH THE STANDARD CITY SAFETY AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM, WHICH DID NOT ENGAGE AT ANY POINT TO AVOID/REDUCE THE IMPACT OF THE COLLISION. THE AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK ABOVE CERTAIN SPEEDS, I AM AWARE; HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THAT MY AIRBAGS WERE NOT PROPERLY WORKING CONSIDERING THAT IT SEEMS MY VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT A SPEED ABOVE THE AUTO BRAKING THRESHOLD. THERE WERE NO AIRBAG WARNINGS BEFORE THE COLLISION. FOR REFERENCE, THERE WAS A NEARLY IDENTICAL COLLISION IN THE SAME INTERSECTION JUST MINUTES PRIOR AND THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE COLLISION HAD DEPLOYED AIRBAGS. *TR

WHEN THE FRONT PASSENGER DOES NOT USE SEAT BELT, THE CAR DOES NOT ISSUE ANY AUDIBLE WARNING (EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION, E.G. AT 30 MPH). NOTE THAT, IN CONTRAST, THE AUDIBLE WARNING WILL RING FOR 6 SECONDS IF THE DRIVER DOES NOT USE SEAT BELT. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND VOLVO NORTH AMERICA AT (201) 768-7300, THE REPLY WAS THAT THIS IS EXACTLY HOW IT IS DESIGNED TO WORK. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE SAME BEHAVIOR WAS OBSERVED ON OTHER VOLVO CARS ON HIS SITE. THE RECEPTIONIST AT VOLVO NORTH AMERICA CONFIRMED TO ME THAT "THE AUDIBLE WARNING FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS ELIMINATED" AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE EVEN FOR THE DEALER TO ENABLE IT. THEN, MY QUESTION IS, WHY DOES THE DESIGN ENGINEERS AT VOLVO THINK IT IS OK IF THE FRONT PASSENGER DOES NOT USE SAFETY BELT AND THERE IS NO NEED TO ISSUE A REMINDER?? IN OTHER CARS (E.G., I TESTED ON MERCEDES BENZ C300 4MATIC 2013 MODEL), WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND THE FRONT PASSENGER DOES NOT USE SEAT BELT, THE CAR REMINDS WITH A AUDIBLE WARNING. *TR

WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO ENTER TRAFFIC THERE WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT HESITATION FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN LURCH WHICH ALMOST LEAD TO A T-BONE ACCIDENT. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. VOLVO FOUND A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR 6 CYLINDER ENGINE AND INSTALLED THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL IF IT WORKED. *TR

1ST INCIDENT, DECEMBER 2012. ABOUT 760 MILES ON NEW CAR. QUARTER TANK OF FUEL. TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE, VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND HAD TO COAST TO A STOP AT SIDE OF ROAD. FORTUNATELY IN RURAL AREA WITH LOW TRAFFIC SO NO PROBLEMS. AFTER TOWING TO DEALER, NO PROBLEM IDENTIFIED... ECM-P008700 CODE REPORTED AS FUEL PRESSURE LOSS. SOFTWARE MENTIONED AS THE PROBLEM, ECM UPGRADE ACCOMPLISHED. 2ND INCIDENT, MARCH 2013. ABOUT 2350 MILES ON CAR, AGAIN QUARTER TANK OF FUEL. AGAIN ON INTERSTATE, VEHICLE ABRUPTLY LOST POWER AND HAD TO COAST TO A STOP. AGAIN, FORTUNATELY IN RURAL AREA WITH LOW TRAFFIC. PROBLEM ALSO APPEARS TO BE FUEL SYSTEM RELATED, BUT STILL BEING INVESTIGATED BY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP SINCE WERE ON A TRIP OUT OF TOWN. *TR

THE WIPER FLUID STOPPED COMING OUT FROM THE NOZZLES, AS WELL AS HEADLIGHT WASHERS DURING SNOWY WEATHER. THE CAR HAS A SENSOR TO NOTIFY DRIVER IF THE FLUID LEVELS ARE BELOW A SPECIFIC AMOUNT. NO WARNING WAS ISSUED. WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID WAS ADDED BUT THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT. THERE WAS NOTED SNOW ACCUMULATION INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT THE DRIVER'S SIDE, NEAR THE AREA OF WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID RESERVOIR. *TR