2009 Volvo S80

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE TPMS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS PRESSURE IN THE TIRES BASED ON THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V335000 (WHEELS); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,500.

DURING THE SPRING OF 2013, MY 2009 CPO VOLVO S80 EXPERIENCED TWO FLAT TIRES WITHIN ONE WEEK DUE TO FAULTY HEX NUTS (I.E., HEX NUTS BROKE OFF CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE) THAT HOLD THE TIRE VALVE STEM TO THE WHEEL (VOLVO INCIDENT #130404-000103). VOLVO RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE TIRE AND ALL FOURS HEX NUTS AS A THIRD HEX NUT WAS VISIBLY CRACKED AND THE NEXT LIKELY CULPRIT OF A FUTURE FLAT TIRE. HOWEVER, ON JULY 25, 2015 ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER, I FOUND MYSELF ONCE AGAIN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN STATING, TIRE NEEDS AIR NOW. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR OVER ON THE SHOULDER AND INSPECTED THE TIRES WHEN I NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT DUE TO A BROKEN HEX NUT. WHILE I APPRECIATE THE OVERALL SAFETY FEATURES VOLVO CARS PROVIDE, THEY ARE FULLY NEGATED BY THE FAULTY HEX NUT. THERE IS NO GOOD IN HAVING ONE OF THE SAFEST AND RELIABLE CARS IF YOU CANT EVEN DRIVE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO RISK BEING IN A CRASH. I THINK ITS SAFE TO ASSUME THAT MOST PEOPLE, WHO BUY A VOLVO, BUY IT FOR SAFETY AND NOT TO EXPERIENCE RECKLESS DRIVING AS A RESULT OF FAULTY PARTS. THIS PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED THE FIRST TIME AROUND. HOPEFULLY, APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TAKEN TO SUCCESSFULLY RECALL AND REMEDIATE THESE FAULTY HEX NUTS TO AVOID ANY UNNECESSARY CAR ACCIDENTS WITH OTHER VOLVO VEHICLES WITH THIS PART.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V343000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 6/8/15*CN

VALVE STEM LOCKING NUT CORRODED ON LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND SEPARATED FROM STEM. THE STEM ACTUALLY FELL INSIDE THE WHEEL CAUSING A BLOW OUT. NO INJURIES, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE DEFECT HAPPENED AT 45 MONTHS, AND 51,000 MILES. SUBSEQUENTLY ALL STEMS AND SENSORS HAD TO BE REPLACED PRIOR TO 48 MONTHS. PER THE TIRE DEALER AND GRUDGINGLY BY VOLVO, THIS IS FAIRLY COMMON FOR THAT VINTAGE OF STEM AND SENSOR. VOLVO DID NOT HONOR WARRANTY BECAUSE THE FAILURE HAPPENED 1000 MILES OUTSIDE OF MILEAGE WARRANTY BUT INSIDE THE 48 MONTH TIMEFRAME, VERY POOR SERVICE FROM A COMPANY THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY KNOWN FOR SAFETY. I FIND IT IRONIC THAT A MANDATED SAFETY FEATURE BARELY LASTS THROUGH THE WARRANTY PERIOD, AND THE FAILURE MODE CAUSES THE PROBLEM IT WAS "DESIGNED" TO PREVENT. REPLACING THE SENSORS COST ABOUT $150 EACH, OR AT LEAST $600 FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *TR

ONE OF THE NICE SAFETY FEATURES ON THIS VEHICLE IS THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS), WHICH DETECTS UNDER-INFLATED TIRES. DRIVING ON UNDER-INFLATED TIRES CAN AFFECT A VEHICLE'S HANDLING AND STOPPING ABILITY RESULTING IN A CRASH. LAST WEEK MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR (DAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT) ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON AND STATED, "TIRE NEEDS AIR NOW." SO MY WIFE GOT OFF THE BUSY HIGHWAY AND CALLED VOLVO ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR A TIRE CHANGE, AS THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. WE TOOK THE FLAT TIRE TO A MECHANIC, WHO NOTICED THAT THE TIRE VALVE STEM WAS INSIDE THE WHEEL, SO HE REPLACED THE TIRE AND TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SENSOR. YESTERDAY, I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND STATED, "TIRE NEEDS AIR NOW." SO I PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER AND CALLED VOLVO ROADSIDE SERVICE FOR A TIRE CHANGE, AS THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS COMPLETELY FLAT. TWO FLAT TIRES WITHIN ONE WEEK AND BOTH WITH THE TIRE VALVE STEMS LOOSE INSIDE THE WHEEL. NOW I REALIZED THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO FAULTY HEX NUTS, SO I CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICE THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL HAD A CRACKED HEX NUT. THIS IS NOT A COINCIDENCE, AS THREE OUT OF FOUR HEX NUTS WERE FAULTY. THIS FAULTY PART HAS CAUSED UNNECESSARY DAMAGE AND COSTLY REPAIRS. THE REASON WE HAVE A VOLVO IN THE FIRST PLACE IS FOR SAFETY; HOWEVER, MY CONCERN IS THAT VOLVO IS USING INFERIOR HEX NUTS, WHICH COULD CAUSE UNEXPECTED FLAT TIRES RESULTING IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE FAULTY HEX NUTS ARE A "TICKING TIME BOMB" AND FEEL IT IS MY CIVIC DUTY TO INFORM VOLVO AND THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES OF THIS ISSUE TO ENSURE THAT ANY NECESSARY ACTION IS TAKEN TO AVOID CAR ACCIDENTS AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM ON OTHER VOLVO VEHICLES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SEAT BEGAN TO CRACK AND PEEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE SEAT WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ONE YEAR LATER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THEY WANTED TO DYE THE SEAT. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER THEY COULD DO TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. VOLVO STATED IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. UPDATED 10/04/12 UPDATED 10/05/12