1998 Volvo V70XC

THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT OPEN ON COLD DAYS. BECAUSE OF THAT I CANNOT FILL THE WINDSHIELD FLUID AND WHEN THE WINDSHIELD GETS DIRTY FROM THE VEHICLES IN FRONT, MY WIFE CAN BARELY SEE HER WAY.*AK I COMPLAINT TO THE DEALER ABOUT IT SINCE THE FIRST WINTER, WE GOT THE CAR IN 1998. THIS YEAR I WENT TO THE DEALER MAYBE 3 TIMES WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEREFORE COULD NOT FIX IT. I COMPLAINED TO VOLVO HEADQUARTERS BUT THEY REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALER.

COMING DOWN A HILL IN VALLEY CENTER CA. THE TIMING BELT ON MY VOLVO XC 1998, VIN # [XXX], BROKE CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DESTRUCT AND LOSS OF HYDRAULICS TO POWER THE BRAKES AND STEERING, NEARLY VEERED INTO A CANYON. THE OWNERS MANUAL RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF THE TIMING BELT AT 70,000 MILES. THE VOLVO HAS 61,000 MILES AND WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED AT AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER IN HOUSTON TEXAS. THERE WAS ALMOST A MAJOR CASH BOTH REAR END AND FRONTAL WHEN THE CAR ALMOST CROSSED OVER THE HIGHWAY. CONTACTED VOLVO OF N. AMERICA AND WAS TOLD CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I BOUGHT IT "AS IS" AND THEY ARE NOT TO BLAME. I NOW HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BECAUSE OF EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. THANK GOD MY FAMILY WAS NOT IN THE CAR OR MY WIFE WAS NOT DRIVING THE CAR, THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A FATALITY IF IT WAS THE FREEWAY OR IF BY LUCK THE CAR DID NOT GO OVER THE CANYON WALL. I HAD ONLY OWNED THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS. IT WAS INSPECTED BEFORE IT CAME TO ME FROM TEXAS AND WAS SHIPPED NOT DRIVEN.*AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

INTERMITTENT OUTAGE OF ABS CONTROL MODULE (TRACS OFF/ABS WARNING LIGHTS ON). DEALER STATES THE BRAKES WILL STILL WORK WITH THE LIGHTS ON/FAULTY PART. HOWEVER, I DON'T FEEL "SAFE" IN THE CAR AND FEEL THE PART IS FAULTY AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BY MANUFACTURER. BRAKES HAVE SINCE HESITATED ON TWO OCCASIONS WHILE STOPPING. THERE WERE NO BRAKES FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN THE BRAKES SLOWLY (2-3 SECONDS) REGAINED POWER AND CONTROL OF THE CAR. NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE DEALER (SUPERIOR VOLVO) STATED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL. *JB

VOLVO CROSS COUNTRY'S FROM 1998 AND POSSIBLY OTHER MODEL YEARS ARE TURNING UP WITH MALFUNCTIONING CENTRAL CONTROL UNITS FOR THEIR ABS . IT IS HARD TO GET INFORMATION FROM THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT IS CLEAR THE MALFUNCTION IS WIDESPREAD IN THIS MODEL AND THAT IT ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE CAR'S BRAKING AND ABS. REPLACEMENT OF THE PART COSTS MORE THAN $500, WHICH MAY PREVENT MANY VOLVO OWNERS FROM QUICKLY ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM, WHICH ACCORDING TO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY THREAT. I KNOW FIRST-HAND THE MALFUNCTION CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION IN MY CROSS COUNTRY'S HANDLING AND BRAKING. BECAUSE THIS APPEARS TO BE A PRODUCT DEFECT THAT AFFECTS THE CAR'S SAFETY, I SINCERELY HOPE REGULATORS WILL ENCOURAGE VOLVO TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL. THANK YOU. *JB