NHTSA Complaint #10036937 — 1998 VOLVO S70

VOLVO CUSTOMER RELATIONS RE: VIN [XXX], 1998 S70 SIR OR MADAM MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 1998 VOLVO S70 IN 2000. TWO NIGHTS AGO AS WE WERE DRIVING ON A 30-MILE RURAL-STRETCH HOME, OUR HEADLIGHT SWITCH BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. WITH THE SWITCH IN THE ON POSITION, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE OFF AND THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND DISCOVERED THAT BY PUSHING THE SWITCH INWARD TOWARD THE DASH, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WOULD STAY LIT, SO LONG AS YOU WERE CONSTANTLY PUSHING IN THE SWITCH. YESTERDAY I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY NHTSA RECALL NO. 99V235/VOLVO RECALL NO. 94. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED MAKING PHONE CALLS TO GET THIS PART REPLACED. VOLVO OF LISLE RETRIEVED MY CARS INFORMATION AND INFORMED ME THAT THE SWITCH HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL ON 051799, PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL SWITCH HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ACCORDING TO THEIR RECORDS, I WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE RECALL ON THE SWITCH WAS ISSUED BY THE NHTSA BECAUSE THE PROBLEM PUT THE DRIVER AT RISK OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, AND TO MY DISMAY I AM FORCED TO PAY FOR IT. I FEEL THAT VOLVO IS ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE DESIGN, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES THE PART UNDER RECALL BREAKS. I EXPECT THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE, AS I AM SENDING THEM A COPY OF THIS LETTER. I KEPT THE BROKEN SWITCH AND I WOULD LIKE A NAME AND ADDRESS IN YOUR WARRANTY DEPARTMENT TO SEND IT TO. I EXPECT TO BE REFUNDED THE COSTS I INCURRED FOR THIS REPAIR, AS WELL AS RECEIVING A NEW SWITCH INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE, ONCE THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. CC: NHTSA. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR