NHTSA Complaint #10037199 — 2001 VOLVO S40

AT 19,600 MILES THE REAR BRAKE PADS WORE OUT ON MY WIFE'S 2001 S40 VOLVO SEDAN. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THIS IS NORMAL AND THAT THEY HAVE SEEN SOME S40S WEAR THE REAR BRAKES OUT AS EARLY AS 12,000 MILES. BASED ON A REASONABLE PERSONS EXPERIENCE THIS IS MUCH TOO EARLY FOR BRAKE PADS, ESPECIALLY THE REAR ONES TO BE WEARING. THIS MUST BE A DESIGN DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR BETTER QUALITY PADS SHOULD BE INSTALLED ON THE CAR. SEARCHING THE WEB I HAVE THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ABOUT S40S. BELOW IS ONE EXAMPLE I FOUND:*AK 9TH MAY 2002, 14:41JUST HAD MY VOLVO REAR BRAKE PADS REPLACED AT LESS THAN 20,000 MILES (AT MY COST!). AT INSPECTION THE REAR PADS HAD 0% REMAINING, WHILE THE FRONT STILL HAD 70%. WHEN I TOLD THE DEALER THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE, THEY SAID "THIS IS NORMAL FOR THE VOLVO S40". SO MY RESPONSE WAS, AND STILL IS, "IF IT IS NORMAL TO HAVE TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS ON THE VOLVO S40 EVERY 15,000 TO 20,000 MILES, THEN THE THE VOLVO S40 IS UNACCEPTABLE". VOLVO REFUSED TO COVER THIS ABNORMAL WEAR UNDER WARRANTY. PLEASE REGISTER MY COMPLAINT WITH VOLVO AND ADD THIS COMPLAINT TO YOUR GROWING LIST OF PRODUCT DEFECTS. THANKS.