NHTSA Complaint #10049045 — 1999 VOLVO S70

MY 1999 VOLVO S70 HAS FAILED TO START AFTER SHORT TRIPS. MY WIFE HAD MENTIONED THIS PREVIOUSLY, BUT TWO RECENT INCIDENTS MADE THIS REPORT NECESSARY.*AK THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS ON THE MORNING OF 11/18/2003. AFTER A 30-MINUTE TRIP, I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND LEFT THE CAR TO GATHER PAPERS FOR WORK. I LEFT THE CAR LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, THERE WERE LIGHTS IN THE DASH AND THE FUEL PUMP PRIMED, BUT NO IGNITION. THERE WAS NO CLICKING, BUT IT SEEMED THAT THE CAR HAD POWER. CAR WAS TOWED TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. THEY FOUND A WEAK BATTERY, AND REPLACED IT. THAT APPARENTLY FIXED THE PROBLEM, AND CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY, NOVEMBER23. DROVE THE CAR TO THE LOCAL HARDWARE STORE. I SHUT OFF ENGINE, GOT OUT, AND MADE MY PURCHASES. WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES, I RETURNED AND TRIED TO START THE CAR. DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON, BUT NO CLICKING. TRIED TO START THE CAR A FEW TIMES, SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL TO ROLL THE CAR, STILL WOULD NOT START. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP. MONDAY MORNING, TECH AT THE DEALERSHIP TRIED AND IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY. THEY FOUND NO TROUBLE, AND ASKED TO RETURN MY CAR. I HAVE REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE CAR UNTIL THE TROUBLE, HOWEVER INTERMITTENT, IS ISOLATED, DIAGNOSED, AND CORRECTED. I AM CURRENTLY DRIVING A LOANER CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP. BATTERY REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX THIS. MAY BE A "DEAD SPOT" IN THE STARTER, WHICH COULD EXPLAIN WHY THE CAR WOULD START AFTER SOME MAJOR MOTION (BEING TOWED, ETC). MAY BE ISSUES WITH THE CHARGING SYSTEM, TO EXPLAIN THE WEAK BATTERY IN THE FIRST INCIDENT. COULD BE A GREATER HAZARD FOR OTHERS WHO MAY BE TRAVELING, AND FIND THEMSELVES STRANDED.