NHTSA Complaint #10049178 — 2002 VOLVO V70

MY NEW VOLVO V70 WITH ONLY 7000 MILES ALMOST TOOK MY LIFE AS WELL AS MY 18 MONTH OLD SON'S LIFE! I WAS DRIVING DOWN A FOUR LANE ROAD WHEN ANOTHER DRIVER MOTIONED ME TO PULL ASIDE. I THOUGHT I HAD A FLAT TIRE SO I PULLED OVER. THE CAR WAS ON FIRE! WHEN I LOOKED BACK THE CAR HAD FLAMES SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDER THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE. WITHIN 5 MINUTES THE FLAMES ENGULFED THE CAR AND THE GAS TANK EXPLODED! I WAS ABLE TO TAKE NOTHING WITH ME, I LOST EVERYTHING IN THE CAR DOWN TO MY PURSE! THE SADDEST PART ABOUT MY STORY IS THAT NOTHING IN THE VOLVO WARNED ME I WAS ON FIRE!! MY HUSBAND NOTIFIED OUR LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP WHO IN TURN CONTACTED VOLVO NORTH AMERICA. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2003 WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A [XXX] THAT STATED "A VOLVO FIELD TECHNICAL SPECIALIST THOROUGHLY EXAMINED YOUR VEHICLE. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO YOUR VOLVO AND BASED ON OUR INSPECTION AND AVAILABLE INFORMATION, WE DID NOT CONCLUDE A VOLVO PRODUCT RELATED CONDITION AS THE CAUSE OF THE SITUATION YOU REPORTED." I AM DUMBFOUNDED! I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY MY NEW VOLVO CAUGHT FIRE AS I AM DRIVING 35 MPH AND THEN BURNT TO THE GROUND!! I AM EXTREMELY UPSET MY THE WAY VOLVO NORTH AMERICA RESPONDED TO US IN THEIR LETTER. I RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL RESPONSE ON 10/6/03 FROM HER AFTER SHE RECEIVED THE ABOVE. WE ARE SORRY OUR PREVIOUS REPLY WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WE REALIZE THAT THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN THAT MAY OCCUR. AGAIN, WE REGRET TO LEARN OF YOUR UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR 2002 VOLVO V70. AS WE PREVIOUSLY STATED, THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO YOUR VOLVO AND BASED ON OUR AVAILABLE INFORMATION FOR THE INSPECTION, WE DID NOT CONCLUDE A VOLVO PRODUCT RELATED CONDITION AS THE CAUSE OF THE SITUATION YOU REPORTED. WHILE WE REGRET YOU MAY NOT CONCUR WITH OUR DETERMINATION, UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO FURTHER CONSIDER THIS MATTER. SINCERELY, [XXX]. *NLM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR