NHTSA Complaint #10141594 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

I PARKED MY VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY ON THE EVENING OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 2005. I LEFT ON VACATION THE FOLLOWING MORNING LEAVING MY VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY. I RETURNED FROM VACATION LATE ON THE EVENING OF AUGUST 21, 2005. THE FOLLOWING MORNING WHEN I WENT OUT TO LEAVE FOR WORK, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I CALLED AAA IN ORDER TO HAVE THE CAR JUMPED. IT WOULD NOT JUMP. I THEN CALLED THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TO CALL THE VOLVO HOT LINE FOR A TOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE GENGRAS VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN EAST HARTFORD, CT ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 22, 2005 AND IT REMAINS THERE AT THIS TIME. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT ALL OF THE COMPUTERS ARE MALFUNCTIONING. THEY REPORT THIS TO BE "AN ACT OF GOD" AS IN THE CAR WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTENING. I WAS ADVISED TO REPORT THIS TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY WHICH I DID. AN APPRAISER WAS DISPATCHED TO LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND THEN SPECIAL ENGINEERS FROM NORTH EASTERN TECHNICAL SERVICES. INC IN FALL RIVER, MA WENT TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP TO VIEW THE VEHICLE. THEY REMOVED TWO COMPUTER MODULES WITH PERMISSION OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND MICROSCOPICALLY EXAMINED THEM TO DETERMINE IF ANY CONNECTORS, CIRCUIT BOARD OR COMPONENT DAMAGE WAS PRESENT. NEITHER MODULE SHOWED ANY INDICATORS OF DAMAGE. AT THIS POINT THE CLAIM HAS BEEN DENIED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY SAYING THAT THE PROBLEM IS A WARRANTY PROBLEM. VOLVO DISPUTES THIS SAYING IT IS "AN ACT OF GOD". THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 24,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE SINCE AUGUST 12, 2005. IT DOES QUALIFY FOR THE LEMON LAW, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER REPORTED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURES OF THIS MODEL. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS INDEED A PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND THE VOLVO IS TRYING TO COVER IT UP. *JB