NHTSA Complaint #10219993 — 1999 VOLVO S80

DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM (DIPPED BEAM) HEADLIGHTS FAILED WHILE OUT OF TOWN WITH MY WIFE AND TWO DAUGHTERS. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A SAFE LOCATION USING THE HIGH BEAMS. A CHECK OF HEADLAMP BULBS AND FUSES SHOWED THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND I WAS LEFT SCRATCHING MY HEAD. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL NOT WORKING THREE WEEKS LATER, AND I FINALLY KNOW WHY. VOLVO OWNERS EXCHANGE INFORMATION ON VARIOUS WEBSITES AND ON MORE THAN ONE I FOUND PEOPLE SUGGESTING THAT THE CEM (MAIN COMPUTER) USED "SHUNTS" FOR VARIOUS COMPONENTS ON THE VEHICLE AND THEY WERE PRONED TO SHORTING OUT DUE TO RANDOM OVERHEATING ISSUES. I CHECKED THE AREA UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE IS A SHUNT INSERTED INTO THE CEM WITH HEAVY CHARRING AROUND THE TERMINALS. THE 1999 VOLVO S80 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF MY PARTICULAR MODEL, AND THE FIRST YEAR THIS TYPE OF WIRING ARCHITECTURE WAS USED ON THEIR VEHICLES. THE SHORTING OF A CRUCIAL CIRCUIT SUCH AS HEADLAMPS NOT ONLY POSES A GRAVE DANGER WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT, BUT COULD ALSO CAUSE A FIRE. I FEEL THE FAILURE IN THE DESIGN OF THE CEM AND THE VEHICLES WIRING ARCHITECTURE COULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RANDOM ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS OCCURRING WITH THE S80 AS WELL. THERE ARE SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT MENTION THE CONSTANT "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT THAT COMES ON AND DEALERS ARE CLAIMING THEY REPAIR THE PROBLEM AFTER EACH VISIT, WHICH USUALLY END UP COSTING OVER $1,000.00. THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF CUSTOMERS , INCLUDING MYSELF, WHO LOSE THE A/C COMPRESSOR RANDOMLY, AND THE ALTERNATOR INDICATING THAT IT ISN'T CHARGING CORRECTLY. FINALLY, THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE S80. I'VE PAID FOR STRUTS AND BALL JOINT REPAIRS AND HAVE HAD THEM REPAIRED THROUGH A MANUFACTURER RECALL. AGAIN, THE DEALER CLAIMS TO HAVE REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AFTER EACH VISIT, YET THE PROBLEM HAS RECENTLY COME UP AGAIN IN MY VEHICLE. PLEASE CONTACT ME ANYTIME. *TR