NHTSA Complaint #10226065 — 2000 VOLVO S70

APPROXIMATELY 26 MONTHS AGO, I WAS EXPERIENCING CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY WITH THE STARTING OF MY PASSENGER VEHICLE WITH AN INCREASE FREQUENCY OF THE PROBLEM RE-OCCURRING. SPECIFICALLY, THE ENGINE WOULD TURN BUT WOULD NOT START. IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE, I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE KEY BACK AND FORTH SEVERAL TIMES (3 - 5) UNTIL THE COMPUTER CHIP IN THE KEY SIGNALED THE COMPUTER CHIP IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THE VEHICLE STARTED. UPON CONTACTING A NEARBY DEALERSHIP (DWYER & SONS, MICHIGAN) AND TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROBLEM, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ANTENNA RING WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN WAS BROKEN AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AS WELL AS THE IMMOBILIZER AND THE RE-ORDERING OF TWO IGNITION KEYS AND ONE TRUNK KEY. THESE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED MAY 2006 WITH ONLY A LIMITED PARTS WARRANTY AVAILABLE. APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS AGO, THE PROBLEM BEGAN OCCURRING AGAIN. UPON CONTACTING MICHAEL MULLETT WITH DWYER & SONS, I INFORMED HIM OF THE SAME PROBLEM AND HE RESPONDED THAT THE PARTS WARRANTY WAS ONLY VALID FOR TWELVE MONTHS. DURING A RETURN TRIP TO MICHIGAN, I FOLLOWED UP WITH MR. MULLETT AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. AGAIN, MR. MULLETT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS THE ANTENNA RING AND IMMOBLIZER AS WELL AS TWO IGNITION KEYS AND A TRUNK KEY WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $700.00 (PARTS & LABOR). MR. MULLETT INDICATED THAT THEY (AS A DEALERSHIP) HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE CUSTOMERS OVER THE YEARS, HOWEVER, VOLVO HAS FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS PROBLEM MAY BE MORE WIDESPREAD AMONG ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS. HELP !! TWO IDENTICAL REPAIRS WITHIN 23 MONTHS. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM IN HOPES OF HAVING IT PROPERLY ADDRESSED AT THE MANUFACTURERS EXPENSE AS WELL AS REIMBURSEMENT OF THE INITIAL REPAIR IN MAY 2006. THANK YOU. *TR