NHTSA Complaint #10238098 — 1999 VOLVO V70

ABOUT A 1999 V70 GLT VOLVO: THE SUN VISOR IS SAGGING DOWN AND IT UNEXPECTEDLY COMES INTO MY LINE OF SIGHT WHILE DRIVING. TO BE CLEAR, IT'S STRAIGHT AND IN OTHERWISE GOOD CONDITION, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T LOCK UP FLAT TO THE CEILING THE WAY IT SHOULD. CURRENTLY WHILE DEBATING THE RELATIVELY HIGH REPLACEMENT COST - $200 JUST FOR THE PART BECAUSE IT HAS A MIRROR AND LIGHT, I'VE GOT IT STRAPPED UP WITH A NYLON BELT, KEEPING IT OUT OF MY VIEW, BUT THEN I NOW HAVE NOTHING FOR LOW SUN DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT MAY SEEM PETTY TO MENTION THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT DID COME DOWN AND PRESENT A VISUAL OBSTRUCTION TO ME WHILE DRIVING. ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED IN MY NOW ALMOST 24 YEAR OLD SAAB, NOT EVEN WITH 240,000 MILES ON IT. NOR DO WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM ON MY WIFE'S '94 ACURA LEGEND, WHERE THERE ARE OVER 140,000 MILES OF USE AND AGE. NOR HAVE I HAD THIS PROBLEM IN OTHER CARS I'VE OWNED, BACK TO AND INCLUDING MY FIRST: THE '73 PINTO I HAD IN COLLEGE, I SOLD IT W/ 105,000 MI. AND DON?T RECALL THIS TYPE OF CONCERN! I JUST THINK ON A NEWER CAR, (THIS OCCURRED ON OUR NEWEST CAR EVER, AND BEFORE 80,000 MILES, I THINK I?VE BEEN FIGHTING TO KEEP THE VISOR UP SINCE 60,000 MI. AND NOW IT?S FINALLY FLOPPED DOWN) ONE SHOULDN'T SUDDENLY HAVE TO BE DODGING THEIR HEAD AROUND THE CAB TO SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDOW, WHILE FIDDLING WITH THE VISOR COMING DOWN, FINALLY PLACING IT TO THE SIDE, WHERE IT STILL SAGS BUT ONLY PROVIDING A MINOR OBSTRUCTION - OBVIOUSLY NOT NEAR AS CRITICAL AS BLOCKING ONE'S FRONT VIEW. SO WHAT AM I TO CONCLUDE: DO I REPLACE IT FOR $200 - PLUS LABOR - (TWO ACTUALLY, THE PASSENGER SIDE ONE IS GETTING READY TO DO THE SAME THING), AND THEN BE SUBJECT TO IT RECURRING? ALSO IT OCCURRED THE NIGHT BEFORE LEAVING ON A ROAD TRIP CT TO ROCHESTER, NY: I.E.: WESTERLY DRIVING INTO THE SUNSET AND THERE WAS NO TIME IN THE TRAVEL SCHEDULE TO DELAY FOR SUCH AN UNEXPECTED REPAIR. I HAD TO MAKE THE DRIVE WITH THE SUN VISOR OUT OF COMMISSION. *TR