NHTSA Complaint #10254138 — 2000 VOLVO S40

1. EVENTS = REGULAR TIRE ROTATION IN SEPTEMBER 2008. TECHNICIAN POINTED OUT TO ME THE CORROSION AND CRACK/FAILURE IN BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS. MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE ABOUT 68,000 AT TIME OF DISCOVERY ON MY 2000 VOLVO S40. 2. CORRODED AND CRACKED REAR COIL SPRINGS (BOTH). THE CORROSION AND CRACK WERE ALMOST IN THE SAME LOCATION WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF CORROSION NEAR THE BOTTOM (THE FIRST HALF-MOON CURVE) OF BOTH SPRINGS WHERE THEY ARE SEATED/BRACED. 3. OCTOBER 2008 - TOOK VEHICLE TO LOCAL VOLVO DEALER FOR EVALUATION. THEY ORDERED NEW REAR COIL SPRINGS. I RETURNED A WEEK LATER TO HAVE THE NEW COIL SPRINGS INSTALLED AT THE COST OF APPROXIMATELY $550, PLUS ALIGNMENT. THE COST OF THE COIL SPRINGS WAS APPROXIMATELY $220 FOR BOTH. THE REMAINDER WAS LABOR. I WROTE A LETTER TO VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA ABOUT THIS CONDITION. I INCLUDED PHOTOS, AND I REQUESTED A REFUND. VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE OF NORTH AMERICA CALLED ME ON NOVEMBER 6, 2008, AND DENIED MY REQUEST. I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND THE ENGINEERS DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AS AN "ANOMALY," NOT A DEFECT. SINCE I HAVE A LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE, I LIVE IN A "SALT STATE," AND CERTAIN SAABS IN SALT STATES ARE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR FRONT COIL SPRING FAILURE, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHETHER THERE IS A CONNECTION WITH THESE VEHICLES AND THE REAR COIL SPRINGS. I HAVE LOANED THE FAILED REAR COIL SPRINGS TO A PROFESSOR OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING TO USE IN HIS UPPER LEVEL DESIGN CLASS TO USE AS AN EXAMPLE OF A FAILURE. I COULD LIKELY GET THE PARTS BACK, IF NEEDED. *TR