NHTSA Complaint #10313311 — 2005 VOLVO XC90

UNGREASED BEARING FAILING ON 2005 V8 VOLVO XC90 A BALANCE SHAFT BEARING IS FAILING DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE BEARING IS NOT GREASED AND WATER CAN ENTER INTO THE BEARING CAVITY AND MAKE IT RUST. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, IT CAN PRODUCE A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE, AND BESIDES THE FACT THE ENGINE IS TOTALLY COMPROMISED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT, IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY IMPAIR THE ABILITY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS PARTICULAR CAR HAS AN ENGINE WITH ONLY 60K MILES, SERVICED REGULARLY AND WITH THE LAST MAJOR SERVICE PERFORMED AT A VOLVO DEALER AT ABOUT 50K MILES. THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN VERY LIGHTLY AND IT ONLY HAS MADE ABOUT 10K MILES IN ABOUT TWO YEARS. HERE IS IN SUMMARY WHAT I FOUND ABOUT THIS: -THE BEARING THAT IS FAILING IS NOT LUBRICATED (SO NOTHING TO DO WITH OIL IN THIS CASE), AND IT FAILS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WATER AND/OR HUMIDITY GETS TO IT, BY WASHING THE ENGINE(?) ' NEVER DID THAT ANYWAY - OR BY THE CAR JUST SITTING IN A LOT.. -THERE IS A VOLVO BULLETIN THAT DETAILS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, INCLUDING DRILLING A WEEPING HOLE INTO THE ENGINE BLOCK TO DRAIN WATER; THIS SHOWS THAT THE PROBLEM IS ACKNOWLEDGED AND A FIX HAS BEEN PUT INTO PLACE; IT ALSO SHOWS THAT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VEHICLES OUT THERE THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. -THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGINE AND YEAR (2005 XC90, V8 ENGINE, ENGINE SERIES LESS THAN #6800) ' I HAVE POINTED OUT A FEW THREADS BELOW THAT MENTION THE SAME ISSUE. GIVEN ALL THE REASONS ENUMERATED ABOVE, I AM ASKING FOR AN EVALUATION OF THIS ISSUE AND I REALLY FEEL VOLVO SHOULD RECOGNIZE THIS AS A DESIGN PROBLEM, ISSUE A RECALL AND STEP UP TO FIX THIS ISSUE. HERE ARE SOME POINTERS TO DIFFERENT ARTICLES DISCUSSING THIS: HTTP://FORUMS.SWEDESPEED.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=132172 HTTP://FORUMS.SWEDESPEED.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=123707 HTTP://FORUMS.SWEDESPEED.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=126698 HTTP://FORUMS.SWEDESPEED.COM/ZEROTHREAD?ID=123707 HTTP://WWW.V70XC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?P=104935. *TR