NHTSA Complaint #10324165 — 2005 VOLVO XC90

COUNTER BALANCE BEARING FAILED AT 55,504 MILES. NON-GREASED BEARING FAILURE, CAUSED BY RUSTING, DUE TO MOISTURE BUILD UP INSIDE OF ENGINE CHAMBER. VEHICLE HAD ALL REQUIRED SERVICE DONE A VOLVO DEALERSHIPS. ENGINE WAS REPAIRED NOT REPLACED, FOR A COST OF $5000.00. REPAIR WORK WAS DONE AT VOLVO DEALERSHIP. VOLVO MECHANIC DRILLED WEEPING HOLE IN CHAMBER WHERE COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT SITS TO ALLOW WATER CAUSED BY MOISTURE BUILD UP TO ESCAPE. DRILLING WEEPING HOLE WAS PART OF A TECH BULLETIN ISSUED BY VOLVO. V8 ENGINES FOR THE XC90 PRODUCED IN 2005 DID NOT INITIALLY HAVE THIS WEEPING HOLE IN THEM. THIS DESIGN CHANGE WAS IMPLEMENTED PART WAY THROUGH THE PRODUCTION YEAR (I BELIEVE POST ENGINE #6833). LETTER WAS WRITTEN TO THE CEO OF VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC AND REPRESENTATIVE FROM HIS OFFICE REFUSED TO PROVIDE ANY SUPPORT, STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS WITH REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE. INFO PROVIDED TO VOLVO FROM SWEDESPEED.COM (SEE ODI ID #10313311), HOWEVER, THIS WAS REJECTED BY VOLVO AS A NON-VALID SOURCE OF INFORMATION (THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS!). THE REPAIR JOB TO REPLACE THE CB SHAFT AND BEARING WAS OVER 30 HOURS, NOT TO MENTION THE PARTS COST. WHAT WILL IT TAKE VOLVO TO ADMIT THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE AND ISSUE A RECALL TO REPLACE BEARINGS AND DRILL WEEPING HOLES IN THEIR 2005 XC90'S WITH V8 ENGINES? CONSIDERING THE COST THEY WILL INCUR, I'D SUGGEST THEY WILL NEED TO BE PUSHED. THE COST OF ENGINE REPAIR IS ($5,000) AND ENGINE REPLACEMENT ($15,000+). ALL BEARING FAILURES OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY ARE FALLING ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE CONSUMER. RECALLS ARE ABOUT SAFETY NOT COST TO THE MANUFACTURE. JUST BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM MAY ONLY BE LINKED TO THE 2005 V8 ENGINES DOESN'T MEAN IT IS NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO BE ADDRESSED FOR NOT ONLY CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUT ALSO FOR SAFETY REASONS. THANKFULLY MY ENGINE DIDN'T FAIL WHILE MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY INTERSTATE! *TR