NHTSA Complaint #10343494 — 2007 VOLVO V70

I OWN A 2007 VOLVO V70 WITH LOW MILEAGE -- 19,000 MILES, VIN # [XXX]. NORMALLY MY WIFE DRIVES THE CAR JUST AROUND WHERE WE LIVE SINCE SHE DOES NOT WORK - JUST A FEW MILES A DAY. LAST WEEK, WHILE GOING TO THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE WITH MY 20 MONTH OLD GRANDSON IN THE CAR, SHE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT WHEN BRAKING THE CAR FROM ABOUT 50 MPH. SO I BEGAN DRIVING THE CAR TO WORK WHICH IS ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY. WHEN BRAKING FROM HIGH MEDIUM TO HIGH SPEEDS 45-70 MPH, FRONT WHEEL SHIMMY SHAKE IS ENOUGH TO CAUSE CAR TO BRAKE IMPROPERLY AND CAUSE CAR TO SEVERELY PULL TO ONE SIDE. THIS ALSO ALMOST CAUSED ME TO WRECK TWICE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEMONTROND VOLVO, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THEIR SHOP FOREMAN SAID THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO RUST BUILDUP ON THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. I SAID WHAT? YOU MUST BE KIDDING. VOLVO REFUSES TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY CITING NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I CONTEND THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR HAVING OWNED CARS SINCE 1965 WITH NO PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES DUE TO RUST BUILDUP, WITH ALL OF THOSE BEING VOLVOS SINCE 1985. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS IN MY LIFE -- RUST BUILDUP ON ROTORS AND PADS CAUSING A BRAKING PROBLEM. VOLVO ALSO STATES THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE DRIVEN MORE FREQUENTLY TO PREVENT THE RUST BUILDUP. THIS IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I TOLD THE SALES MANAGER AT DEMONTROND VOLVO THAT MY WIFE ONLY DRIVES A CAR ABOUT 6,000 MILES PER YEAR. I HAD NOTICED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WOULD START TO RUST BEFORE I COULD FINISH WASHING THE CAR WHEN I WASHED THE CAR MYSELF. BEING A SAFETY ENGINEER, MY CONTENTION IS THIS RUST BUILDUP ON 2007 VOLVO V70 BRAKE ROTORS AND PAD IS A SAFETY DEFECT. LIKEWISE, FROM SEARCHING THE INTERNET, OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH VOLVOS. *TR