NHTSA Complaint #10346048 — 1998 VOLVO V70XC

ON A LARGE NUMBER OF VOLVOS THE ABS COMPUTER FAILS RESULTING IN LOSS OF PROPER BRAKING. NORMAL USE CAUSES THIS, IN THIS ALL TO COMMON FAILURE, AND VOLVO IS AWARE OF THEIR SHORT COMINGS IN THIS PROBLEM, THUS FAR REFUSING TO CORRECT A HIGHLY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT MAY HAVE ALREADY RESULTED IN INJURY AND DEATH. THE REPLACEMENT COMPUTERS FROM VOLVO ARE OF THE SAME LACK OF RELIABILITY. THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND CERTAINLY REPRESENTS A SERIOUS FAILURE IN A CRITICAL SYSTEM TO THE AUTOMOBILE. IN ADDITION TO BEING A SERIOUS FAILURE, VOLVO HAS MADE IT A VERY EXPENSIVE (HENCE PROFITABLE) REPAIR. ESTIMATES RANGING FROM $500.00 TO $850.00 FOR THE REPAIR ARE THE NORM. THE PART ITSELF IS AROUND $500.00, SO VOLVO MAKES A NICE PROFIT FROM EACH ONE REPLACED AND IS GUARANTEED ANOTHER REPLACEMENT FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD SINCE THEY HAVE NOT EVEN ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR REPLACEMENT UNITS. TO DO SO WOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGING A PROBLEM THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF, SO THEY WONT. IF EVER A GOVERNMENT MANDATED RECALL WAS APPROPRIATE THIS IS IT. IT WOULD SEEM THAT A CAR COMPANY AS PROUD OF THEIR SAFETY RATINGS AS VOLVO IS WOULD BE WILLING TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL FLAW. AS THEY SEEM NOT TO BE IT SHOULD BE DEMANDED OF THEM. THEY SHOULD BE MANDATED TO RECALL ALL MODELS PRONE TO THIS FAILURE AND TO BE REQUIRED TO REIMBURSE CONSUMERS THAT CAN PRODUCE RECEIPTS PROVING THEY HAD TO HAVE THIS REPAIR DONE. THERE ARE REBUILDERS THAT CAN MAKE THE OLD UNIT STRONGER, MORE RELIABLE, IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, SO VOLVO COULD DO IT AS WELL. *TR