NHTSA Complaint #10355043 — 2005 VOLVO XC90

I OWN A 2005 VOLVO XC 90 MODEL T6 WITH ABOUT 60,000 MILES ON IT. RECENTLY, THE CAR FAILED AND I GOT THE "URGENT TRANSMISSION SERVICE" WARNING. VOLVO INITIALLY WANTED TO CHARGE ME NEARLY $7000 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION BUT FINALLY AGREED TO COVER THE COST (MINUS A $160 "DIAGNOSIS PLUS MY TOWING COSTS). AFTER SOME INTERNET RESEARCH I SAW THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM IN MODEL YEAR 2003-2005 T6 MODELS; ALL CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION FAILURES WITH LOW MILEAGE, IN SOME CASES MULTIPLE TRANSMISSIONS INVOLVED. SEE ATTACHED LINK: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F18A651 TALKING TO THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, THEY CLAIMED IT WAS BECAUSE THEY USED A GM TRANSMISSION THAT WAS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE POWER OF THE ENGINE (OR PERHAPS THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR). THEY INSTALLED A "REMANUFACTURED" TRANSMISSION, THEY CLAIM WITH "BEEFED UP" CLUTCH PARTS. THERE HAVE BEEN SERVICE BULLETINS SINCE 2008 ABOUT LEAKS FROM THE RADIATOR CONTAMINATING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID (LEADING TO FAILURES AS WELL). IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF THESE FAILURES. THERE IS ALSO A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT UNDERWAY AS WELL. IN MY CASE, I WAS ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, AND IT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, AS I WAS ABLE TO FIND A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION AFTER JUST A FEW SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCHES. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION, AND IF WARRANTED, A RECALL AND COMPENSATION (THE USED CAR VALUE FOR THIS CAR HAVE DROPPED BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF RELIABILITY OF THE TRANSMISSIONS). I BELIEVE VOLVO IS TRYING TO DEAL WITH THIS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS TO COVER IT UP AND MINIMIZE THEIR COSTS. *TR