NHTSA Complaint #10378346 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

I HAVE A 2004 VOLVO XC90. AT APPROXIMATELY 52K MILES, THE XC90 1ST GENERATION TRANSMISSION WENT BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. CARLSEN VOLVO (PALO ALTO, CA) AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE SERVICE AND WENT ON MY WAY. IN DECEMBER 2010 AT ~107,000K MILES, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO HESITATE & FUNCTION ERRATICALLY WHILE DRIVING. WITHIN AFEW DAYS, THE CAR WAS PARKED AT MY HOME, AND WAS UNABLE TO ENGAGE IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. I TOWED THE CAR IN; IT WAS DIAGNOSED W/ INTERNAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THE SERVICE REP SAID THAT SHE WOULD TALK TO THE FACTORY REP REGARDING COMPENSATION. THE DEALER REP CALLED VOLVO N.A. REP, WYATT, WHO OFFERED TO PAY FOR THE PARTS (~$3,500) BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR(~$1,500). MY HUSBAND COUNTERED THAT WE WOULD LIKE THE WHOLE THING PAID FOR SINCE IT WAS WELL KNOWN FACTORY DEFECT. WHEN WYATT HEARD OF OUR COUNTER OFFER, HE NOT ONLY DENIED THIS, BUT SIMPLY STATED THAT THE DEAL WAS OFF THE TABLE, PERIOD. THE NEXT DAY, I RECONSIDERED AND ASKED THE SERVICE REP TO CALL WYATT AGAIN WITH OUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE INITIAL DEAL. WYATT REFUSED TO PUT THE DEAL BACK ON THE TABLE AND SAID WE SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OURSELVES. THEN CALLED VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE WHO DOCUMENTED THE COMPLETE STORY,CONTACTED WYATT VIA EMAIL TO AGAIN. HOWEVER, WYATT REFUSED. APPARENTLY BECAUSE I HAVE CHOSEN IN THE PAST TO HAVE A PERSONAL MECHANIC SERVICE MY CAR, CHANGE THE OIL AND TIRES, ETC. I AM CONSIDERED TO BE A "DISLOYAL VOLVO CUSTOMER" AND THIS WAS A CONSIDERATION IN WYATT'S DECISION NOT TO PAY FOR MY TRANSMISSION, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A DEFECTIVE PART. AT THIS POINT, I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR BACK, AND TOLD CARLSEN TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. CARLSEN OFFERED A 10% DISCOUNT OFF THE TOTAL PRICE. A VERY KIND GESTURE, HOWEVER, I HAD TO PAY $4,600 OUT OF POCKET FOR ANOTHER NEW TRANSMISSION FOR THIS CAR. IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED THAT THE 1ST AND 2ND GENERATION TRANSMISSIONS FOR THIS MODEL HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. I AM DISGUSTED. *LN