NHTSA Complaint #10462673 — 2012 VOLVO S60

THIS IS THE SECOND OCCASION ON WHICH THIS DEFECT HAS APPEARED, THE PRIOR INCIDENT HAPPENING IN APPROXIMATELY MARCH 2012, AT A MILEAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES. I HAVE OWNED THE CAR FOR JUST UNDER SIX MONTHS. I LIVE IN A SOUTHEASTERN US STATE AND TRAVELLED TO MY SECOND HOME IN FLORIDA. THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED IN FLORIDA FEWER THAN 20 TOTAL DAYS. ON BOTH OF THE LAST TWO OCCASIONS DURING WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN FLORIDA, AN ANIMAL WAS APPARENTLY ABLE TO CLIMB DEEP INTO THE UNDERBODY OF THE CAR AND CHEW ON WIRES CONTROLLING THE DYNAMIC TRACTION STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, THE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM, THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM, AND THE VOLVO CITY SAFETY CRASH AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. ON BOTH OCCASIONS, THE INTERNAL CAR ALERT SYSTEM DETECTED THE PROBLEM, ALERTED ME, AND VOLVO AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIRS, THOUGH TODAY, ON THE SECOND OCCASION, VOLVO INDICATED THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS FORM OF DAMAGE IN THE FUTURE. I PROPOSED TO BOTH MY VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND TO THE NATIONAL VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE CENTER THAT AN APPROPRIATE FORM OF SHIELDING SHOULD BE ADDED TO COVER THE WIRES CONTROLLING THESE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT AN ANIMAL'S ACCESS TO THEM. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS SUGGESTION WAS IGNORED, AS NO SPECIAL SHIELDING WAS DESCRIBED/OFFERED, DESPITE THE CRITICAL NATURE OF THESE SYSTEMS. THIS PROBLEM HAS NEVER OCCURRED WITH EITHER OF THE OTHER TWO VEHICLES WHICH I REGULARLY TAKE TO THE SAME LOCATION, THUS, I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW IN WHICH EITHER THE MATERIALS USED IN THESE WIRING SYSTEMS ARE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE TO WHATEVER ANIMAL CHEWED THE WIRES (E.G. SOY-BASED WIRE COATING POLYMERS PERHAPS), OR MORE LIKELY, THE WIRES ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY SHIELDED/JACKETED TO PREVENT SUCH DAMAGE. IN EACH CASE, SINCE THERE WAS NOT A NEARBY VOLVO DEALERSHIP, I DROVE MY VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FROM WHICH I PURCHASED IT WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL SAFETY SYSTEMS.