NHTSA Complaint #10478235 — 2008 VOLVO XC70

MY 2008 VOLVO XC70 SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED AS I PREPARED TO PARK. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS SO FAR, AND I AM FRIGHTENED TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL AGAIN. THE EXPERIENCE IN BOTH CASES WAS ALMOST IDENTICAL. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD SUDDENLY AS I SLOWED THE CAR TO PARK IT. IN BOTH CASES, MY FOOT WAS DEPRESSED FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR ONLY ACCELERATED TO A FEW MILES PER HOUR, BUT BOTH TIMES THE CAR STOPPED ONLY ONCE IT COLLIDED: THE FIRST TIME WITH A FENCE, AND THE SECOND TIME WITH A PORCH. THE BRAKE WAS SEEMINGLY USELESS. A FIELD ENGINEER INSPECTED OUR CAR AFTER THE SECOND CRASH BUT CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. MY RESEARCH ONLINE HAS REVEALED THAT SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS AN ISSUE THAT VOLVO DID STRUGGLE WITH IN MANY OF THEIR EUROPEAN MODELS; HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO VOLVO, IT WAS LIKELY RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THEY RAN ON DIESEL FUEL. I HAVE FOUND ACCELERATION ISSUES LIKE MINE REPORTED WITH UNLEADED FUEL ENGINES IN THE US, BUT NEVER WITH A 2008 XC70. VOLVO HAS YET TO MAKE REPARATIONS AND WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR A MONTH. *TR