NHTSA Complaint #10614705 — 2002 VOLVO S80

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED TACHOMETER DROPPED TO 900 RPM FROM ABOUT 3500 WITH AN 18 WHEELER NOT MORE THAN 6 CAR LENGTHS BEHIND ME, NEEDLESS TO SAY IF IT WEREN'T FOR DIVING ONTO THE SHOULDER AS IS DECELERATED RAPIDLY TO 20 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. VOLVO HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON SOME OF THE ETMS TO 10 YEARS/200,000 MILES. WHEN I CALLED VOLVO TO ASK IF THIS MODEL WAS PART OF THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY TOLD ME THAT IT ONLY COVERED '99-01' AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AS " THINGS BREAK WHEN THEY GET OLD", AND THAT I SHOULD DRIVE IT TO THE SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS, AT MY OWN PERIL. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME IT WOULD TAKE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TO CHANGE THIS. WHY SHOULD IT TAKE A LAWSUIT OR DEATH OF A WHOLE CAR FULL OF PEOPLE TO GET SOMEONE TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR USE OF SUBSTANDARD PARTS? I DROVE THE CAR HOME IN "LIMP MODE " AND PARKED IT. TODAY I WENT OUT TO SEE IF IT WOULD RUN AND DRIVE, TO MY AMAZEMENT IT DID, SO I TOOK IT FOR A LITTLE TEST <5 MILES, AND IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN, THIS TIME I WAS PREPARED. I CHECKED THE CODES AND IT HAD NONE IN THE SYSTEM. CALL ME FOR A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT. [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR