NHTSA Complaint #10743723 — 2009 VOLVO S80

DURING THE SPRING OF 2013, MY 2009 CPO VOLVO S80 EXPERIENCED TWO FLAT TIRES WITHIN ONE WEEK DUE TO FAULTY HEX NUTS (I.E., HEX NUTS BROKE OFF CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR PRESSURE) THAT HOLD THE TIRE VALVE STEM TO THE WHEEL (VOLVO INCIDENT #130404-000103). VOLVO RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE TIRE AND ALL FOURS HEX NUTS AS A THIRD HEX NUT WAS VISIBLY CRACKED AND THE NEXT LIKELY CULPRIT OF A FUTURE FLAT TIRE. HOWEVER, ON JULY 25, 2015 ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER, I FOUND MYSELF ONCE AGAIN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, WHEN THE TPMS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN STATING, TIRE NEEDS AIR NOW. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR OVER ON THE SHOULDER AND INSPECTED THE TIRES WHEN I NOTICED THE LEFT REAR TIRE WAS FLAT DUE TO A BROKEN HEX NUT. WHILE I APPRECIATE THE OVERALL SAFETY FEATURES VOLVO CARS PROVIDE, THEY ARE FULLY NEGATED BY THE FAULTY HEX NUT. THERE IS NO GOOD IN HAVING ONE OF THE SAFEST AND RELIABLE CARS IF YOU CANT EVEN DRIVE IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO RISK BEING IN A CRASH. I THINK ITS SAFE TO ASSUME THAT MOST PEOPLE, WHO BUY A VOLVO, BUY IT FOR SAFETY AND NOT TO EXPERIENCE RECKLESS DRIVING AS A RESULT OF FAULTY PARTS. THIS PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED THE FIRST TIME AROUND. HOPEFULLY, APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TAKEN TO SUCCESSFULLY RECALL AND REMEDIATE THESE FAULTY HEX NUTS TO AVOID ANY UNNECESSARY CAR ACCIDENTS WITH OTHER VOLVO VEHICLES WITH THIS PART.