NHTSA Complaint #10745384 — 2004 VOLVO XC70

ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, I SUSPECTED FUEL LEAK IN MY CAR. IT IS GARAGED. I DID NOT TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AS IT WAS ON AND OFF - AT LEAST IN MY DETECTION. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC ANYWAY - AND HE PERFORMED INSPECTIONS AND "TIGHTENED RETAINING RING FOR LEFT SIDE SENDER" AND ASKED ME TO "WATCH" FOR ANY FURTHER INCIDENTS. ON TUESDAY THIS WEEK I FILLED GLASS TO THE BRIM IN HOPES OF KNOWING MORE ABOUT THIS LEAK ISSUE AND LEFT IN MY GARAGE OVERNIGHT. ON WEDNESDAY MORNING WHEN I OPENED MY GARAGE DOOR TO LEAVE TO WORK, THE FUEL STENCH WAS INTENSE. I MOVED MY CAR OUT FROM MY GARAGE AND NOTICED A SMALL PUDDLE OF FUEL ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR. WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE RISK I WAS GETTING INTO, I DROVE THE CAR TO WORK - LUCKILY WITH NO INCIDENTS. CALLED MY MECHANIC AND HE RIGHTFULLY SUGGESTED ME TO TOW IT TO HIS SHOP - WHICH I DID. HE CALLED LATER AND SAID THAT I HAVE A HAIRLINE LEAK ON THE "SENDER LINE" AND I NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE FUEL PUMP UNIT - AND SAID IT WOULD COST ME $880 [L&P] - OF COURSE, WITH VOLVO PARTS. I JUST COMPLETED IT THIS MORNING - AND JUST HAVE DRIVEN MY CAR OUT FROM THE SHOP [HE REPLACED JUST THE DRIVER SIDE FUEL SENDER UNIT - AT A COST ~$575]. BACK HOME, I WAS RESEARCHING AND CAME ACROSS A RECALL NOTICE FROM VOLVO FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT GET ANY NOTICE OF THIS RECALL - BUT WAS TOLD BY THE VOLVO REP [WHEN I CALLED THEM] THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED ON MY CAR EARLIER DURING A REGULAR DEALER INSPECTION. SHE ASKED ME TO FILE MY CASE AGAIN - AND CURRENTLY AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM VOLVO. I AM DISAPPOINTED - NOT MUCH ABOUT THE COST BUT THE RISK THAT I PUT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY INTO - WITHOUT KNOWING OR BEING AWARE OF THIS RECALL NOTICE. OF ALL THE CAR MANUFACTURERS, I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED VOLVO TO LET US KNOW ABOUT THIS - AS SAFETY IS [APPARENTLY] SYNONYMOUS WITH THEIR BRAND NAME.