NHTSA Complaint #10763254 — 2008 VOLVO S60

THERE IS AN AREA ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDSHIELD ABOUT 5 INCHES TALL AND 14 INCHES LONG THAT DOES NOT HAVE CLEAR VISIBILITY WHEN IT GETS WET. THE MOISTURE DOES NOT WIPE AWAY WHEN THE WIPER BLADES WIPE THIS AREA. INSTEAD, THE MOISTURE REMAINS OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW UNTIL THE WIPER BLADE PASSES THE AREA AGAIN BLURRING THE AREA EVEN MORE. THIS VISUAL OBSTRUCTION IS POSITIONED DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S EYES AND THE VIEW OUTSIDE THE WINDSHIELD. THIS PROBLEM ONLY APPEARS ON THE DRIVER SIDE NOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER WAS SHOWN THE ISSUE AND AGREED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING ODD BUT SAID THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THIS IN THE OTHER VOLVO S60S ON THEIR LOT SO THEY ACCEPTED THIS AS NORMAL. HOWEVER, IN AN EARNEST ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE, THE DEALER HAS CHANGED THE WIPER BLADES MANY TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THE DEALER CLEANED THE WINDSHIELD WITH WATER AND FINE STEEL WOOL. THIS DID NOT HELP. THEY CONTACTED VOLVO CORPORATE AND WERE TOLD TO CHANGE THE WIPER ARM. THIS DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE EITHER. WHEN THIS ISSUE WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE VOLVO REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER, HIS POSITION WAS THAT THIS WAS NOT AN ISSUE BECAUSE OTHER VOLVO S60 VEHICLES HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MECHANICAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE WIPER SYSTEM. IT IS MY CONTENTION THAT THERE IS A SURFACE DEFECT WITH THIS WINDSHIELD WHICH IS CAUSING REDUCED VISIBILITY. AND I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION TO BEGIN IN AN EFFORT TO FIX A FLAW IN THESE ALREADY OTHERWISE VERY SAFE CARS.