NHTSA Complaint #10885322 — 2016 VOLVO XC90

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN CINCINNATI, OH AND NASHVILLE, TN, WE STOPPED IN CAROLLTON, KY TO REFUEL AT A LOCAL GAS STATION. UPON ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE FUEL DOOR, THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THERE IS NO BUTTON OR SWITCH TO USE TO OPEN THE FUEL DOOR ON THIS VEHICLE. DESPITE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TURN THE LOCK AND UNLOCK THE CAR, THE FUEL DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. WE CONTACTED VOLVO ONCALL, WHO ADMITTED THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE SOLUTION. THE ONLY OFFER FOR ASSISTANCE WAS TO USE THE KEY REMOTE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE CAR 3 TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESET THE ELECTRONICS. THIS CAR ALSO COMES WITH A BUTTONLESS "KEY TAG," WHICH IS WHAT WE WERE USING AT THE TIME. VOLVO HAD NO AWARENESS OF THIS KEY TAG AND HAD NO OTHER SOLUTION TO OFFER. GIVEN OUR PROXIMITY TO LOUISVILLE, WE AGREED TO ATTEMPT THE DRIVE TO LOUISVILLE AND LEFT THE CAR WITH FRIENDS WHILE WE RENTED A CAR AND DROVE TO NASHVILLE TO GET THE KEY FOB WITH BUTTONS. THEN DROVE BACK TO LOUISVILLE TO TRY THE LOCK-UNLOCK OPTION TO NO AVAIL. WE THEN TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER WHERE THE DOOR WAS MECHANICALLY OPENED AND THE LOCK MECHANISM WAS DISASSEMBLED SO THAT THE CAR COULD BE REFUELED. THOUGH A KNOWN ISSUE BY VOLVO, THEY HAVE NOT COMMUNICATED WITH THE DEALERS AS THIS CAR HAD A 10,000 MILE SERVICE 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. THE INABILITY TO FUEL THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE PEOPLE TO BE STRANDED SHOULD PROMPT A RECALL.