NHTSA Complaint #10958736 — 2011 VOLVO XC90

RECENTLY WE LOST THE SERPENTINE BELT WITHOUT KNOWING IT. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR COMPUTER MESSAGE CALLED OUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE RUNNING ON BATTERY. THE ONLY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WE DROVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO A VOLVO REPAIR FACILITY AND LEARNED WE LOST THE SERPENTINE BELT, THUS THE ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP,POWER STEERING AND AIR CONDITIONER WERE INOPERATIVE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER CONTROLS EVERYTHING AND WOULD NOT ISSUE A WARNING UNTIL THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND/OR THE BATTERY WAS CLOSE TO FAILING. THIS IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER FOR A DRIVER OR FAMILY WHO MIGHT DRIVE INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION OR AT THE VERY LEAST HARM THE ENGINE THROUGH OVERHEATING. THE LOSS OF THE ALTERNATOR SHOULD SEND A WARNING TO THE DRIVER THAT THERE IS A SERIOUS ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND TO STOP AT THE EARLIEST SAFE PLACE AND SEEK ASSISTANCE.