NHTSA Complaint #11190590 — 2013 VOLVO XC90

MY VEHICLE'S AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. MY DASH MESSAGE IS: PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF SERVICE URGENT. I TOOK IT TO KOONS VOLVO OF OWINGS MILLS, INC TO BE SERVICED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PASSENGER OCCUPANCY WEIGHT SENSOR HAS STOPPED WORKING AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT TELL ME WHY IT WOULD HAVE STOPPED WORKING. HE JUST SAID IT COULD JUST HAPPEN. I ASKED THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHAT DOES IT DO AND HE SAID THAT IT WEIGHS PASSENGERS FOR THE CORRECT PRESSURE OF THE AIRBAG IN CASE IT IS DEPLOYED. HE ALSO SAID THAT MY COMPLETE AIRBAG SYSTEM WILL NOT WORK WITHOUT IT WHICH MEANS THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE AS WELL AS THE SIDE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR IS $2,249 WHICH IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. THIS APPEARS TO BE MORE OF A DEFECT AND NOT WEAR AND TEAR. VOLVO ADVERTISES IT'S SAFETY FEATURES WHICH ATTRACTED ME TO PURCHASE ONE. THEY DON'T TELL YOU THAT THE SAFETY FEATURES MAY NOT WORK WHEN YOU NEED THEM. I WAS TOLD BY ANOTHER SERVICE STATION IN ALEXANDRIA, VA THAT THIS IS A COMMON REPAIR THAT HE PERFORMS ON VOLVOS. I SAW THE AIRBAG LIGHT ONE MORNING WHEN I TURNED ON THE CAR AFTER IT HAD BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT. NO ONE WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. IT WAS NOT THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE.