NHTSA Complaint #705780 — 1993 VOLVO 940

I PURCHASED MY CAR ON APRIL 20, 1993 AT SNELL VOLVO NOW VOLVO OF RICHARDSON. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TRAVELING OUT OF STATE AND NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS PULLING TO THE SIDE SO I TOOK IT TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN MONROE, LA. AFTER THAT TIME I TOOK THE CAR BACK SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES DUE TO THE SAME PROPLEM. THE DEALER COULD NEVER GET IT TO REPEAT THE ACTION. I HAD TO HAVE MY TIRES REPLACED NEARLY AT EVERY 20K MILES. THEY WOULD SIMPLY BLOW OUT. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE CAR WOULD NEVER ALIGN PROPERLY. I MADE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THEN ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1999 I TOOK THE CAR TO A NON VOLVO DEALER TO HAVE IT ALIGNED. IT HAD JUST BEEN TO THE VOLVO SHOP A COUPLE OF WEEK PRIOR FOR A 5K SERVICE CHECK. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR COULD NOT BE ALIGNED AND THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE STRUT ROD WAS BENT. I PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP , BUT I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR. THE TAIL RIGOROUSLY MOVED FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CALL A TOW TRUCK. AFTER THE TRUCK ARRIVED WE COULD CLEARLY SEE THAT A LONG METAL PART WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS THE FRAME WAS CLEANLY BROKEN. I WAS TOLD THAT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE THAT CAR. I REPORTED THIS TO THE VOLVO HEADQUARTERS AND STATED THAT I HAD ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR NOT BEING ALIGNED AND THAT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED DURING MAINTENANCE CHECKS AND I WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO TAKE RECORDS FROM THE PAST 6 YEARS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND I WOULD LIKE YOUR OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE.*AK