NHTSA Complaint #740277 — 2001 VOLVO V70

2 DAYS AFTER I PICKED UP MY US SPEC VOLVO; THE ENGINE STOPPED DEAD WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPG ON A MAJOR EUROPEAN HIGHWAY. VOLVO COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM AND SENT ME A LETTER INDICATING THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. 2 DAYS AGO THE ENGINE STOPPED DEAD AGAIN WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A BUSY CITY INTERSECTION. EITHER OF THESE ACCIDENTS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN FATAL AS THE CAR GAVE NO WARNING BEFORE THE ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY LEAVING ME WITHOUT POWER BRAKES OR STEERING AND STRANDED IN TRAFFIC. THE DEALER NOW TELLS ME THAT VOLVO HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN STATING THAT SEVERAL NEW S80 AND V70 MODELS HAVE A "WEAK" FUEL PUMP WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STOP DUE TO LACK OF GAS ALTHOUGH THERE IS PLENTY OF GAS IN THE TANK. DESPITE THE PUBLICATION OF THIS BULLETIN SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, NEITHER VOLVO NOR MY DEALER NOTIFIED ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW PUMP (DESPITE THE PREVIOUS BREAKDOWN), SO I AND MY FAMILY WERE NEEDLESSLY SUBJECTED TO ANOTHER HARROWING VEHICLE FAILURE. THIS DEFECT IS DANGEROUS AND VOLVO SHOULD BE FORCED TO CORRECT IT ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES WITHOUT WAITING FOR THEM TO HAVE A SECOND UNEXPLAINED ENGINE STOPPAGE, AS THE BULLETIN APPARENTLY INDICATES, BEFORE REPLACING THE PUMP. THE DEALER THAT SERVICES MY CAR SAID THAT THEY HAVE SEEN 4 NEW CARS INCLUDING MINE WITH THIS PROBLEM IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO MY NEW US SPEC VOLVO XC, IT MUST BE HAPPENING TO OTHERS AS THEY ARE ALL PRODUCED IN THE SAME FACTORY IN SWEDEN. PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE ONE OF THESE CARS IS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT COULD HAVE AVOIDED HAD VOLVO BEEN RESPONSIBLE IN NOTIFYING CUSTOMERS OF THIS POTENTIALLY FATAL DEFECT. I AM CURRENTLY STATIONED WITH THE US ARMY IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY, AND MY PHONE NUMBER IS +[XXX] IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION OR MY E-MAIL IS [XXX]. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR