[noosachic]

Thanks y'all for your replies.

@robbijay1 - service intervals are 15,000km. The 5,000km one was a "run in" service that the dealer recommended I do. They just advised me I should have brought it in for 15,000km.

@clan - I was on a country road in the pitch dark, no street lights, no moon. Thankfully one thing they did get right was put headlights at the front of the car. But that means I can't see out the arse at the same time. No other cars on the road until 4wd pulled in behind me. THEN - ah ha - I saw in his headlights the smoke chugging out of my back end and pulled over immediately. Oil had been flowing out of the sump and when I stopped, it emptied. I was doing 100km at the time, so it actually came out slower than it would have at slower speed. Fire brigade said I had only 1-2 minutes more and it would have burst into flames. My saving grace was the 4WD behind me. (Now of course I wish the bastard lemon had blown up - after I bolted from it.)

Also, don't tend to use or need cruise control for town driving, but it holds speed on a flat no worries. The issue I am having is with holding speed on an extended incline or decline (regardless of degree) during highway driving at 100km/hr and above.

My experience of all other cars with cruise control on these very same stretches of the same road is that if the cruise is on, the speed is maintained within 2km per hour. The rental car I am driving now does just that, and the loaner cars from Volvo during previous repairs did.

The point about the warning indicator (service, oil etc) is that the onboard computer still isn't working. It has had two or three fixes now. I'm starting to lose count.

re the brakes - I reckon I've driven more demonstrator models from the dealership than anyone else. Think I'm up to five different cars over seven or nine repair visits (not including this one as 1. it is an insurance job for the sump and 2. they didn't give me a loaner). Had a nice XC90 the other day and it drove beautifully. The other C70s from the dealership did not have a brake problem, although the silver C70 did groan with low speed steering - but it didn't have the loose feeling mine does.

@blue8 - as it should be!

@ foggyjames - thanks and yes, as per bernard333 said yesterday. I have made it irrelevant in my conversations with Volvo - but it remains questionable in my mind.

@4wheeldriver - thanks. Interesting story of your own I see and sad ending. Why are car companies so stupid with their handling of these kinds of issues?

I have to say thanks to all for your time and expertise. You have helped to confirm that this is indeed a lemon. I will keep you posted.

Great forum by the way. Wish I'd read it before I bought.