S40 (New) Engine 2.0D : S40 Problem

I purchased a S40 2.0d Sport in March 06 for the reliability and safety. Since I have a two year old daughter the safety aspect was my main reason for purchasing the car.

I have had problems with the car the first was I was on the motorway and all the power in the engine failed, I had no power and was in the fast lane.

I put the hazard warning lights on and pulled over 3 lanes which was a very scary experience. The car had not done 2000 miles. I called the dealership where I purchased the car and it was over a week before the car could be seen.

Prior to purchasing the car I was told if I had any problems I would be given a car to ensure I could get to my place of employment. This was not the case when I took the car to the dealer and I had to leave the car with the dealer and get the train.

The dealership told me it was a software problem and upgraded this, I also told them their was a lot of black smoke from the exhaust.

When I got the car back the problem still was not resolved and again the car had to go into the dealership another week later, during this time my young daughter was in the car and I felt unsafe with my experience prior. The fault was then diagnosed as I think the EGR valve.

This was complete but on picking up the car oily hand prints were on the front seat of the car, I found the saleman who sold me the car and showed him this. I was also given another owners manual telling me I have to put my foot on the footbrake prior to pulling on the handbrake to ensure the brake is applied.

I have also got another problem with the car this week when opened the car and I noticed a warning message stating steering system failure service required with the key not in the ignition, when I put the key in the ignition another message stated immobilier see user manual. The steering lock is still on.

I again contacted the dealer who have stated I have to call volvo assist. I done this and explained all the faults and was told that a recovery would be organised. 90 mins later the recovery agent came and due to where the car is parked in a multistory car park he could not get his vehicle into the car park.

He tried forcing the key into the ignition etc to try and get the steering lock undone without any success. He then stated I should contact the volvo assist again, which I did on numerious occassions and explained that their was a height restriction on the car park, the steering lock was on and the car park was very tight in space.

Another recovery vehicle arrived after 3 hours in total along with the first vehicle to assist again the vehicle was too large and the recovery company wanted to charge me an additional £150 since they did not have the correct equipment.

After numerious discussions with volvo assist it was decided to leave the car to the next morning and it would get resolved. The car has been parked in the car park now for over 55 hours and still has not been recovered.

I again contacted the dealers and explained I felt that I was not receiving the customer care I was expecting, they started to blame the recovery company and I explained I am the customer and I did not care about the polititics just to get the car repaired. The explained they has sent someone out to replace the steering lock so the vehicle could be moved, but this was after 48 hours of the vehicle sitting and it still has not moved.

I explained again about the previous problems I have had and he stated he is not going to discuss the previous matters and "he is the technical guy", I do have a great depth of electronics and technical knowledge, since spending years studing these subjects and also work in this industry.

I have now explained all the problems I have with the car and the dealership and I need advice on whether to keep the car, since now my confidence with the car is at an all time low.

Should I contact Volvo directly with my concerns due to the customer care and also the reliability with the car? I do like the car my main concern is something happening with my young daughter in the car.

[Multiplex]

So, as far as I can see you have two problems...

1 - Intermittent loss of power
2 - No start/warning messages on the dashboard.

Problem 1, The EGR valve has been an issue on the 2.0 diesel engine since the start however, a new more robust valve is now available and combined with a software update to the engine control module will rectify this problem.

Problem 2, With the messages you are getting on the dashboard I would suspect a problem with the electronic steering lock or possibly the ignition switch. Again as with problem 1, there are improved parts available to rectify this problem.

[Track_Rod]

I would without hesitation, contact Volvo UK Customer Services.

[Alec Dawe]

You should involve Volvo Uk Customer Services without delay. Jump up and down, threaten to write to What Car etc if you don't get satisfaction.


Many years ago I had terrible ongoing problems with a company car, Citroen C5, with an automatic gearbox that didn't change gear. Back and forth to Citroen, no joy. Called company fleet manager... he wrote to Citroen UK, car fixed in two days, very sorry, grovel, grovel.

You have to hit them from the top downwards, especially as its also a sefety issue.

I have an update with the car.

It had taken two days and three nights to have the car removed from the multistorey car park where the fault developed and I have received the car back and since the car park where the car had been is very tight I had concerns with anyone towing the car, and I repeated this to the Volvo Assist (RAC) and had shown this to them when they visited again to try and examine the car.

When I got home with the car and I took the car into my garage to examine the car as I expressed my concerns with the dealer if any damage had been done, I was told that they did not observe any. Since it was dark.

I examined all the wheels and two of them have been kerbed both rear wheels, I contacted the dealer and expressed my concerns with this damage since it is the full wheels.

I did express my concerns with regards to the removal of the car as it is difficult enough when you drive and it would be ten times worse towing the car.

I contacted the Volvo customer care today and they said they would contact the dealer and express my concerns with the car having been into the dealership a fair few times, but I had not informed them of the damage as I had not received the car at this point.

1. Engine power loss - Was told Software Upgrade would resolve problem.
2. Engine power loss - Was told EGR Valve faulty.
3. Black Smoke Exhaust - Was told EGR Valve was the Fault.
4. Steering lock Failure (without key in ignition) - told it was the ignition module.
5. Immobiliser - As above but with key in ignition.
6. 2nd gear sync - was told no problem was found.


I will again contact the volvo customer care as I contacted the service manager and he stated he could not see them kerbing two wheels, it has been made out that I am wrong, but I can have a bet on it that the car when it got recovered the front wheels were lifted from the ground and the back pulled.

I can see this happen as I know the layout of this carpark and its terrible and I knew this would happen and why I expressed such a concern over this.

Since contacted the dealer and also on the online part to the customer relations I have heard nothing with regards to the damage that was caused to my car.

Can anyone give me information of who to send a recorded delivery letter to at Volvo UK?

Thanks

Martin

Well Volvo UK are as much help and provide as much customer care as the dealers.

They have now stated that the car getting damaged is not their problem, but one of the RAC (VOLVO ASSIST).

After a week of no responses, they have claimed that I have to contact the RAC and take the matter up with them.

Since the car was in their posession and it was damaged in their posession then it is their problem. They have stated that the dealer never had ownership of the car so I have to contact the RAC.

Well thanks to Dan who was sipping his tea throughout the conversation, I would be pretty certain that this is against company policy. I have checked the Volvo Assist information and it does not state anything with regards to any damage caused.

I will be seeking legal advice in this matter and everyone who is having problems with their dealers or Volvo contact me as I will be setting up a domain and website over the next week.

See previous posts by ali.b regarding problems with s40. Was eventually told grating of gear when selecting reverse was carachteristic of 1.6 gearbox not having syncro on reverse. Complained directly to chief exec of Volvo Uk. Got no response so re wrote copying letter to Vice president of customer relations Volvo Sweden. Got response from Volvo uk offering £1500 off new car and dealer would also discount new car heavily. Eventually did a deal where i got new 1.8 S40 for £4000 chageover. My car may 2006 1.6 S40 s worth £9750 in glasses guide. Effectivly got £13,000 for it.
Moral is worth pestering Volvo uk and Sweden.

Ali,

I have sent a recorded delivery letter to the Managing Director Stuart Kerr with all the problems I have had with the car.

Can you please give me details of who you wrote too in Sweden?

Thanks

Apparently Stuart is unacailable at the moment so customer services are dealing with his complaints. Try reading the world volvo mission statements for quality and quote them some of their own statements. http://www.volvo.com/NR/rdonlyres/CE...ty_pol_eng.pdf.
I wrote to
Lena Olving, Senior Vice President, Quality & customer satisfaction. AB Volvo SE-405 08 Göteborg Sweden.
Worth a try see how you get on.