C70: 2008 lemon

[noosachic]

I should be celebrating the 12-month anniversary of owning a gorgeous C70. Instead, I am wishing I had never bought it. Problems from day one include:

1. sponge poking up between body panels (now fixed)
2. aircon didn't work - 5 attempts and finally fixed
3. computer imobilzed car while I was in it (now fixed)
4. rear sway bars had to be replaced, left one twice (heavy clunk in boot area on turning into driveway)
5. turning circle huge (bad) and really straining at the extreme - had to have stops replaced
6. computer had to be upgraded twice - first time didn't fix all the electronic faults they found. Not sure if fixed or not as didn't get oil warning (see below)
6. cruise control doesn't hold speed on downhill - duh! I have received a speeding ticket for doing 110km while driving on cruise, with cruise set at 100km. Driving a rental Ford XRS at present and it doesn't go more than 1 km over set speed and you can feel the car applying brake. Volvo C70 holds speed only on flat. Pathetic. I am told this is "normal".
7. very noticeable problem with steering - especially low speed turning right around a circle/roundabout. It feels really lose - like I am going to lose steering control. Worse if the car has been driven over a period of time, worse if aircon is on. Not fixed. Dealer says nothing wrong.
8. massive concern with brakes. Have to depress half-way or more and when going around a roundabout there is a sound/vibration/feeling through the brake pedal that gives the impression of straining or some other problem. Not fixed. Dealer says nothing wrong.
9. driving in the country Saturday night two weeks ago, alone. Car pulled in behind me and in its headlights I saw blue smoke pouring out the back of mine. I had recently come out of roadworks, and heard a dull bang - it didn't sound like a rock so much as metal stress. I assumed rock, or something else clipped underside of car as I ascended the lip of bitumen from dirt at the end of the roadworks. Not so loud or terrifying as to suggest I should pull over immediately (and why would I in the middle of nowhere, with no light?). Kept driving until I saw the smoke. Pulled over and the car looked like it would blow up. Firebrigade called, along with RACQ and tow truck. Car was undrivable with all oil gone from sump, with body surface and under car soaked in oil. Oil was clean, good condition. At no time was there any light on dash or message to warn that the car was losing oil pressure. I would think this mandatory but Volvo insists there is no such warning - that I would only get a warning when the sump was emptied to tell me car out of oil. Surely, that would be too late??! Volvo insist it is my problem - that I hit a rock - and this is an insurance issue, not a car quality issue.

With all the other things that were wrong with my car, together with my ongoing concerns about the safety of my car (steering/brakes), I no longer trust my life with this car. In fact, I don't want it back from the reparier.

I have repeatedly brought the brake and steering issues up with the dealership to be told there is nothing wrong with either. My car has never been recalled for any problems, but I keep reading that there are known issues with steering and brakes and cars have been recalled in the US. Dealer says not relevant to my car.

So, with all of the above, I need some advice.
1. has anyone else had a problem with the sump cracking, or punching a hole etc on a relatively new volvo (any model)
2. or any ideas what the problem would be, whether or not a rock was involved? I have driven through lots of roadworks and over rocks in the many years of driving with dozens of different cars and never, ever had a rock punch a hole through the sump. This just screams bad build to me, but maybe this is a common experience for others?
3. Re the cruise control not holding speed on down (or up) hill, is this your experience of volvo cruise contro too?
4. is this all normal for new volvos? If not - at what point, and what can I do to get volvo to accept this car is an absolute lemon and replace it?

I would upload photos but don't know how.