Warning to all hybrid and mild-hybrid owners

[jonnyu]

To all Volvo owners with hybrid or mild-hybrid engines please note that Volvo does not take any responsibility involving fire incidents.
The Oncall service will also not help you if your car catches fire due to the battery of the car (and these freak accidents can always occur, check what happened with some Tesla models last year) or due to any other incident where fire was the cause of the damage. They wont tow your car neither give you a replacement vehicle.

Just a friendly reminder to include all the necessary insurance options against fire with your insurance company and take special note when checking the clauses so that the insurance does not exclude any responsibility due to a car failure causing the fire.

[Philip Fisher]

Cars have been catching fire for as long as they have been in existence - let us not forget that petrol is flammable...... I have no doubt manufacturers have been denying any liability for these fires for just about as long.

I would be very interested to see any figures which show the relative number of car fires by propulsion type adjusted for number of vehicles sold.

[Duri13]

Originally Posted by jonnyu

To all Volvo owners with hybrid or mild-hybrid engines please note that Volvo does not take any responsibility involving fire incidents.
The Oncall service will also not help you if your car catches fire due to the battery of the car (and these freak accidents can always occur, check what happened with some Tesla models last year) or due to any other incident where fire was the cause of the damage. They wont tow your car neither give you a replacement vehicle.

Just a friendly reminder to include all the necessary insurance options against fire with your insurance company and take special note when checking the clauses so that the insurance does not exclude any responsibility due to a car failure causing the fire.

Not that I am concerned about this (since I do not have a hybrid car) but my Volvo Assistance+ covers all above mentioned incidents and your car will of course be towed as during any other incident. All subsequent assistance items apply too (replacement car, hotels, ....). There is no exclusion for hybrids or fire from batteries or any other similar cause.

So where did you get that info?

[Dulcise]

Originally Posted by jonnyu

To all Volvo owners with hybrid or mild-hybrid engines please note that Volvo does not take any responsibility involving fire incidents.
The Oncall service will also not help you if your car catches fire due to the battery of the car (and these freak accidents can always occur, check what happened with some Tesla models last year) or due to any other incident where fire was the cause of the damage. They wont tow your car neither give you a replacement vehicle.

Just a friendly reminder to include all the necessary insurance options against fire with your insurance company and take special note when checking the clauses so that the insurance does not exclude any responsibility due to a car failure causing the fire.

Most fires are caused by faulty wiring, maybe a starter wire touching another wire or earth, but of course batteries have been known to catch fire (Samsung Note7) so good advice.
I did have an issue with a Citroen BX a few years ago now, where some wiring behind the glove box shorted and caused a lot of smoke, but no fire thankfully, not sure how this happened unless someone had been messing before I owned it. Luckily it was an easy fix with some tape !!

[Bashy]

Originally Posted by jonnyu

To all Volvo owners with hybrid or mild-hybrid engines please note that Volvo does not take any responsibility involving fire incidents.
The Oncall service will also not help you if your car catches fire due to the battery of the car (and these freak accidents can always occur, check what happened with some Tesla models last year) or due to any other incident where fire was the cause of the damage. They wont tow your car neither give you a replacement vehicle.

Just a friendly reminder to include all the necessary insurance options against fire with your insurance company and take special note when checking the clauses so that the insurance does not exclude any responsibility due to a car failure causing the fire.

Perhaps backing it up with a link to information containing these waivers?

[jonnyu]

Originally Posted by Duri13

So where did you get that info?

https://assets.volvocars.com/uk/~/me...6.pdf?la=en-gb

8. Exclusions relating to UK & Continental
European Cover
• If the vehicle has been involved in an accident
and requires salvage or off road recovery,
additional charges for special equipment used
to salvage the vehicle prior to recovery are not
covered.

If found this out when my car was involved in a fire in a garage. It was not touched by the fire but it was covered with debris from the fire. Volvo refused to get my car and give me a replacement vehicle because cars involved in fire incidents or floods are considered salvages because what is important to Volvo is the origin of the incident even if your car is not wrecked. Note that I bought a 0km XC60 2019.

[Dilinger]

Originally Posted by jonnyu

https://assets.volvocars.com/uk/~/me...6.pdf?la=en-gb

8. Exclusions relating to UK & Continental
European Cover
• If the vehicle has been involved in an accident
and requires salvage or off road recovery,
additional charges for special equipment used
to salvage the vehicle prior to recovery are not
covered.

If found this out when my car was involved in a fire in a garage. It was not touched by the fire but it was covered with debris from the fire. Volvo refused to get my car and give me a replacement vehicle because cars involved in fire incidents or floods are considered salvages because what is important to Volvo is the origin of the incident even if your car is not wrecked. Note that I bought a 0km XC60 2019.

Where does your document mentions exclusion of Hybrid and Mild hybrid vehicles?

[jonnyu]

Originally Posted by Dilinger

Where does your document mentions exclusion of Hybrid and Mild hybrid vehicles?

It's not my document, it's the Volvo official terms and conditions document regarding the Oncall service.
The document excludes any car that is involved in a fire or flood (please do read the document). However what this exclusion means you eventually find out when you need the service, like I did.
Today all available new models are hybrid and mild-hybrid options and since these cars with larger batteries have a greater fire risk than conventional cars (even if it's a small difference), I think this is a fairly important information to share.

[Duri13]

Originally Posted by jonnyu

https://assets.volvocars.com/uk/~/me...6.pdf?la=en-gb

8. Exclusions relating to UK & Continental
European Cover
• If the vehicle has been involved in an accident
and requires salvage or off road recovery,
additional charges for special equipment used
to salvage the vehicle prior to recovery are not
covered.

If found this out when my car was involved in a fire in a garage. It was not touched by the fire but it was covered with debris from the fire. Volvo refused to get my car and give me a replacement vehicle because cars involved in fire incidents or floods are considered salvages because what is important to Volvo is the origin of the incident even if your car is not wrecked. Note that I bought a 0km XC60 2019.

OK, so you apparently have Volvo Assistance, while I have Volvo Assistance+ (mind the PLUS at the end). The PLUS version covers the following items and exclusions are only about terrorist attacks and those standard exclusions. But fire is included. (sorry, it is in French but you can use google translator if you do not speak FR)

après un accident de la route, si votre voiture ne peut plus rouler
en cas de panne mécanique, technique ou électrique
si la batterie de votre voiture est déchargée
en cas de problème de pneus (crevaison ou pneu plat)
en cas de problème de carburant (panne sèche, carburant non adéquat ou carburant souillé)
en cas de problèmes de clés et de serrures (vous vous êtes enfermé(e) à l’extérieur de votre voiture, votre clé est perdue ou défectueuse)
en cas de tentative de vol ou de vandalisme ayant entraîné l’immobilisation du véhicule
si votre voiture a été volée
en cas d'incendie à/dans votre voiture

https://assets.volvocars.com/fr-be/~...sistancefr.pdf

Do they offer Assistance+ in the UK?

[jonnyu]

Originally Posted by Duri13

OK, so you apparently have Volvo Assistance, while I have Volvo Assistance+ (mind the PLUS at the end). The PLUS version covers the following items and exclusions are only about terrorist attacks and those standard exclusions. But fire is included.

This information makes it much simpler and easier to understand. So I would say that it is wise that if we buy a hybrid or a mild-hybrid model that we buy this additional service as well.
I had a really bad experience due to this unpleasant surprise and I will upgrade my service to the + option if it exists in my region.