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Volvo XC70 Safety Issues

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Comments

  • lev_berkovichlev_berkovich Member Posts: 858
    I probably did not make my point clear enough.
    What I am saying is that if it is understood that people can select Honda by it's reliability out of a line of rather reliable cars, it should be equally understood that people can select Volvo by it's safety out of a line of rather safe cars.
  • orbit9090orbit9090 Member Posts: 116
    Lucky lady that survived the accident. Good thing she bounced-off the semi offset.

    However, if she had bought a Ridgeline with her $28K, instead of an S40, she wouldn't have needed the jaws of life to free her from a mangled little S40. She probably would have just stepped out and said, "Oh crap, now I'm gunna be late."

    In dollar-for-dollar safety, Honda beats Volvo. Volkswagen is becomming a close second...if you don't take into account VW's legendary breakdowns and system failures.

    If money (and resale value) was no issue at all, then an XC90 would be my safety vehicle of choice. But until I figure out a way to steal a thousands people's pensions like the Enron guys did, money IS an issue, and I have to buy the most safety per dollar in a new vehicle: Honda.

    HTTP://Honda Safety

    image
  • drive62drive62 Member Posts: 637
    Seems like you and lev both think that safety is the main reason to a buy a vehicle, almost like you are expecting to have an accident. Terrible way to live life IMHO.

    Don't get me wrong, safety is important but Honda vehicles and just about every other auto on the road in the US are safe. Are some safer than others? I suppose but if the governments crash testing shows a Honda to be very good, that seems fine for me.

    And for lev specifically:

    You all will understand why I drive Volvo and Volvo only, once you would be with me there.

    Do you think you are the only person to ever survive an accident? And apparently you think it was only because you were driving a Volvo.
  • lev_berkovichlev_berkovich Member Posts: 858
    "Do you think you are the only person to ever survive an accident? And apparently you think it was only because you were driving a Volvo. "

    Actually, I have never been in any accident that was severe enough to require survival.

    And I do not particularly care about a "degree of safety" or "safety per $$", or anything like that. The only potentially life threatening accident any of the people in my immediate circle was with Nissan Altima, and it did quite well.
    So, I agree, most of cars on a road are reasonably safe, and I think, I have said it many times already.

    However!!!

    Volvo is a SYMBOL of safety (at least to me), and that is what I take in consideration along with other QUALITIES (meaning UNIQUNESS - unique features).

    In this respect Honda, no matter how good it is, has still long way to go to become a SYMBOL of safety.

    Honda, on other side, is a SYMBOL of reliability, and that what makes it a car of choice for many.

    I, in particular, and that is just me (I do not expect it from anybody else), do not care much about reliability, to be convinced that most of the cars today ARE reasonably reliable. And therefore, Honda does not have ANY IMPORTANT UNIQUE QUALITIES to ME, while Volvo does.

    That is it. So, I am sorry to say, you, drive62 did get me completely wrong.
  • drive62drive62 Member Posts: 637
    I got you wrong!?! Well what exactly does this mean?

    You all will understand why I drive Volvo and Volvo only, once you would be with me there.

    Then you say:

    I, in particular, and that is just me (I do not expect it from anybody else), do not care much about reliability, to be convinced that most of the cars today ARE reasonably reliable. And therefore, Honda does not have ANY IMPORTANT UNIQUE QUALITIES to ME, while Volvo does.

    And as I stated before, cars on the US roads are safe. The government mandates it. So for me I can choose the vehicle that gives me the combination of attributes I desire. And you better believe reliability is one of them. You can have the safest car in the world, but if it is sitting in your driveway because it is unreliable...well...I guess it's pretty safe when it doesn't run.
  • lev_berkovichlev_berkovich Member Posts: 858
    Look, drive62, why can't you just accept the fact that there are some people for whom a SYMBOL of safety is more important than a SYMBOL of reliability?

    Most cars are safe and reliable. Let's drop this argument. I am in a total agreement with you.

    Where exactly did you get me wrong?

    In assumption that I discuss the degree of safety, for starters.

    My comment about that wrack of a Volvo was about symbolic, emotional impact it has made upon me.

    Would it be more clear, if I would rather say - You will have the same feelings as I had... or You will understand my feelings about driving Volvo...?

    Not everything in this world has to be driven by the monetary calculations..."safety per $$" - what's a pity.

    You also have made a comment of me being driven by the fear of accident - you can not be further from the truth than that.

    I just see life in the broad brush strokes, and make a lot of my everyday's decisions based on SYMBOLIC values.

    Sorry for repeating myself, but Volvo has more of those values for ME.

    And lastly, PLEASE, do not overplay that RELIABILITY tune with me. I do not buy it.
    When have you seen a modern car just sitting in the driveway because of being unreliable lately?
    Definetily not a Volvo.
  • drive62drive62 Member Posts: 637
    Well I thought people who put such importance on safety would have more justification rather than the emotional impact of seeing a wrecked Volvo.

    All cars are reliable (you say it), and certainly all cars are safe (the government mandates it). So you drive a Volvo because....of the emotional impact apparently. To each their own.
  • lev_berkovichlev_berkovich Member Posts: 858
    Thank you, exactly right...
    I believe that emotions play a huge role in the car selection, just not everyone can admit it...

    But this is a totally different discussion..
    Write me an e-mail, if you would like to discuss it, I promise to response.
  • blueiedgodblueiedgod Member Posts: 2,798
    Here is a list of safe vehicle that I compiled:

    1. Bradley Assault vehicle
    2. Semi-trailer, without a trailer
    3. Greyhound bus.
    4. Hummer H1

    Take any one of thse vehicles and crash any car, including Volvo into them and only the driver of the aformentioned vehicles will survive.

    How far as you willing to go?
  • orbit9090orbit9090 Member Posts: 116
    Let's stay realistic here. None of those vehicles are altogether comfortable, equipped with 360` airbags & VSC, very reliable, and priced around $28,000 brand new.

    I still think Honda Ridgeline wins safest new vehicle for the dollar.
  • blckislandguyblckislandguy Member Posts: 1,150
    This is an inane list, but let me comment:

    1) Lots of guys in Bradleys have gotten knocked around the cabin with tragic results in rollovers and accidents, etc. We lost a couple of state deparment guys in Bosnia when one overturned.

    2) By "semi-trailer, without a trailer" do you mean a Class 8 tractor? A rig with no air bags, two icy steps 10' feet off the ground up and into the cab, 90 DB of noise for all
    12 hours the guy is driving it, no ABS, etc.? A rig that when it hits a patch of ice or jumps a Jersey barrier the driver has to be cut out with the Jaws of Life. Yep, this is one safe vehicle.

    3) Greyhound bus. Fatalities every day.

    4) Hummer --see Item #1 above

    Now, can we go back to a logical discussion?
  • biliouscheebiliouschee Member Posts: 3
    actually, volvo does.
    look at their test site pics (near the bottom)

    http://www.autoreview.ru/new_site/year2002/n10/volvo_xc90/1.htm
  • biliouscheebiliouschee Member Posts: 3
    if you want the most safety for your dollar, than just buy an old volvo 240. for about $2,000 you can rest assure knowing that your driving the only car in the world that didnt have one fatality in 5 straight years.
  • biliouscheebiliouschee Member Posts: 3
    theres a difference between "lets crash a car from its front and sides, and call it quits" and "lets crash a car dozens of times, from every degree possible, flip it a couple of times going 30mph, and do odd tests like see if it can surive hitting a moose going 30mph" so there is "government safety" and then "realistic safety" - because not everyone hits a car going a perfect 35mph, and at 90 degrees. so a kia that has a 5 star crash test, is in reality,like a volvo with a 3 star crash test - which i dont think there is a volvo with that low of stars.
  • drive62drive62 Member Posts: 637
    The government agency tests vehicles and applies the appropriate rating. Seems pretty straightforward. Not sure what you are talking about.
  • lev_berkovichlev_berkovich Member Posts: 858
    Not sure what you are talking about.

    The point is that Volvo does much more thorough and comprehensive testing than any governmental agency. Their Safety Center is considered as the one of the best if not the best in the world and is used by many other car manufacturers for crash testing, because of its unique testing equipment that IS NOT available to ANY governmental agencies.
  • hhurthhurt Member Posts: 1
    It looks like you know alot about volvos safety. I am in the market for a new suv. Safety is my first priority and reliability, with two little ones. I have narrowed it to the bmw x5 or the xc90. Does anyone have any info on one being safer than the other?

    I have done alot of research, but can't find much on the rollover rating for the x5.
    To volvomax, can you tell me more about the steel, rollbars, safety aspects, etc.??
    Is this the best family vehicle, the xc90??
    thank you!
  • javafan1javafan1 Member Posts: 25
    Volvo just issued a recall for their LATEST 2008 XC70/V70 models. The recall is a software bug for deploying air bags. I almost bought the new xc70 but I need to rethink about it.

    Not sure if it is the software bug issue for your sister's xc70.
  • gassergasser Member Posts: 5
    The Kansas City Star recently did an editorial report that found an alarming number of airbags in cars of all makes have been found to have not deployed on impact. So far the NTSB has refused to investigate even though the Star estimates there have been thousands of lives lost as a result.
  • sulley007sulley007 Member Posts: 1
    You might be able to find some more information on this at www.volvoforum.com. I've been able to find alot of helpful information there as well.
  • blckislandguyblckislandguy Member Posts: 1,150
    David Oglivy, one of the greatest ad minds to ever live, said that every product has to have a unique selling proposition. We all know FedEx's. What is Volvo's?

    0-60 and handling performance? LOL

    Great dealer body? Hardly

    Reliability? No

    Engine Longevity: Not as long as Volvo uses timing belts that need changing

    Status? Not to anyone driving a German car

    Foul weather capability? Its good if you have an AWD Volvo but not unique

    Safety? Again, its good but not unique to the brand

    Seating? Yes, its the best!

    Don't know though how much volume you can get out of "our seats are the best"
  • topcat10topcat10 Member Posts: 2
    I cannot find any crash test results for the volvo xc70 on the informed for life or NHTSB web sites.
    I cant believe that volvo, whose cornerstone is saftey does not have crash test data for the consumer to look at and compare

    Anyone know how to get that safety information?
  • mush360mush360 Member Posts: 1
    How many Patents does Honda have/hold?

    More than 9,000 (9860) patents registered in the US only. They are all under the assignee Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha of Japan, a division of Honda Co. Japan.

    Volve has approximately a combined 1,476 patents registered in the US only. They are all under the assignee AB Volvo and others.

    Just for fun Apple Inc. has about 2,106 patents registered in the US only under the assignee of Apple Computer Inc.

    Source: http://www.patentgenius.com
    Source: http://www.patentstorm.us
    All figures are as of 2010.
This discussion has been closed.