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Comments
I thought I would give everyone an update on the issues I have with my 2003 Volvo S60 2.4T. I finally got into the dealership yesterday about the following issues.
1. Transmission jerks when shifting between first and second and second and third. To the point that you head jerks against the headrests. This is when you are driving at slower speeds, like between stop lights. Also, it tends to hesitate off the line and during the same slower acceleration speeds. Well, they tell me that they "all do it" and that there is nothing that can be done!!
2. When the a/c compressor kicks in it makes a rattling sound that is loud enough to be heard over talk radio! Once again they tell me that they "all do it" and there is nothing that they can do.
3. I mentioned to them that I already have creaking sounds in the car and that it seems to be very noisy when driving. I tend to hear the engine buzzing at lower revs rather than a hum like most. You can guess what they said.
4. I have once again having a steering issue now where you have to hold the wheel to the left when accelerating at slower speeds. It tracks straight, just on the line you have to hold it or loose it! They "forgot" to check it but I suspect that they felt it was normal.
Anyway, these are repeated issues that I have had on my car of only 5800 miles since November. My next step is to start climbing the ladder in the dealership, already to the service mgr who tells me there is nothing he can do. They tell me that they will bring it up to the Volvo field tech next time he is in whenver that is. I am tired of this already and am going to be proactive on getting this resolved. I am very frustrated and contrary to the raves I see on this post about how wonderful of a product Volvo is, I am not at all pleased.
So, any suggestions or comments of what I should do and if anyone has had similar experiences either with their S60 or another model, let me know! Thanks!
Just a general point (and nothing personal towards the above poster), but I find it odd when people get so mad at one service department but always seem to deal with the same person and dealership and never do anything more about it. My wife works with a girl who is having major issues with her Prelude. She repeatedly goes back to the same dealership and gets no satisfaction. She also has said "well, next time I'll.... " C'mon! If I get turned away just once at a dealership when I KNOW something is wrong with my vehicle, I take my business elsewhere.
Let me put it this way, when you stick your finger in an electrical socket and get zapped, do you keep sticking your finger in that socket thinking things might change??
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
My big question is to those who own this product, is this normal for this model? If so, is this normal for Volvo?
Thanks!
http://www.petitiononline.com/vs4ds100/petition.html
so far, there are 87 signatures. Add yours and maybe Volvo will build the car. Also join in on the Volvo S100 conversation under Future Vehicles.
Concerning the issues you are having, I'm closing in on 13,000 miles on a 2002 S60 2.4T and can assure you they do not "all do that".
Again, sorry to hear of your troubles and I hope you find satisfactory resolution soon.
-Scott
I'll let you know how it goes, but I am very curious about the automatic performance. Part of me wonders if I should have purchased the T5 in auto, but it's too late now.
Problem: the message center in the dash board shows "time for service" message and they have no idea how to get rid of the message. I have searched the web and looked in the book but have yet to find the magic trick ! Does anyone know how to clear the message permanently ?
JR
Also is there LATCH in all 3 positions in the rear seat - or - just in the outboard positions. I noticed rear anchors at all 3 spots, just didn't see if there are Lower Anchors @ all 3.
Thanks
Mat
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
If I cannot reset it.... I will write to the company. This is a Bad design !
I did read last night about an indy Volvo garage with VADIS so perhaps it is becoming more affordable? Either way, find out if your indy shop has the proper interface (I doubt they do as they were even able to turn off the service interval reminder which I think can be done with a couple of different tools I've seen at the dealerships.)
It's a shame that we have to be so tethered to the dealerships these days with the number of computers in these cars. I look forward to the day where a standard emerges for these Closed Area Networks making it more affordable to go to any indy shop for basic maintenance and repairs.
-rollie
[email protected]
'99 S80 T6 (for sale)
'01 V70 T5 (lease return shortly)
'04 XC90 T6 (as soon as I can find it)
'04 S60R (as soon as I can find it assuming I don't wait to see what the 'Volvo Sports Car' will be)
1) Turn ignition key to position I
2) Press and hold the trip odometer reset button and wait for the odometer to reset to zero
3) Without letting go of the reset button, turn the key to position II and then wait for the odometer to show the mileage it was at previously
4) Once the odometer has returned to the previous mileage, release the reset button
5) Turn key to off position and then start car.
As for which seating positions are LATCH - only the outboard seats. The middle seating position does not have any LATCH anchors. What you are probably noticing are the two inner anchors from the two outer positions.
Mike B. in OKlahoma
My car will spend most of its parking time in an enclosed garage, and I walk to work, so it will get about 6,000 miles per year, mostly highway. The dealer was asking (nonprecise quotes from memory here) about $1800 for a seven year warranty with a $50 deductible, and about $1200 for a seven year warranty with $200 deductible. The car was used as a demonstrator starting about five months ago, so that will come off of any warranty. Any input is appreciated.
Mike B. in OKlahoma
The S80 and XC90 are built at Torslanda outside Gothenburg
The C70 is built at Uddevalla Sweden
The S40's are built at Born, Netherlands.
The 2005 S/V 40's will be built at Ghent.
The 11th digit in your VIN tells you the cars origin.
1 = Torslanda
2 = Ghent
F = Born
J = Uddevalla
The real decision point for any extended warranty purchase decision is how much protection do you want from repairs that occur outside of the original factory warranty (4 years/50,000 miles). Some plans exclude "wear-and-tear" items; others cover wear and tear that is not specifically excluded. Generally speaking, 6,000 miles per year is not excessive wear and the likelyhood of a significant repair occurring before 7 years have lapsed is low. However, there are repairs that could occur which if covered by an extended warranty policy, would pay for the entire cost of the policy. An example would be a leak in the air conditioning evaporator that is inside the car - the repair involves removing the entire dash, which is a non-trivial amount of labor.
The bottom line answer to whether or not to buy extended warranty coverage is the extent to which you would be tolerant of an unexpected repair occurring after the original factory warranty has lapsed. Hope this helps.
By the way, not really being a huge Volvo fan, although my Dad sure was, that s60R ROCKS! And the price is amazing for what you get, 300hp and AWD starting ~$37K, WOW.
What I am hoping for, and forgive me Volvo loyalists. I am hoping that they get me out of this car and this brand completely. I doubt if that will happen, but I will never be happy with this car and with all the problems most likely not happy with the brand, sorry!
I will let you all know what happens!
I had almost the same experience as you--Was looking at Camry LEs, and could not find one equipped like I wanted. I wanted certain equipment (mainly side airbags) and the dealers either gave up when I wasn't interested in their instock cars, or tried to sell me at MSRP a 2003 car transferred from another dealer. Made the Volvo look a lot more affordable, especially when I heard about the incentives on 2003 cars. I also went to the Volvo dealership in OKC (on Thursday) and missed the two holdover 2003s they had on their website--Will (I believe that was his name) told me about the two 2002 certified cars they'd be getting in Saturday morning, but I ended up finding and buying a 2003 demonstrator in Tulsa this Friday. Just picked it up today. I'd agree that at both the OKlahoma Volvo dealerships I visited, I was treated well overall. Though while driving home to OKC, when the midday glare died down, I realized that they hadn't cleaned the windows on my demo Volvo! Oh well, I can take care of that this weekend....
For anyone who is on the edge, based on my experience, I certainly would look very hard at the 2002 or 2003 cars now. Good deals out there.
Mike B. in OKlahoma
The story is, unless I get some satisfation with this product as my next step is the GM of the Dyer and Dyer (dealer) , a rep. of Sonic Automotive (the owner)and then on to Volvo Corp., I would NEVER recommend an S60 or a Volvo for that matter. I have had numerous cars, but never had one with such disregard to the customer, just telling me that a car is a machine and get over it!!
Good luck.
-rollie
[email protected]
My advice, is to think long and hard before you buy a Volvo. If Corp. makes such statements and tells a customer the only way to get a situation fixed is to write the President of the company, something is very wrong! There are way too many great cars out there to put up with this bull!
Where I come from, we address the person who has the last word as "Your Honor."
What is missing is a good faith effort to work to resolve the problems that you have encountered. There has been a certain amount of spleen venting, but not much work toward resolution of problems. For example, how many times has the car been to any dealer for resolution of the various problems? As rollie points out, have you tried going to another dealer to attempt a resolution?
You are going to need such a paper trail (as opposed to heresay - which is where you are presently at) before anyone with the title of Your Honor is going to seriously consider ordering a refund of your purchase price. While my comments are NOT to be construed as ANY form of legal advice, I would make sure that all communication to get resolution of your problems from here forward is in writing. If you get a telephone call, follow it up with a written summary of what you understood the caller to be saying. (If it is not in writing, it didn't happen.) You will be amazed at the degree to which attention gets focused on resolution of your problems when the letter writing campaign gets started.
Also, I would think twice (or more) about bad mouthing Volvo. Ford Motor Company can afford more legal fees than you can. The line between expressing frustration and slander/libel is somewhat grey - stick to resolution of your problems, you are on stronger legal footing there. Again, NONE of my comments are to be construed as legal advice of ANY sort.
Don't let avolvofan's layperson [mis]understanding of defamation scare you off. Em is obviously not a lawyer. (Hearsay, not Heresay) If you are worried about ford suing you for defamation, take a look in a legal dictionary for the definition of defamation.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
In May, I purchased a new S60 from Gwinnett Place Volvo(better price than Dyer & Dyer Chamblee)and at 2,000 miles I have had zero issues. I have owned 3 Volvo's, my mother has owned 2 and my stepmother has an S80 now. I mention this because all 6 have been rock solid cars.
The biggest issue we have had is with the AC on one of the S-80's. It was repaired several times and eventually replaced under warranty. The dealership picked the car up from our house (40 miles away), dropped off a loaner car and returned the S-80 to our house after the work was complete. The dealer was Dyer and Dyer, so they are capable of providing excellent customer service.
I'm sorry to hear about the issues with your new car. I would contact Volvo Corporate directly and let them pressure the dealer into resolving your problem. I know it is frustrating, but all new cars have their kinks. Bashing Volvo's product due to poor response from an individual dealer is misguided.IMO
Please keep us up to date and good luck.
So far, I have been very impressed with the GT. Downshifts and power delivery are much more prompt than with the tiptronic in the 99 A4 I am replacing.
Much has been made of the manufacturer's published 0-60 time. Obviously I haven't done my own timed test (but I might once the car is broken in, just to lay the issue to rest). Nevertheless, I can say the car feels fast. In the spirit of breaking the car in, I have tried to keep it under 50% throttle and 4000 RPMs. Okay, that's hard, but I honestly haven't gone past about 60% throttle or 4500 RPMs. Even with this restriction, the car pulls pretty hard and walks away from normal traffic.
My only negative comments are that there is the typical automatic transmission hesitation, and this combined with a little bit of turbo lag can make the throttle hard to modulate. The engine is not as refined as VW/Audi's 2.8L, and there is some coarseness and vibration especially at idle or higher RPMs. That's life with an I5 engine. Some of this is intentional exhaust tuning too.
If you want the most involving, sporty driving experience you can have, go with the 6 speed. Better yet, go with an S2000 or Boxster with a 6 speed. If you want more of a performance luxury feel---something to which I think the Volvo is more suited anyway---you will not be disappointed with the GT.
And keep in mind that for the R's money the only other sedans in the same league are the Audi A4 3.0 Quattro, the BMW 3301 Performance Package, the Cadillac CTS, and the Infiniti G35, all of which would become well acquainted with the R's taillights.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
As far as deaming this car a lemon under GA law. It would be a fight as it has been commented. If the car was inoperative, then a different story but in my case it is the repeated trips to service for minor annoyances, ie the steering, jerky transmission and noisy a/c compressor. What has me riled up is first the dealer taking little or no action. Also with Volvo North America telling me that it is the nature of the car and though I drove just yesterday another of the same model and it not exhibiting such issues, I as a consumer should not expect that mine should not. Note, the Tech Rep. was with Volvo, not Dyer and Dyer Volvo!
I am not looking for them to buy me out of the car as would happen if it were to be deemed a lemon, but I do expect that either they make my car right or they get me another one. I used to work for a Saab, Audi, Porsche dealer in my younger days and I know it is done, especially when you are dealing with such more expensive product such as Volvo and a client that is as unhappy with his purchase as I am. I just want a vehicle that I can be proud of as I know is attainable. If I just wanted a so so vehicle, I would have saved a lot of money a month in car payments and bought me one of those at tens of thousands less retail! Thanks again for all your comments and beleive me that my intent is not to bash Volvo, but to express my concerns over my purchase. Each of us makes our own minds up when we buy or lease!
The most recent problem is that the brackets holding the trim between the doors and roof (2 on each side) have all rusted. The replacements are on order, but it's just one more problem I've had to deal with.
Good luck working out your problems. Short of a sudden attitude change by Volvo, it looks like I will forever be telling people that in my OPINION, they should avoid Volvo at all costs.
Also what is the difference between the 2003 and the 2004? Thanks I'm new to volvo.
Dennis P.