Volvo Wheels/Tires Pothole Damage

spindoktor2

2001 Volvo Wagon - I've hit 2 potholes in the last month. Each time I ruined 2 tires and bent the alloy wheels. I've hit many potholes in my driving days but I never experienced any of this type of damage. Anyone else having these problems???

Mr_Shiftright

Well, depending on the size of the hole and the speed of your car (and the weight, which is considerable on your car)--this is a rather violent thing. So unless these are North Korean tires and alloy wheels from Pakistan that your dealer or Volvo are buying at a good price, I'd have to say that that's what happens when you smash into a pothole. Maybe garbage trucks can get away with it, with heavy steel wheels and 10 ply tires, but most modern alloys and tires can't take that level of punishment.....not to imply that you can avoid all potholes...it's just bad luck sometimes.

YOu might look into finding some steel wheels from an older model but they won't look very nice.

I'm curious though. Did the wheels actually break, or bend or what? And the tires? What damage did you see there?

spindoktor2

The damage was the wheels are bent out where they meet the tire about 3 inch section.
The Michelin tires are bulged on the sidewall near the bent wheel area.
I didn't hit the hole that hard, only at about 40 miles/hour.
I watched other people hit it and keep going, while I was pulled off changing the tire. One blew out when the seal was broken. I put air in it and it holds. but sidewall is bulged.
I bought this car for safety, but this seems to be a flaw.

stuartbonia

Some of the low profile tires on many new cars can't handle potholes.

I know a few people with Saabs, BMWs and other cars with low profile tires that have been spending big bucks replacing tires and wheels.

They are great on smooth roads. Bad roads are a different story.

lancerfixer

Do you have the 17" wheels on this car?

stewarha

I know how you feel. I have a 94 850 Turbo Sedan and had a tire deflate when I hit a pothole a few weeks ago. After changing to the spare and checking the old tire I noticed that not only was the rim bent but it was also cracked up the middle of the rim as well. You could switch to a smaller wheel/larger tire combination(From a 16" wheel/tire to a 15" wheel/tire). The downside to this is that you would lose some of the handling capabilities that come with a tire having a shorter sidewall.

pluckon

I have a 1995 850 Turbo that came with 16-inch wheels and low-profile tires. I went through six tires before throwing in the towel and buying new 15-inch wheels and a set of tires. This was after being stiff-armed by Volvo North America, whose people flatly lied to me about the issue by denying there was any problem. Michelin told me that their low-profile tires have no warranty and can't be expected to last more than 10,000 miles.

In 1998, there was a class action lawsuit against Volvo and I was given my choice of a $1,000 rebate on another Volvo or a $500 check. I took the money, which amounted to about one-third of what the problem had cost me. Needless to say, between that problem and all the stuff I read about later-model Volvos on the Edmunds board, I will never buy a Volvo again.

This is actually kind of a shame, because in most other respects my 850 is a good car. The ergomonics are great and the stereo is fantastic, but there also have been engine and air conditioner problems. I will give Volvo this much: They agreed to replace my air conditioner compressor six months after my warranty expired. The car only had 40,000 miles on it and the AC couldn't hold a charge.

I don't know what the scoop is with Volvo. In many respects their carsare just great, but there seem to be a whole host of mechanical problems.

As for your tire problem, get the smaller wheels. The "handling" you'll lose is the ability to take a corner at 45 miles an hour. To which I say, come on folks, these are VOLVOs we're talking about, not race cars. People buy the turbos for a quick burst on the freeway, and smaller wheels won't affect this in the least. Oh, and you'll have a smoother ride, too.

cirilo

I've been reading some of the postings about the s80 and the volvo's in general, and I am really wondering if this is the car to buy. Never liked BMW's, Acura's don't tickle my fancy, I am not the MB type of guy, so it is either the Lexus gs300/400 or the volvo s80 (The wife loves it!) However, all these postings about mechanical problems and QA issues realyy bother me...
Perhaps some positive feed back is in order...