[StevieD]

Hi All, <P>I am a relatively new Volvo owner. I purchased my first Volvo about 4 months ago from Volvo of Charlotte - a pre-owned 1998 V70 with about 46,000 miles on it. The car was certified, and I purchased an additional 2 yr, 24000 extended warranty. First the good - I love the car, love the drive, love the look. The dealer was a pleasure to work with, and they've got a very well organized service department. At 49,400 miles, I had the 50,000 mile service performed at the dealer - no problems. <P>OK, now the bad...Last friday, I took the day off and decided to run some errands. The power windows would not go down, nor would the power mirrors work. I took it to the dealer at 4:30 pm; they took a look and found a "bad switch", which they replaced (it was a "warranty item" - my car now has 50,400 miles on it, so the extended warranty kicked in). The service manager told me that the faulty switch had drained down my battery, and that I should drive it for 30 minutes or so to charge it back up. Which I did. Next morning, car would not start. I jumped it, and thought maybe I had not charged it enough the day before. I drove around for an hour or two. While driving, my ABS light came on, and the radio started kicking in and out. I then stopped at a Best Buy. I immediately tried to start the car - wouldn't start. So I had it jumped again and drove home. Next day (Sunday) car wouldn't start, and now couldn't even be jumped. I had it towed to the Dealer on Monday. <P>Dealter looked at it on Monday and told me that: (1) The faulty switch had apparently killed the battery, so I needed a new one ($140); (2) The control module for my ABS was bad and needed to be replaced ($580 inc. labor); (3) My keyless remote was bad and needed replacing ($136). He also told me that he had contacted the claims department and was told that none of these were covered under my extended warranty. Now, I can understand the keyless remote (and I'll just get a new one on ebay or something). But the battery drained because of a problem (faulty switch) which WAS a warranty item - I argued that I should at least get some type of pro-rata coverage. And as for the ABS module - how can this not be covered!!! It's a basic safety item, for goshsakes!!! <P>So, here's what I have done: (1) I tried reasoning with the claims department, to no avail. (2) I contacted my salesman, and he claims that he agrees with me, but he needs to talk to a few "higher ups". Meanwhile, my car is still in the shop waiting for the repairs. <P>My argument is: (1) The extended warranty should cover both items, and (2) the car is only 400 MILES!!! outside of its original warranty. Is this planned obsolescence or what. <P>Needless to say, I'm not having a good experience with my first Volvo. Can anyone give me any advice on the best way to approach warranty issues with Volvo. Who should I contact? Am I just **** out of luck? <P>Sorry for the long message and hope someone can help. <P>

 

[[email protected]]

Hey Stevie, <BR>A few things. First, if the problem is a result of something you complained about prior to the warranty running out, then it should be covered by the warranty. If it is a Volvo warranty, and it sounds like the first one at least was, then contact Volvo's 1-800 number and speak to a customer service agent. They'll probably start a case number and look into it for you.<P>Second, find a copy of your extended warranty and verify what it does and does not cover. Your probs don't sound like wear items with the exception of the battery (and that happened related to another prob). If this is a bumper to bumper warranty, you should be covered. If it is a Volvo extended warranty, then you can probably have the customer service person look into that as well.<P>Good luck. I'll be in Europe on business as of tomorrow, so I'll be unable to answer any more questions directed to me for about 10 days.

 

[StevieD]

Well, I spoke with Volvo of Charlotte today and I'm happy to report that they agreed to cover the ABS module under "Goodwill". The vehicle was ready for me this afternoon. I did have to pay for a new battery which unfortunately suffered collateral damage as a result of the bad switch (which was a warranty item). I also think that its a shame that Volvo's extended warranty doesn't cover a standard safety item like the ABS system, especially since safety seems to be Volvo's primary selling point.<P>However, I am pleased with the outcome. I would highly recommend the people at Volvo of Charlotte; especially my salesman, Herb Dodge. Herb understood my situation and rectified the problem quickly. While I'm still unsure about Volvo in general (I thought their Claims department was way to quick to say NO), I would definitely do business with Volvo of Charlotte again.

 

[Big E]

Steve,<P>I too have recently bought a 98 Volvo from Volvo of Charlotte. I got a certified 98 S70 GLT and I also bought from Herb Dodge. I have only put a few thousand miles on it so far but have had no problems. However, I am bothered to hear that the extended warranty is not the same as the Volvo warranty. I had understood that the extended warranty WAS the Volvo warranty. I will check with Herb about this.<P>While I too am a brand new Volvo owner so far I am very happy with my purchase, especially since I didn't start out to get a Volvo in the first place. The car seems to be an excellent mix of luxury, performance and safety. So far my only criticisms have been minor nitpicks.<P>BTW, Herb is the first car saleman whose name I remember!