|
G'day fellow bricksters,
Just thought I would discuss some quality issues re a brand new XC70 the family purchased about 4 months ago with you guys.
Of course we were thrilled to take delivery of our brand new baby, but this feeling has slowly been fading away as time goes on. I'm hoping these are just teething problems.
About a month after we purchased the car, the in-dash cd stacker would no longer select discs 5 or 6, simply making a recurring clicking noise like it was trying to do something but was jammed and then it would display "CD Error". We took the car in and described the problem to Volvo. They replaced the unit with a new one. This was the first upset with the car, its failure especially disapointing considering this sound system (HU-850) was cream of the crop in the 2004 models and asked for a $3,500 (Aus) premium over the standard stereo.
So about another month down the track, we had the car fully loaded, towing a motorbike trailer. As we drove along a winding mountain road, we noticed that whenever there was a dip in the road, there was a loud metal on metal clang from the rear left of the car. We pulled over, inspected the rear left suspension and wheel, suspecting loose wheelnuts. Everything looked fine.
This noise continued with bumps and dips in the road throughout the journey, as we drove more gingerly as something was obviuosly wrong. Upon reaching our destination, we unloaded the car and i jacked the car up with the supplied jack. I took off the rear left wheel and all became obvious. The bump stop plate mounted on the inner wheel well had been catching the rim of the wheel. Carving into it around its entire radius, smashing the balance weights attached to the rim. The edge of the bump stop plate was quite badly damaged also. I decided to remove the bump stop and the return journey was eventless.
We rang Volvo as soon as we got back and took the car in for the second time in 2 months, with the bump stop back in place. They took the car in, replaced the bump stop plate and the wheel, telling us that the bump stop plate had been loose, which clearly wasn't when I took it off and put it back on.
The car drove fine for a number of trips along the same route that we had travelled before, without a trailer. So I finally thought we would have a good run with the brick after the intial disappointment, little did I know.
The CD player is now back to its old "CD Error" ways on discs 5 and 6 and just yesterday, we went over a speed bump and I was haunted by that metal on metal sound from the rear of the car. On looking under the car at the inside of the rear left wheel, my sinking feeling was confirmed by a slice taken out of the wheel balance weight and a scrape on the bump stop plate. Not only that but both the left and right rear tires seem to have come in contact with the inner wheel well arch. This is obviuolsy a serious problem with the suspension that Volvo haven't identified. Adding to this, the sunroof wind deflector is also vibrating with the sunroof closed, sitting at idle. I'm going to ring Volvo tomorrow and book the car in for the third time in four months to fix three problems, two of which were meant to have been repaired previously.
So I apologise for the long post but I felt I had to share my disappointment towards our car with you guys and hopefully gain some ideas and oppinions. I expected better of Volvo and certainly hope that this car isn't going to convert me from my long time love for these Swedish beauties.
The saying certainly rings home "They don't build 'em like they used to!"
Regards,
Nick.
|
