Reason I ask is, I have put more than half a million miles on various Volvos over the years. And while these cars haven't been electrically perfect, I've never had anything like the headaches that people report on this list. I bet that electrical failures are the number one category of all the problems posted.

Buuuut...Except for two low-mileage years in New Jersey, all my driving has been in warm climates--meaning, no exposure to salt on the roads. My impression is that the Brickboard demographics are heavily weighted towards the snow belt and Canada; do Volvos' electrical troubles stem from road salt and corrosion?

Buuuut...Sweden is also cold and snowy. If they use road salt there, seems to me they would know how to design to resist its effects. And if they don't use road salt, how do they get around in the winter without everyone smashing up from skidding on black ice?

So, what's the deal?

Doug Harvey