Table 1 shows three common equipment related problems of the 1999 Volvo C70.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Electrical Jack problems | |
| Carrier/rack problems | |
| Equipment problems |
I woke up this morning to find out that I had a flat tire. So I got out the factory jack that came with the car and proceeded to lift up the car. The jack that came with the car are "scissor-type" and has only been used twice. So, the car was lifted on one side and I proceeded to take off the front tire. All of the sudden, the jack gave way and the car came down. Luckily the front tire was halfway in the wheel-well, so the car just settled on the tire with the rotor pushing against the inside of the rim (I noticed scratches inside the rim after I removed the tire). Well, I took a closer look at the jack and saw that the big, long screw broke in half. I just couldn't imagine that the jack Volvo gives out with their cars would simply break, especially if everything was done properly. The car was empty, so weight couldn't be an issue. There was some lower body panel damage from the jack when it broke. Also, my fingers got bruised and scratched up a bit from the impact of the car falling on the front tire that I was removing at the time.
Convertible top back bar structure cracked in half and top will not operate(close or open) now. While the top broke, as I was opening it, it also fell on the sensor for the lock and broke that also. The car is in the shop again for this problem, the only fix is ordering a new bar at the cost of $1500, which I don't have. Now I have a car that I cant drive or repair.
The car reduced the speed and now it stopped running because the etm is not working. I contacted Volvo and they said that the warranty is not covered because it has been over 10 years. I bought this car from a previous owner in October 2013 and therefore I was not aware of the problem. Now they want me to pay approximately $900 to fix it. They said the warranty started from the day the first car was bought which was August 25, 1999 but in my opinion it should be from the first time there was a problem encountered with the etm that caused Volvo to recall and buy the cars back. Volvo made approximately 300,000 cars and repaired and bought back around 165,000 cars. This means that other people are encountering the same problem. I was told by Volvo that the car I currently own the software was updated in north carolina. As I see it they neglected to change the throttle in the vehicle. This is a big safety issue because this car can cause my family to get in a car accident. The regional manager indicated that the car could not be fixed and that I had to pay for the labor and the parts. They are offering to give me a discount on the repairs but I feel they need to take care of a problem that was caused by the manufacturer. I understand that the discounts for labor and parts indicate that Volvo understand the safety concerns and the problems of the car but also they need to take care of the problem. I ask to speak to the regional manager and I was told by the customer service representative that I was not allowed. I left a message to him to see if we can resolve this issue.