2004 Volvo S40 Steering Problems

THE STEERING LOCKED ON OUR 2004.5 VOLVO S40 T5 AS MY WIFE AND 6 WEEK OLD DAUGHTER WERE BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY UNDER POWER. NO ERRORS WERE REPORTED WHEN THE CAR STARTED, BUT THE WHEEL LOCKED (AND AN ERROR WAS DISPLAYED) AFTER THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE WHEN SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. SHE WAS THEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND MOVE BACK TO HER PREVIOUS POSITION. CLEARLY A SAFETY SENSOR DID NOT DO ITS JOB. LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT WE HAVE HAD OCCASIONAL INCIDENTS WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT UNLOCK AFTER ENTERING THE KEY. LIGHTLY MOVING THE WHEEL SIDE TO SIDE AND REPEATED KEY ENTRIES WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. A MOTOR NOW RUNS IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TRYING TO UNLOCK THE WHEEL. THIS IS A DIFFERENT SOUND THEN WE EXPERIENCED WHEN THE ISSUE COULD BE RESOLVED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT BECAUSE THE LOCKUP OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A POTENTIALLY FATAL CRASH HAD IT OCCURRED ON A SHARP TURN OR ON THE FREEWAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE A VIDEO OF THE ISSUE AVAILABLE IF THIS WILL ASSIST YOUR INVESTIGATION. *TR

DEAR SIR OR MADAM, I BOUGHT THE VOLVO S40 FOR ITS SAFETY RECORD. THIS ONE IS A 2004 VOLVO S40. AT THAT TIME, IT HAD ABOUT 43K MILES ON IT. NOW, IT HAS 53K MILES ON IT. ON 23RD FEBRUARY 2009, THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY FROZE UP ON THE INTERSTATE MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE LANES, ETC. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, WE MANAGED TO BRING IT HOME. THE NEXT DAY, IT WAS STILL FROZEN AND WE COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT ALL. I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE I TRAVEL WITH MY KIDS IN THIS CAR. I WANT TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION TO SEE IF: 1. VOLVO SHOULD BE ASKED TO RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM IF IT PERTAINS TO ALL THEIR CARS. 2. A SAFETY WARNING SHOULD BE ISSUED TO ALERT THE PUBLIC. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW OR WHY IT HAPPENED. I SEARCHED ONLINE BUT FOUND VERY LIMITED REFERENCES TO THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. I AM REQUESTING YOU TO KINDLY TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTION AT YOUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE IN ORDER TO PREVENT ANY UNTOWARD INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

DASHBOARD WENT CRAZY, FADING IN AND OUT. ALL PANELS WERE UNREADABLE, SPEEDOMETER, RADIO, TEMPERATURE GAUGE. CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. CD WAS SHOT INTO THE BACKSEAT LANDING IN MY CHILD SAFETY SEAT. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IN ALL 3 INSTANCES THE MESSAGE INDICATOR STATED TO NOT DRIVE THE CAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO 2 DIFFERENT DEALERS. THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID IT WAS THE SOFTWARE AND REINSTALLED. THE SECOND TIME, THEY REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A WEEK, THE THIRD TIME, THE REPLACE THE CEM MODULE AND RADIO. THE THE FOURTH TIME THE CAR WOULDN'T READ THE KEY AND HAD TO BE TOWED AND THEY REPLACED THE STEERING MODULE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS FOR 3 ELECTRICAL RELATED ISSUES THE CAR ONLY HAS 42,000 MILE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO S40. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED EXTREME DIFFICULTY STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THEY STATED THAT HARD STEERING WAS A COMMON CHARACTERISTIC OF THAT MODEL VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING RACK AND PINION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT HIS OWN EXPENSE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,971 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,602. REMAILED 04/24/08. *LJ

MULTIPLE FAILURES. AIR BAG SYSTEM, PROBLEM STARTING AND NOISE IN STEERING. *BF THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN AIR CONDITION PROBLEM. THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON 3 OCCASIONS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A DEVICE THAT WEIGHED PASSENGERS TO DETERMINE IF THE AIR BAG SHOULD BE ACTIVATED. *JB