2015 Volvo S60 Complaint Log

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH PULLING INTO THE GARAGE, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED TO 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

STATIONARY VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH KEYLESS IGNITION AND AUTO ENGINE "START/STOP" FEATURE. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN DRIVEWAY. ENGINE STOPPED, DRIVER STEPPED OUT OF CAR, ENGINE RESTARTED AND MOVED FORWARD, DAMAGING HOME AND BARELY MISSED PINNING DRIVER AGAINST WALL. EXPERIENCED DRIVER, MOMENTARILY DISTRACTED, ASSUMED ENGINE WAS OFF, AND HAVING PREVIOUSLY DISABLED START/STOP FEATURE, BELIEVED THAT VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AS PART OF NORMAL SHUTDOWN - OWING TO ALREADY QUIET ENGINE. CALL TO DEALER SERVICE REVEALED "SEVERAL PEOPLE" COMPLAINED OF AUTO START/STOP FEATURE BUT SAID THERE WAS NO WAY TO RESET DEFAULT FOR THIS FEATURE - THE SOLUTION WAS TO REMEMBER TO DISABLE EACH TIME DRIVER ENTERED CAR (VOLVO HAS A DISABLE BUTTON ON CONSOLE WHICH DEFAULTS TO THE AUTO START/STOP AND REQUIRES DRIVER TO MANUALLY DISABLE EACH TIME CAR IS STARTED).

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW FROM THE DEALER AND ITS GREAT. HOWEVER, AS I HAND WASH ALL OF OUR CARS, I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL ALWAYS HAS AN UNUSUAL DISCOLORATION, A MIX OF SOME KIND OF FLUID WITH THE BRAKE DUST. THE OTHER 3 WHEELS EXHIBIT ONLY THE USUAL BRAKE DUST; BUT ON THE RIGHT FRONT THIS MIX OF FLUID AND DUST DOESN'T JUST WASH OFF. ROTATE WHEELS, THE NEW WHEEL ON THE RIGHT FRONT EXHIBITS THE SAME DISCOLORATION. THE DEALER INSISTS IT IS ONLY BRAKE DUST. NOW, 2 YEARS ON, MOST OF WHATEVER FLUID WAS SECRETING TO THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL SEEMS TO BE GONE BUT, AFTER RETRIEVING THE CAR FROM ITS 20K SERVICE, I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE A RUMBLE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT. SOUNDS LIKE A WHEEL BEARING TO ME (IN MY DAY, I'VE REPLACED EM). THE DEALER SAYS ITS THE TIRES; CONTINUES TO SAY THAT THE DISCOLORATION ON ONLY THE RIGHT FRONT, IS BRAKE DUST. EVEN SAID IT MIGHT BE RUST FROM THE DISC BRAKES. OK, FINE, THEN WHY NONE ON THE FRONT LEFT? OR EITHER OF THE REARS? WHY ONLY THE RIGHT FRONT. I HAVE TAKEN SWABS OF ALL 4 WHEELS AND HAVE THEM IN SEPARATE LABELED ZIP LOCK BAGS IF ANYONE WANTS TO RUN THEM THROUGH A SPECTROMETER. I'VE NEVER REPORTED ANYTHING TO THE NHTSA BEFORE BUT, IN LIGHT OF THEIR INSISTENCE THAT IT IS ONLY BRAKE DUST ... WELL, I'VE REBUILT MY SHARE OF BRAKE SYSTEMS, WORKED ON A RACE TEAM ETC., AND I'M FINDING THIS ALL A BIT INSULTING IF NOT DISMISSIVE. THIS CAR IS PRIMARILY USED AS MY WIFE'S DAILY COMMUTER (30 MILES ROUND TRIP) IN THE SUBURBS WITH AN OCCASIONAL ROAD TRIP ON THE BOOKS. *BF*JB 'PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB

BY DEFAULT, THE AUTO STOP/START FUNCTION IS ENGAGED EVERY TIME YOU START THE 2015.5 VOVO S60. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 1,800 MILES AND WAS PICKED UP AT THE END OF AUGUST, 2015, LEASED AS NEW. MY WIFE WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, ON A RELATIVELY FLAT ROAD. THE CAR TURNED OFF THE ENGINE USING THE AUTO-STOP/START. WHEN SHE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND PUT IT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. THE DASH TURNED OFF. SHE HAD TO PUT ON HER HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS, PUT THE CAR INTO PARK AND PRESS THE STOP/START BUTTON TO START THE CAR. SHE THEN WAS ABLE TO PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE AND CONTINUE. THIS IS NOT HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO FUNCTION. THIS REPRESENTS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN SOMEONE GETTING REAR-ENDED OR NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION--IMAGINE IF AN AMBULANCE, FIRETRUCK OR POLICE CAR WAS COMING THROUGH AND YOU HAD TO MOVE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION OR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT THE CAR DIED?

I WAS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC ON A LEVEL SURFACE STREET. AFTER I CAME TO A STOP, THE STOP-START SYSTEM SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN I LET UP ON THE BRAKE SLIGHTLY, THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL FORWARD, BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T START (IT NORMALLY DOES THIS). WHEN I LET UP LIGHTLY MORE AND QUICKLY USED THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE FELT LIKE IT STALLED. ONCE STALLED, THE DASHBOARD SCREEN READ "PRESS START." PRESSING START DIDN'T DO ANYTHING OR PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK, AND SUCCESSIVE ATTEMPTS DIDN'T HELP. AFTER NOT HITTING ANYTHING FOR A ~MINUTE, I FINALLY GOT FEEDBACK: THE CAR WASN'T IN PARK. AFTER PUTTING IT IN PARK FROM DRIVE, I WAS ABLE TO START IT. THIS ALL MAKES SENSE FOR A CAR WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, BUT "STALLING" AN AN AUTOMATIC, THEN GETTING INCORRECT INSTRUCTIONS WAS UNNERVING. IF THE CAR HAD AN ACTUAL KEY, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TRIED TURNING IT OFF, FAILED, THEN REALIZED THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE, BUT THE PUSH-BUTTON START DOESN'T MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT STATE THE CAR IS IN. I CAN'T REMEMBER IF I INITIALLY CAME TO A STOP OR WAS < 1MPH. I ALSO CAN'T REMEMBER IF I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS THE ENGINE STARTED TO START BACK UP, THEN LET UP ON THE BRAKES, OR IF I ONLY LET UP ON THE BRAKES ONCE.