Looking for a little advice. I bought a 2004 XC90 with 12K miles about a year ago. It now has 29k and i've taken it in for 4 scheduled maintenance appointments. In 3 of those 4 appts i've complained about a shimmy in the front end, each time they adjusted the front end to the point where it subided. But last time they had to do a full alignment (on my nickel). Now I'm noticing that two of the four tires are worn to the point of needing to be replaced. I called the dealer to see if this is normal and was told "it's a heavy car, tires are going to wear out". My question: has anybody else had excessive wear problems with your tires and were you able to get volvo to do anything about it?
Yes, insist on a full front and rear alignment to your satisfaction. This has come up on a few UK models with the usual dealer apathy after noting unusual tyre wear.
All the best, Peter.
700/900/90 Register Keeper, Volvo Owners Club (UK).
Peter is absolutely right. The problem really is that it takes many many miles for you to realise that the alignment job that was poorly done in the first place. Some garages, even reputable ones and it seems from my experience almost all tyre shops are very quick to come up with an excuse for not having done the job right in the first place.
It is true though that some cars tyres wear more on the (usually) outer edge more than others i.e. Volvo 740 and others with such a tight turning circle (so then why not a London taxi, for clarification this is London UK, with its turning circle of c.26 feet??). Tyres on a V70 should wear evenly though (crap turning circle compared with 740).
Have a 4 wheel laser alignment done AND if you do not have complete faith in the garage/tyre depot doing the work go and watch them do it. Make sure the steering wheel bar is still straight when they have finished, if not it indicates that one track rod has been adjusted more than the other. The car was set up properly by the factory so it should not be a case of 'moving the steering wheel round a notch sir'. Just think for a minute, if both track rods are adjusted to the extent that the steering wheel requires resetting then surly the steering rack will no longer be centred when the car runs dead ahead.
Also make sure that the rubber boots at the steering box end of the steering rods are loosened off when they adjust the track rod ends. Don't do this and tension will build up in the rubber boots as the steering rods are turned (when track rods are adjusted) which in turn will lead to premature splitting of the rubber boots or even worse possibly (depending upon how much the track rods need adjusting) so much tension in the boots that the steering starts to feel tight at full lock. Admittedly less noticeable with powered steering (unlike the 340's).
Lastly keep well clear from tyre places that try and fob you off with the age old excuse of 'well sir tracking always goes off if you hit a curb'. It is almost as if the manufacturers have not over the last 100 years thought about and pretty much sorted this one.
Just an update (for anybody who cares). Tried addressing this problem with my local dealership service manager and Volvo North America. The latter basically told me "we're happy to take your complaint but can't do anything about your tires. Your problem is with Michelin. Good luck". Based on just a few conversations today the honeymoon is over. I will be selling my XC90 ASAP and will advice others strongly against considering Volvo products.
So you let them browbeat you into submission? You should park your car outside their showrooms with a notice on it stating your grievance. Also get them to put their statement about Michelin in Black and White and take it to Michelin who will probably threaten Volvo NA with a lawsuit for character defamation as they are not qualified to make such a statement.
All the best, Peter.
700/900/90 Register Keeper, Volvo Owners Club (UK).
There was a landmark legal case in the US dealing with a very early Oldsmobile, about 100 years ago. The wheels on a curved dash Olds failed and led to some severe loss on the part of the owner. The owner, or perhaps his heirs sued Oldsmobile (I believe this was pre GM). The old rule that the parts were not built by Olds was upheld in the lower courts, however the US Supreme court held that when a component is incorporated in the manufacture of a machine (I forgot the exact words) the manufacturer become responsible for the quality and the failure of the parts.
The responsibility is clearly with Volvo. An example to further demonstrate this is if you trouble with the electrical or fuel systems, large parts of which are made by Bosch.
Would you take a suggestion from Volvo to talk to the good people at Bosch about the fuel injectors?
Since Volvo is owned by Ford, and since Ford took responsibility when they had a minor issue with Firestone tires a few years ago I think there is even more precedent on your side!
We bought one of the first V70's to the UK in 1997. We had a problem with one of the original Pirelli 6000 tyres whereby within 4000 miles the steel banding of the tyre was coming through the sidewall. This was pretty much all over the whole circumference of the tyre so unlikely to be attributed to 'hitting a curb' which is what we were initially 'accused' of. I had, perhaps naively, expected the dealer to just replace the tyre under warranty and sort it with Volvo. Tyres it seems are a specific warranty exclusion even if, as was in our case, patently defective. The dealer did however take the issue up with Volvo UK who immediately offered a contribution of (from memory now) 90% towards a replacement tyre. Pretty fair I thought although for the extra couple of quids they may well have just authorised a free tyre.
The attitude of Volvo NA from what I have read over the years on this NG does seem to be very different to that of Volvo UK who I have always found that if you play fair with them they will play fair in return (it must be all the cricket we play!). Did you manage to speak with a Customer Service Manager who may have the authority to actually do something about your grievance or merely the 'first line of defence' at the call centre.
A thought. It seems to me something of a shame that you may be shooting yourself in the foot and dumping what is really a super car which you bought with your hard earned in the first place because you preferred it to the competition. It also occurs to me that the depreciation you will suffer when you offload your Ovlov would but many many tyres - Tyres do vary on cars, another manufacturers perhaps may help.
I would ask whether your expectation of other NA motor distributors is likely to be any different to that of Volvo NA. Are BMW for example going to be any better - you read not dissimilar stories on alt.autos.bmw. I do not agree with Volvo NA's attitude and I feel that their Customer Relations department, from VP downwards might benefit from attending a customer satisfaction and charm school.
To Ford, ooops, Ovlov one less future car sale is insignificant. However I really dislike bully's and simply love Peters idea of parking your car outside the showroom with a large note of your grievance - choose your wording VERY carefully though given the litigious nature of NA. If you have a genuine and feel you are being given the brush off then what better way of genuinly getting Ovlovs attention than by airing their dirty linen in public.
Reading back over your original poast, you have documented a problem with this car over time and have proof of that on paper. ("In 3 of those 4 appts i've complained about a shimmy in the front end, each time they adjusted the front end to the point where it subided.") Look at that paper work and see what they ahve done and said about that. it prooves a pattern.
Since you bought the car with 12,00 on the clock you don't know how it was driven before you had it, so getting 30,000 miles on a set of tires on a heavy car isn't terrible (it could be better, though).
With just two of the tires badly worn, it sounds like the tires were not rotated regularly (unless the other two are close behind).
The XC90 is a great car. Go to Costco and get a set of Bridgestones- less money and and (IMO) a better tire, at least if the results of the Indy F1 race are any indication. ;-) Seriously, I have had Bridgestomnes on a few different cars over the years, and every set gave excellent performance, particularly for the price..
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