November 2007--Volvo, a Swedish car company but a subsidiary of Ford Motor Co., has a reputation for making safe cars. Volvo issued a massive worldwide recall for 56,000 cars. Some vehicles have defective airbags and others have a material fault that could lead to engine fires.These latest Volvo recalls are ironic for a company considered a leader in car safety. One day prior to the recalls, some Volvo sedans had received top honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for vehicle safety in front, side, and rear impact crash protection.
Most of the recalled Volvo cars were sold in the United States, German, Italy, Britain, and Sweden. The airbag recall includes 18,000 Volvo V 70 and XC 70 models.
According to Volvo, there is a problem with the side airbag software system. In the event of a collision with a small object, like a fence post, the airbags may not be deployed as quickly as they should be.
Volvo says the problem can be fixed by reprogramming the airbag system software, which takes about 30 minutes. Volvo is sending letters to owners regarding the software fix. Volvo said that owners of the recalled cars will receive the airbag software system upgrade free (and rightly so).
The second Volvo recall involves 38,000 diesel powered cars in the S60, V 70, XC 70, and XC 90 models. According to Volvo, the fuel injector caps on the recalled Volvo cars are faulty and can cause fuel leaks. This can lead to an engine fire.
