V70 XC brake lights

Motown Hick · Post by **Motown Hick** » 24 Nov 2003, 09:47

A brake light in my 2001 XC70 has blown out 3 times in the 28 months, including twice in the last two weeks. In addition, a headlight just went out.

Although I suspect there is an electrical issue with the car that is creating these blown bulbs, the dealer claims there is a known bulb issue. I don't understand how technology that has been around more than 100 years now can suddenly become a problem.

An any rate, has anyone else experienced bulb failure any more frequently than once every few years?

Motown Hick · Post by **Motown Hick** » 25 Nov 2003, 09:50

Several friends who own late model Volvos (S60, V70, S80) have experienced bulb failures on their vehicles which are up to 2 years old.

In my case, the dealership said that they had replaced the headlamp harness during a prior maintenance visit as the problem is related to the regulation of voltage. This of course would not explain why the brake light blew. Since my headlamp (and brake light) blew after this alleged fix, I am convinced that the replaced headlamp harness did not correct the problem.

My vehicle is still under warranty, so I won't raise a stink just yet. However, now that the problem is documented, I intend to hold Volvo responsible for fixing this problem should it recur after my warranty expires.

If you experience a blown bulb in your 2001-2003 Volvo, don't assume that it's just a bad bulb. Have your dealer address the voltage regulation issue as well.