Spoiler Surprise

[Tamra-M-Gentry]

Greetings, All.

My husband and I got our second S60 T5 this past February. Our first was a 2001. We recently sold the 2001 as we got tired of replacing front headlamps--although it was really the premature* transmission failure that moved us to make the decision to unload it. Our original intent was to drive it into the ground. (* "Premature" designation based on low mileage + excellent maintenance.)

So far, we love the new car. It's Caspian Blue with beige interior, and all is well--with one weird exception. Before taking possession of the car, we had the dealership install a lip-spoiler. We assumed that it would be attached in a substantial way. --You know--rivets, screws, or something like that. Imagine our surprise to learn that the spoiler is connected to the trunk via an adhesive strip.

The only other car we've had with a spoiler was a 2008 MINI Cooper S. As expected per BMW, the spoiler/vehicle interface was rock solid and undoubtedly secured with rivets or screws. --Something much more secure and substantial than...adhesive.

This is a Volvo--you expect better than...adhesive.

Well, surprise. The spoiler has begun to detach from the trunk . I took it back to the dealer this past week for them to fix. It took two hours for them just to call around to solicit input as to how to take it off, only to end up having to stick it back on the same way (which is another visit next week). And given that they didn't seem to know how to "uninstall" it, we're hoping they don't mess up anything else--paint job, etc.--trying to melt the adhesive off via an application of concentrated high heat. [And no, we never open or close the trunk while holding on to the spoiler (yes, they asked us this).]

Has anyone else had problems with spoilers attached this way?

I think I'm still a little shell-shocked that they used nothing but an adhesive strip for this.

[Tamra-M-Gentry]

Well, for anyone who ever ends up having the same problem...

It dawned on me to contact the Volvo repair guy we used to use for our 2001. It looks like the adhesive is the standard method of attachment for these spoilers (as I mentioned above, we'd erroneously assumed otherwise). He said that the adhesive has a long history of use and, when applied correctly, it usually results in a pretty solid point of contact. We're all guessing that it may not have properly cured, resulting in the issue we're currently having with it.

Thanks.

[matthew1]

My '97 has the same adhesive on its trunklid spoiler too. Middle area anyway. It's never come all the way off -- maybe the sides are anchored better -- but in hot weather the center detaches if I handle it.

[Tamra-M-Gentry]

Yeah--even with the fix, over time it looks like we're going to be keeping an eye on it.

I mentioned the adhesive to folks who drive other makes of cars with spoilers, and several were just as dumb-founded as we were. Oh well. ;-/

[FixXxer6]

The best way to remove adhesive from a vehicle is a product called Acrysol. It comes in a spray can or just free flowing cans. Body shops use it all the time to remove factory emblems without damage. Finding it is the challenge. Ask your local body shop or just do a search on the web. I've used it to remove rubber and track bite from the rear panels on my drag cars after a day at the dragstrip. Spray on and immediately wipe off. Works like a champ! Elbow grease at minimum. If they sold it at auto parts stores, it would fly off of the shelves.