01 V60 2.4T The Tale Of The Gasoline Smell & The Dealership

[tigerlily]

Y/M/M: '01 V60 2.4T
Mileage: 99,954

As I mentioned in a previous post, I just moved from Los Angeles to Lawrence, KS. Before I moved in July, I received a recall notice from Volvo regarding the fuel pumps and their exposure to high temps in certain climates. At the time, I didn't think much about it because my car didn't seem to be experiencing the issue for the basis of the recall and I put the notice aside.

The part of Los Angeles I lived wasn't the temperate, comfortable part down by the sea part most people probably envision. No, it was the arid, punishing 100+ degree heat, summer lasts from May to October part. And then I did the 1,600 mile drive from California to Kansas through such beautiful summer time destinations as the Utah Badlands and all of Nevada in August. Lets just say, the car has been around some high temps.

So now the fuel smell associated with the recall is afoot. I called my local dealership which is an hour away. They searced the recall db by my VIN and said that the recall didn't apply to my vehicle, the implication being that the car is in Kansas so why would it be affected by a recall mainly affecting cars in the Southwest region of the country. I told them I had just moved from there and was sent documentation from Volvo and asserted that Volvo wouldn't send this notice out unless it didn't affect my car. They asked to see the documentation and of course in the chaos of moving, I can't find it.

The dealership says they're not obligated to address it unless I can produce some proof that my car is eligible. Further, they say that I could get the car in there and it could be something else within the fuel system and as such, the warranty wouldn't apply. While that may be true, I'm sensing that the dealership is just being resistant to complying with a recall that Volvo itself issued and is being difficult. I assume that Volvo pays these shops back for recall work but maybe I'm wrong about that. I'm limited to this dealership and another one in Wichita which is 2 hours from me. I'm reluctant to drag my car all the way down there.

So, how can I go about getting a copy of the recall from Volvo to prove that I did get it in the first place? Is there a way to resolve a situation where I delear is being recall resistant? Or conversely, am I the one who is operating under a misunderstanding?

[MadeInJapan]

You could get a hold of VCNA (Volvo Cars of North America) as they would have been the ones that sent the notice to you. An easier/quicker way may be to look long and hard and find that piece of paper. Btw, the VCNA can be reached by phone or email: Volvo Cars Customer Service Center. In the U.S.A., the Customer Service Center can be reached, toll-free, at 1-800-458-1552. In Canada, call 1-800-663-8255. The Customer Service Center can also be reached by e-mail at [email protected]

[Ozark Lee]

A typical story for Superior Volvo. If you need non-warranty service stay very far away from them, they do quality work but they charge list +40% for parts and their labor rate obscene.

If you do need service there is a place in Merriam, KS (More or less at I-35 and Shawnee Mission Parkway) called KC Autosport. They are honest and have a $75.00 labor rate. I do 99.9% of my repairs myself but I didn't have a 32mm 1/2 inch drive socket to use with my torque wrench when replacing the axles. They charged me for 15 minutes of labor which is very fair. I highly recommend them.

...Lee