Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle warranty 150K miles / 15 years - ITS REAL!

[packetfire]

UPDATE: See 3rd post - Volvo made good, and was also honest to a fault.

Just a happy note.

I got a check engine light, which VIDA explained as "ECM 2A10 - Center Heated Oxygen Sensor - Signal low"

Researching this, I stumbled across this document:

https://volvo.custhelp.com/app/answers/ ... 9-warranty

Which I attach a pdf of here in case the website is reorganized.

Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) Warranty.pdf

(94.16 KiB) Downloaded 64 times

As it says, "This warranty has been in effect since 2003 for certain states.... Engine VIN codes 39 & 96 are eligible if sold and registered in California, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and New York"

And just look at all the goodies covered!

Covered Emissions Components:

Fuel and Ignition System:
Engine Control Module Hardware, Engine Control Module Software, Fuel Pump including Pressure Regulator, Fuel Pump Electronic Module (PEM), Fuel Filter, Fuel Injectors, Fuel Rail Pressure and Temperature Sensor, Intake Air Temperature Sensor, Ambient Temperature Sensor, Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor, Mass Air Flow Sensor, Electronic Throttle Module, Oxygen Sensor, Brake Control Module (manual transmission models only), Spark Plugs, Knock Sensor, Crankshaft Position Sensor, Camshaft Position Sensor, Central Electronic Module, Intake Manifold, Throttle Position Sensor, Idle Speed Control Valve, Engine Coolant Temp Sensor, Ignition Coil/Power Stage, CVVT Timing Unit, CVVT Solenoid Valve, Crankcase Pressure Control Valve

Engine Cooling System:
Coolant Thermostat, Engine Coolant Temperature

Crankcase Emission Control System:
Oil Trap with Crankcase Pressure Regulator, PCV Connections, Calibrated Orifices, PTC Nipple, Intake Manifold Nipple, Fresh Air Hose, Vacuum Nipple, Coolant Heated

Evaporative Emission Control System:
EVAP Carbon Canister, EVAP Leakage Diagnosis Pump, Purge Valve, Canister Closing Valve, Fuel Filler Cap, Fuel Tank, Fuel Tank Pressure Sensor, Leakage Detection Pump

Catalyst:
Catalytic Converter, Exhaust Manifold

Turbocharger:
Turbocharger Assembly including Wastegate, Turbo Control Valve, Charge Air Cooler

Automatic Transmission:
Transmission Control Module Hardware and Software

Continuously Variable Valve Timing:
Timing Device, Solenoid Valve

Miscellaneous items used in above systems:
Hoses, clamps, fittings, tubing, sealing gaskets or devices, pulleys, belts, fuel lines, wiring harnesses and mounting hardware and electronic controls (all models) used with the components listed above.

Did the stealership honor this warranty? Not without a push. The first stealership in NJ I called demanded just under $200 for a "diagnostic fee" before they would even talk about what was wrong, and claimed that my 2010 v50 was "no longer covered by any warranty". The best answer to that was to hang up and call elsewhere.

Another NJ stealership only an hour or so further away from NYC's George Washington Bridge than the first (so as to not name names, but provide sufficient warning) doubted that there was any warranty any more, but the service writer did commit to calling the regional rep and asking.

Lo and behold, he called back, and yep! My O2 sensor problem is clearly covered, and likely my leaky exhaust mainifold is also covered, but he will have to call back and ask specifically about this issue, the (common) stretching of the studs that hold the manifold to the head, and resulting exhaust leak from a cold, but rarely a warm engine.

But your years have to be less than 15, your miles less than 150K, and your car one sold in a PZEV state listed above.

I will post a reply/update to this when I get actual work done.

[packetfire]

UPDATE ON WARRANTY SUPPORT

Got lots of pushback from service writers, who repeatedly insisted that the car was "out of warranty", prompting me to email them the pdf I attached to this post - there are similar pdfs for other models of cars in this year range, you just have to google "PZEV" with "site:" equal to Volvo's domain name (which, as one can see from Matthew1's posts in this thread, annoyingly changes de temps en temps).

So, now I have to bring the car in for "diagnosis" so that the can verify the state of the DTC code set by the O2 sensor going kaput and the exhaust manifold leak, which is going to have to be on faith alone unless they want to have the car sit all day or overnight to cool off the manifold, so it will leak again at start-up.

But these service-writer guys are AGGRESSIVE, and somewhat argumentative, not a good idea when in an area of multi-million dollar homes where a Volvo is used by the housekeeper to make Costco runs while a Bentley is the family daily driver. Took a bit of pushing to get an understanding that "authorizing the diagnostics" would be free of charge, but, they admitted, IF AND ONLY IF they confirmed that the problem was as I described it, as we had already discussed (argued!) the existence and applicability of the warranty to these components.

I do not know why there is so much foot-dragging on doing warranty work - the dealer will be paid well by Volvo, and one would think that after being presented with Volvo's own document, they would be a little more supportive of the customer. But this dealer did not sell the car, and the dealer that did sell it became an independent repair-and-used-car Volvo specialist, so they cannot do warranty work.

But I have never had to deal with an openly "adversarial" person who wanted me to entrust my car to them. Hey, my WIFE drives this car - you don't take an attitude with me over my simple clear and compelling claim under an unconditional warranty with plain wording. I guess most of their customers are "money is no object" types, so the only talk they get about price is from PAs trying to earn some brownie points with their employers by shaving some of the fluff off their nosebleed pricing for mundane services done by teenagers recently hired from Quickie-Lube.

[packetfire]

Update 11/20/2024 - Volvo got the parts, and is paying the stealership labor, and I pay nada.

Bonus, when addressing the loose exhaust manifold studs (or gasket, I'm not sure which), the tech either cracked the feed-in pipe to the catalytic converter, or found a crack that may have been the sole source of the problem. Anyway, I get a brand new cat at 100K miles for free, not so shabby, as it is also covered under the PZEV warranty.

The loaner is a new XC40, and it has an instrument cluster that looks like a video game, complete with Google maps in the middle (a dup of what one can have on the large center console screen) to distract one even MORE:

My peripheral vision has been trained over the decades to notice any motion or change on the instrument cluster on the original DeVolvo, a 240 wagon I equipped with a "Rally" VDO cluster, so das v40 bliken-lighten mach mich rubbernecken sichtseeren nacht keepen das eyeballen und da autobhan!

[BlackBart]

Good consumer advocate work here.