Unsafe Volvo

• Consumer wins case, returns car and get refund
• Volvo hides information on defects
• 5,800 units recalled in US for defective brakes

The proud owner of a supposedly brand new Volvo 760 GLE  had problems with his car within days of delivery.

The most serious of the defects, pertaining to the brakes, persisted despite his sending the car to Federal Auto's workshops on at least 13 occasions.

After being involved in a minor accident as a result of the defective brakes, he finally returned the car to Arab-Malaysian Finance Bhd in August 1986.

His court case against the dealer and the finance company dragged on for almost 12 years, culminating in Sweet Victory on 27 Feb 1997, when the Sessions Court awarded him a full refund.

The appeal by the defendants was dismissed with costs recently.

'The main points of contention here are:

• Why did Federal Auto, and the manufacturer for that matter, extol the virtues of Volvo 760's "superior brake system" when, in actual fact, there had been a 1984 recall of an estimated 5,800 units of this model in the US for defective brakes?

• Did the Volvo parent company hide important information from Federal Auto? The latter claimed not to have received the Service Bulletin dated November 1985 pertaining to the need to replace the 34mm calipers with those measuring 38mm in diameter.

This proves beyond doubt the need to implement a voluntary recall system in our country. This could be the answer too arresting the high accident and death rates on our roads. From the many complaints received by Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) these past two decades, it's apparent that many vehicles, even new ones plying our roads are unroadworthy.

CAP calls on Ministry of Transport to ACT NOW before it's too late.

Next Article

Disclaimer: All the information printed on this website are to be used for your personal entertainment viewing only.  Most of the information gathered here are compilation from the Consumer Association of Penang publication. We are not affiliated with Volvo and Consumer Association of Penang or with any other automobile manufacturers. This group was created to alert the public about the automobile industry and to make the public roads a better and safer place around the world.