Heads Up on Wiring issue

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Col
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:12 am

Post by Col »

Good day All
I am
New to the forum but I thought I would give you a heads up on an issue with my New 2021 Volvo XC 40 Inscription Pro delivered March this year
As I was Driving the other day I had a warning light saying Engine running hot and reduce speed
At that time I was in a residential areas doing 20 mph
I had drove a couple of hundred yards and the warning light changed to engine over heated pull over and turn engine off at this point the car had gone into limp mode
To cut a long story short the car is currently at Volvo and I have been informed the wiring harness and fuse box has melted and currently waiting for a new fuse box from
Volvo Sweden
Hope this info is of help
Regards
Col

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m@rk
Posts: 376
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:06 pm
Location: Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Post by m@rk »

I'm pretty sure there has been a recall on this fault as I have seen others mention it.
Only on certain trim/engine combinations though
XC40 T5 Recharge Inscription Pro - Denim & Blonde

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step2534
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:49 pm

Post by step2534 »

That's not good harness and fuse box melted, hope Volvo are on top of that fault and got it sorted.
I had a wiring harness on a Land Rover set on fire did a lot of damage.
Col
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:12 am

Post by Col »

Just had a Call from Volvo the car has been in with them for a week now and I have now been informed it’s going to take 10 weeks to get the harness
The car would have been in the garage longer than I have had it
step2534
Posts: 58
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2021 4:49 pm

Post by step2534 »

Are they giving you a new vehicle or repairing it I would have thought you would have a good case to refuse it
XC40Warwick
Posts: 61
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:23 pm
Location: Dordogne, France

Post by XC40Warwick »

step2534 makes a good observation, if it were mine I would probably be rejecting the vehicle.
A wiring loom / fuse box melting is quite serious and means possibly a large amount of loom to be replaced.
The Volvo technicians may be great at their jobs but they don't build the cars and so their day is usually changing fluid, filters, brake discs and pads.
There may be a lot of dismantling to get this repair done and during that the car may suffer trim damage, develop rattles etc as well as possible on going other issues as a result of the electrical issues encountered.
Citizens Advice / Trading standards will be able to advise and I also advise contacting Volvo Cars UK customer services team to also discuss the issue and what they can do for you.
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Alex_O
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Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2020 5:47 pm

Post by Alex_O »

There was a wiring related recall earlier this year. Related to a harness that had been installed incorrectly in some models (mine was Inscription Pro, included in recall but not affected by error), leading to the harness rubbing and eventually wearing through causing faults - they said it would impact the braking system - but this sounds like a rejectable failure rather than a minor inconvenience.

You've got 6 months to reject the car from date of delivery and they have to be given a fair chance to repair the fault - but by quick maths if you took delivery in March this 10 week (minimum) delay waiting for parts could put you very close to that window running out. This is not legal advice (IANAL), but as a minium I'd speak with CAB about your rights under the Consumer Rights Act, and hopefully they can steer you either towards someone that can help, or offer better advice than we can here. Either way I'd stay on top of the dealer about the length of time that repair is going to take. I hope at a minimum you've been given a suitable loan car and not fobbed off with a frequently changing rental from Budget.
Col
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Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:12 am

Post by Col »

Thanks Alex for your advice
Much appreciated
XC40Warwick
Posts: 61
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:23 pm
Location: Dordogne, France

Post by XC40Warwick »

You do in fact have more than six months to reject - this was what Citizens Advice told me earlier this year when I was having issues with my XC40:

"Warranties are bound by their own terms and conditions and are separate from your statutory rights. You will need to direct your argument to the main dealer from whom you purchased the vehicle from as anything offered under the warranty will be seen as a gesture of goodwill as opposed to a legal requirement.

Your rights and obligations

Under the Consumer Rights Act all goods supplied by a trader should be of satisfactory quality and last a reasonable time.

As the first 30 days from purchase has passed, you could ask for a repair or complete replacement item. You can ask specifically for either one however it may be seen as a reasonable remedy to provide a repair unless it was to cause you a significant inconvenience.

It will be down to you to prove that the issue has not been caused through fair wear and tear, neglect, misuse or accidental damage and you may wish to have the vehicle independently inspected to help you prove your case.

If one repair or replacement does not resolve the situation or you have not been given a remedy within a reasonable time, you could then argue for your Final Right to Reject for a full refund which may be reduced by a reasonable amount for the usage you have had of the item; Ultimately the reduction would be for you to negotiate with the trader. In addition to the above, you may also be able to claim damages to cover any financial losses you have incurred as a direct result of the
situation you have described"
XC40 FE D4 Crystal White 20" with LAVA
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m@rk
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Location: Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Post by m@rk »

Having been the through the whole process of rejecting a new car (in my case it was Mercedes Benz) be prepared for a long and protracted battle. As soon as you take this route, the dealer, Volvo UK and potentially your finance company (who may well also be Volvo UK) will go on the defensive. There is a very good chance you will have to go all the way to court, hire lawyers and barristers and invest a serious amount of time and money to enforce your rights. You will need to pay for experts and from the moment you reject the car, even though it may take several months to go through the legal process, you will not be able to use it. When your formally reject a car. under law you must take the car to the dealer, park it on their forecourt, give them the keys and a letter stating you are rejecting it so think about how you are getting home afterwards. Slightly different when your car is already at the dealer but don't expect them to let you keep the courtesy car.

Sure IF you win you "should" be able to recover all these costs but in the mean time you will need deep pockets to pay for all these people and car hire etc. The other side have dedicated legal departments and very deep pockets. It's not unknown in David vs Goliath legal cases for them to just protract things for so long, you run out of cash and have to give up!

I have been there (and won) but really would not advise it unless as a last resort. All the Internet forum IANALs giving you advice aren't necessarily wrong but probably haven't ever tried this for themselves and certainly won't be looking at the bigger picture.

So speak with the Dealer Principal at your dealer personally and now. Not the service manager, not the sales manager but the Dealer Principal. Explain your concerns. Be nice! Don't go marching in with your "rights" and your demands. Your DP normally doesn't get to hear about service issues but can make big decisions. If he thinks the car should be replaced, he can make that happen for you so keep him on your side as much as you can.

I'm sure you already have a courtesy car and hopefully it is as good if not better than your car but please please please, make sure your DP knows about this, have a chat and ask him what he can do. Don't under estimate what your service department can do. Don't worry about rattles and trim damage. Any bits that need replacing will be replaced and if you aren't happy, you can ask them to do it again. I have had a number of cars from the likes of Audi and BMW that have had the entire dashboard stripped and removed from the car before being put back together perfectly.

TL;DR

Be nice (for now) and make your DP your best friend. This way you get looked after and treated properly and for now, it's probably best to avoid getting dragged into internet posts by people who have never been in your situation but "know the law" :)

Remember, going legal should be your absolute last resort and is not for the faint hearted

Good luck
XC40 T5 Recharge Inscription Pro - Denim & Blonde

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