AFTER STARTING UP FROM A STOP, CITY SAFETY ACTIVATED WITH AN EMERGENCY BRAKE ACTIVATION, WE WERE ALMOST REAR ENDED BY THE CAR BEHIND US. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE ACTIVATION OF THE BRAKES, VEHICLE IN FRONT WAS ACCELERATING AWAY FROM US, PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN US, AND SPACE WAS INCREASING. THIS OCCURRED ON 3 MORE OCCASIONS BEFORE I COULD GET TO THE DEALER. MY WIFE HAS NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE, AS SHE NO LONGER FEELS SAFE, WORRIED ABOUT SELF, AND THE BABY DUE TO HARD STOP OR IF REAR ENDED. *TR
2012
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SUDDEN FAILURE OF THE POWER STEERING, AMONGST OTHERS, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A CROSSROADS. VERY DANGEROUS EMERGENCY STOPPING OF THE CAR, ENGINE STOPPED, ALL ALARMS ON, STEERING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO USE WITHOUT POWER. HAD TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO SERVICE CENTER. VOLVO CLAIMS THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A COMMON PLACE ALTERNATOR FAILURE (THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL CAMPAIGN FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH AUXILIARY BELT TENSIONER). POWER STEERING FAILED ALTHOUGH BATTERY WAS FULLY CHARGED. FOUND ON THE INTERNET THIS OCCURRING SEVERAL TIMES TO OTHER XC60 DRIVERS. AS ALTERNATOR FAILURES WITHOUT ANY WARNING ARE SO "COMMON PLACE" AND AS THEY CAN HAVE SUCH VERY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON SAFETY, WHY ISN'T THERE ANY BATTERY-BASED POWER STEERING SURVIVABILITY AS ON MOST OTHER VEHICLES?