MY WIFE & DAUGHTER SMELLED SMOKE WHILE DRIVING ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. IT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THEY STOPPED THE CAR RIGHT AWAY AND GOT OUT. AS MY WIFE OPENED THE DOOR TO THE BACK SEAT TO GET HER PURSE, SHE SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT. THEY RAN TO THE NEAREST HOUSE TO CALL 911. WHILE ON THE PHONE WITH 911, LESS THAN A MINUTE AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, MY WIFE SAW THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE CAR BECOME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ON THE SCENE WITHIN 3 MINUTES, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE CAR WAS BURNED BEYOND RECOGNITION. WHAT HAD BEEN LEATHER SEATS WERE NOW METAL FRAMES, THE DASHBOARD HAD EVAPORATED, AND THE CAR WAS TOTALED. ALTHOUGH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY COVERED THE LOSS OF THE CAR, WE HAVE HAD TO SPEND SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE BURNT POSSESSIONS (LIKE A CELL PHONE AND A PDA) AND PAY FOR CAR RENTAL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THE SEAT HEATER WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FIRE, BUT VOLVO HAS NOT ADMITTED ANY PRODUCT FAILURE. WHEN WE BOUGHT A VOLVO BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY ("VOLVO FOR LIFE"), WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BURN UP!
NHTSA complaint #10145509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1994 850 GLT VOLVO WAS TOTAL DESTROYED BY FIRE. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SEAT FELT HOT, THEN IT BEGUN TO SMOKE AND SMELLED BURNING. THE DEALER DISCONNECTED THE SEAT HEATER CIRCUITS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND BEGUN TO SMOKE AGAIN. FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT.
NHTSA complaint #10133443 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1. SEATS FELT VERY HOT TO THE POINT OF BURNING. HAD TO TURN HEATER OFF. . BURNED HOLES IN BOTH SEATS AND IN COAT OF PASSENGER. 3. SEAT HEATERS REPLACED. ONE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO BY VOLVO DEALER. PART WAS NOT RETURNED. OTHER HEATER REPLACED LAST MONTH BY LOCAL GARAGE. I HAVE OLD HEATER, WHICH HAS A BARE WIRE STICKING OUT FROM BURNED HOLE IN HEATER PAD.
NHTSA complaint #10116263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEAT HEATERS WERE REPLACED DUE TO RECALL, BUT HEATERS MALFUNCTIONED AFTER REPLACEMENT. DEALER WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. *LA THE CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 02V314000. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT HEATERS WERE FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND THE CONSUMER HAD NO PROBLEMS. ONCE THE DEALER DID THE RECALL REPAIRS THE SEAT HEATERS NO LONGER FUNCTIONED. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE DEALER OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT ONLY THE WIRING WAS RE-ROUTED, THEREFORE THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE.
NHTSA complaint #10051710 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER DID NOT OPERATE. FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT HEATER WAS REPAIRED UNDER RECALL 02V314000, BUT CONSUMER MUST PAY TO GET THE DRIVER'S SEAT REPAIRED.
NHTSA complaint #10059149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CONSUMER'S COMPLAINT REGARDING RECALL CAMPAIGN 112. *MR (RECALL # 02V314000) THE SEAT HEATER DID NOT OPERATE PROPERLY. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A NOTICE WHICH INDICATED THAT IN THE INSTANCE WHERE THE SEAT HEATERS DIDN'T OPERATE, THE CORRECTIVE ACTION MAY NOT RESTORE FULL FUNCTIONALITY. THE REMEDY DID NOT RESTORE THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED COMPENSATION. THERE WAS ALSO AN A/C PROBLEM. *SCC
NHTSA complaint #10025051 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE #02V314000 , ELECTRICAL SEAT HEATER, IN MARCH OF 2003. THE CONSUMER HAS MADE SEVERAL APPOINTMENTS TO HAVE TO RECALL REMEDIED. THE DEALER HAS CANCELLED ALL APPOINTMENTS MADE STATING THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. *NLM
NHTSA complaint #10018074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I AM THE OWNER AND DRIVER OF A 1996 VOLVO 850. ON SUNDAY MARCH 16TH 2003, THE DRIVER AND MYSELF WERE STOPPED IN A DRIVE THROUGH RESTAURANT WHEN MY DRIVERS SEAT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAR STARTED SMOKING FROM THE SEATS, THEN WE TURNED AROUND TO LOOK WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM WE NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE SEAT INTO THE BACK SEAT AREA. WE YELLED FOR A FIRE EXTINGUISHER THAT THE DRIVER USED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, WHILE PUTTING IT OUT HE SUSTAINED INJURY. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THEY HAD ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE MY CAR. I WAS CONFUSED ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED SO I DECIDED TO RESEARCH "ELECTRICAL WIRING PROBLEMS IN VOLVO'S" WHEN I FOUND DIFFERENT ARTICLES RECALLING MY MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR THAT AS OF DECEMBER 2, 2002: 65,000 1996, 850 VOLVO'S WERE BEING RECALLED BECAUSE THE SEAT HEATERS COULD SHORT CIRCUIT AND CATCH FIRE. IN MANY OF THE ARTICLES IT HAS STATED THAT EITHER VOLVO HASN'T STARTED A CAMPAIGN YET TO NOTIFY THEIR CONSUMERS OR THAT VOLVO WOULD NOT RETURN CALLS TO COMMENT ON RECALLS. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST VOVLO DEALERSHIP TO ME AND THEY WERE VERY CONFUSED ON WHAT TO DO. THE MAN ON THE PHONE FIRST TOLD ME THAT HE HASN'T HEARD OF A RECALL FOR THAT BUT A FEW MINUTES LATER HE SAID THEY RECENTLY SERVICED HIS BOSS' 1996 850 VOLVO FOR THE SAME RECALL, HE SAID HE WOULD RESEARCH AND CALL ME BACK. EARLY AFTERNOON, I CONTACTED VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA TO COMPLAIN. I TOLD THE ABOVE STORY, WHERE THEY THOUGHT THEY WEREN'T LIABLE FOR THIS. ONE MAN SAID JUST BECAUSE IT'S RECALLED DOESN'T MEAN THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR. I THEN SPOKE WITH HIS SUPERVISOR WHO TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO TOW MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES AWAY, I HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL AND THAT'S WHERE AN ADJUSTER FROM VOLVO WILL INSPECT THE CAR. IN THE MEANTIME I CAN NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR A RENTAL WHILE MY CAR IS OUT OF COMMISSION. LIVID AT THE FACT THAT MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS WAS COMPROMISED!
NHTSA complaint #10010636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE DRIVERS SEAT STARTED GETTING HOT. THE SEAT HEATER BURNED THROUGH THE SEAT. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. MR
NHTSA complaint #8020867 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, I SWITCHED THE SEAT HEATER ON AND DROVE AWAY. WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF DRIVING, A SHARP PAIN DEVELOPED IN MY RIGHT BUTTOCK. WITHIN SECONDS A TRAIL OF DARK SMOKE ROSE FROM THE SAME AREA. AFTER LIFTING MY BOTTOM OFF OF THE SEAT AND REALIZING THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE SEAT I SHUTOFF THE SEAT WARMER. THE RESULT OF THE INCIDENT LEFT A BURN MARK ON MY PANTS AND A CIGARETTE SIZED HOLE IN MY SEAT CUSHION. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND AFTER INVESTIGATION I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTEE. THE COST OF THE NEW SEAT WARMER AND REPLACEMENT OF THE SEAT CUSHION WAS 770 US DOLLARS. I REFUSED TO PAY AND ASKED THE DEALER TO SIMPLY DISCONNECT THE SEAT WARMER.
NHTSA complaint #766384 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FOR 3-5 MINUTES WITH THE SEAT HEATER ON WHEN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT BOTTOM HEATER CAUGHT FIRE, THE INVESIGATOR REPORTED THAT THIS FIRE WAS THE RESULT OF UNREGULATED OPERATION OF THE HEATER PAD WIRES. NLM
NHTSA complaint #564487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE 1 NOTICED SMOKE AND THEN SAW A FLAME AS HE PULLED OUT OF A PARKING SLOT. THE DETERMINED CAUSE OF MALFUNCTION WAS THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER. INSURED REPLACED THE WIRING FOR THE HEATER ABOUT A YEAR AGO. CLAIM# 37-3190-422.
NHTSA complaint #6901062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND RUNNING WHEN IT SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAMES AND BURNED UP. FIRE SEEMS TO HAVE ORIGINATED FROM THE DRIVERS SEAT. CLAIM# 20-5456-209
NHTSA complaint #6901064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.