NHTSA Investigation PE05057

VOLVO XC90 BATTERY CABLE FAILURES

THE OFFICE OF DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION, PE05-057 BASED ON EARLY WARNING DATA SUBMITTED TO ODI BY VOLVO. THE DATA CONTAINED FIELD REPORTS OF THERMAL FAILURES OF THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE. ON NOVEMBER 17, 2005, VOLVO NOTIFIED ODI THAT IT HAD IDENTIFIED A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLES IN APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MY 2005 VOLVO XC90 VEHICLES WITH SIX CYLINDER ENGINES THAT COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.VOLVO RECALLED THE AFFECTED VEHICLES TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL GROUNDING CONDITION (NHTSA RECALL #05V-529).THERE WERE 13 COMPLAINTS, INCLUDING 4 FIRES, AND 10 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE CONDITION ADDRESSED BY 05V-529.DURING PE05-057, VOLVO ALSO PROVIDED ODI WITH INFORMATION REGARDING THREE OTHER ISSUES RELATED TO THE BATTERY CABLE/TERMINALS IN MY 2005 XC90 VEHICLES:1) UNDER TORQUED BATTERY CABLE ATTACHING FASTENERS TO THE STARTER ALLEGEDLY CAUSING ENGINE STALLS AND MELTED PARTS IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT (APPLICABLE TO V8 ENGINES ONLY).2) THE JACK HANDLE MAY BE CRITICALLY MISPOSITIONED AGAINST THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE/POST ALLEGEDLY CAUSING FIRES IN SOME VEHICLES (APPLICABLE TO ALL XC90 VEHICLES).3) A POTENTIAL CHAFFING CONDITION OF THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE TO A SHARP EDGED SHEET METAL FLANGE IN THE REAR STORAGE COMPARTMENT. (APPLICABLE TO ALL XC90 VEHICLES).THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA06-006) TO ASSESS THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY AND POTENTIAL SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF EACH OF THESE ISSUES.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.