Dear Alex,
In November last year, my 2017 Volvo XC60 developed an electrical fault and intermittently failed to start. Since then, it has spent seven weeks in the Volvo dealer’s workshop at great expense. Volvo said its diagnostic investigations showed no error, but also stated they were unable to start the car on occasion, then returned it. I am at my wits’ end and no closer to solving the problem. Is there anything I can do?
– MS
Dear MS,
It seemed remiss to me that your Volvo dealer was unable to solve the issue on a modern car that you’d think would be relatively simple to diagnose.
In subsequent emails, you explained to me that you’d paid at that time for the Volvo dealer to fit a new central electronic module, then for further diagnosis when this did not resolve the issue.
You also mentioned you’d since spoken to the workshop manager, who told you he recalled having your car in the workshop for weeks at a time, but not the fact it was returned without repair.
I therefore got in touch with Volvo to try to find out what was going on.
The company told me: “The car’s symptoms were first brought to our attention in November 2023. The retailer’s service team, in conjunction with Volvo Car UK’s Technical Support team, conducted a thorough investigation over the course of 11 days and determined that a new central electronic module was required. This was fitted and the work was billed to the customer.
“The issues with the car subsequently reoccurred and the car was brought back in February this year. Another exhaustive assessment, again with the assistance of the Technical Support team, was carried out, but no fault could be established. The car was released back to the customer for monitoring.
“It is worth knowing that the retailer shared its belief with the customer that the aftermarket battery fitted to the car – which was not of OEM [manufacturer] standard – could be either the cause or a significant contributory factor to the car’s symptoms. The customer declined to authorise the battery’s replacement.
“It’s also worth knowing that the dealer charged the customer for one hour of labour charges on the car’s second visit to the workshop, despite the time taken for the assessment being far greater.”
I put the potential issue of the sub-standard battery to you. You said the dealer had in fact tested the battery and told you it was in perfect health. You confirmed the make and model of the battery, which indeed seems to be correct for the car, albeit not a Volvo-branded part.
After this had happened, you returned the car to the dealer for an MOT test. While it was there, you told me the workshop manager took you through the issues and, in the process, he again confirmed they had tested the battery again and found no issue.
However, he also said a technician intent on finding the source of the problem had manually checked the wiring in the engine bay and discovered signs of heat on a wire leading to a relay in the fuse board. He replaced the relay and this appears to have solved the problem.
This is, of course, brilliant news. But it’s a shame it took hundreds of pounds of your money, plus my intervention, for the dealer to trace a problem that seemingly should have been a simple fix. One therefore has to wonder just how “exhaustive” its testing processes are.
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