This is just a poor engineering design/quality of product issue. I have seen this same issue on other model year of Volvo's with tail gates. The wires seem too long and get bound up in the hinge and eventual get cut, or frayed as you use the tail gate. In my car, every single wire (I think 14) were cut or frayed. My cut brake light wire touching the cut rear wiper wire so my brake light was coming on instead of the wiper. This is a huge safety issue as cars behind me may not have been fully aware that I was braking. Not to mention that my rear window was dirty and unable to be seen out of for driver safety. Two years my wife drove like this. Thankfully a diligent safety inspection caught this! The short circuits fried the REM. This then fried the driver side brake light. So for two years or so, my wife was driving around with only one brake light in the rear. So now in total I have about a $1,300 repair bill between the wire harness, the REM and the brake light. Grrrr There could have been a car fire from the carious electrical short circuits as well. I am livid with Volvo right now. The dealer is just sticking his hand as far into my wallet as he can without any consideration that this isn't normal wear and tear issue and the gravity of the endangerment to my family.
This is just a poor engineering design/quality of product issue. I have seen this same issue on other model year of Volvo's with tail gates. The wires seem too long and get bound up in the hinge and eventual get cut, or frayed as you use the tail gate. In my car, every single wire (I think 14) were cut or frayed. My cut brake light wire touching the cut rear wiper wire so my brake light was coming on instead of the wiper. This is a huge safety issue as cars behind me may not have been fully aware that I was braking. Not to mention that my rear window was dirty and unable to be seen out of for driver safety. Two years my wife drove like this. Thankfully a diligent safety inspection caught this! The short circuits fried the REM. This then fried the driver side brake light. So for two years or so, my wife was driving around with only one brake light in the rear. So now in total I have about a $1,300 repair bill between the wire harness, the REM and the brake light. Grrrr There could have been a car fire from the carious electrical short circuits as well. I am livid with Volvo right now. The dealer is just sticking his hand as far into my wallet as he can without any consideration that this isn't normal wear and tear issue and the gravity of the endangerment to my family.
- Michael G., Great Falls, VA, US