Click to ENLARGE. Story on left is from ‘CNBC.com‘. For my May 2022 post re. my accursed Volvo XC60.
The Google software on 2022 Volvos, e.g., the XC60, has been an unmitigated disaster. It has been painfully chronicled on the Internet. The entire automotive industry knows about what happened. Google had no idea how to make RELIABLE, RESILIENT software. Their software is OK on a PC or phone where you can afford to have some hiccups. But, that is NOT the case with a car. Software problems on cars can KILL. I am sure Google’s software on Volvos must have, by now, contributed to multiple accidents. Of course, Volvo nor Google, is going to make it easy for us to find out.
It is true that Renault is totally irrelevant in the U.S. It fled the U.S. in 1987 — its tail between its legs. No great loss now — & they will be even worse after this ill-fated relationship with Google. My adoptive parents lived in France for over 17-years in the late 1970s. I was living in the U.K. Between us we owned a number of Renaults, I a Renault 17 & my parents a couple of 25s. They were good cars. But this was over 35 years ago. Renault is now a non-entity. A no-op.
So, maybe they were really, really desperate. You would have to be to partner with Google knowing that Google essentially sabotaged Volvo.
Sold by: âVolvo Cars of Exeterâ â Refused to acknowledge any problems with the car. Went as far as saying âin the scheme of things, given world hunger etc., your car problems are trivial âŚâ!
Current mileage: 6 months (191 days later) 4,760 miles. Less than 800 miles/month.
November 2021 â 2 weeks after taking delivery.
Sirius XM screenfreezes. Well documented by I with pictures & even a YouTube video.
Radio Station ID & âRadio Data Systemâ (i.e., song playing & artist) out-of-sync. Shows the wrong radio/Sirius XM station & the song. You have to listen to the radio BLING with no idea what station/channel you are on â never mind what is playing.
No always on ODOMETER! Need to press a button to see how many miles are on the car.
Automatic Trip Counter (TA per Volvo speak) has a mind of its own. Doesnât reset automatically. So, useless. Have to remember to use the Manual Trip Counter (TM).
February 4, 2022
Driving to Boston, in a major snowstorm, for a doctorâs appointment. Lose ALL AUDIO! Nothing. Canât even use the phone because it is connected via Bluetooth to audio system. Had to RESET the âhead unitâ! It was scary.
February 16 â 18, 2022. Trip to Acadia (Maine)
Lose ALL maps (navigation), 3 hours into the trip, just north of Bangor. No maps for the rest of the trip.
February 2022
Recall on the car antenna.
March 2022
Parking sensors go haywire. Canât turn them off.
Have to reset the âHead Unitâ. Now I turn off the parking sensors before I start the car. I need a pre-drive checklist to keep track of everything that needs to be done before you can drive this piece of junk.
April 6, 2022
Volvoâs Software Version 2 over-the-air (OTA) update.
It fixes Sirius Screen Freeze by eliminating the artist/song (i.e., album cover) display screens.
April 26, 2022
3rd day of 4 day trip to Northern Maine. Lose maps again. Also SOS. Car goes completely haywire with various alarms for 20 minutes before it settles down. NO MAPS again.
Schedule May 9, 2022 appointment with a dealership. NOT the useless âVolvo Cars of Exeterâ.
May 9, 2022
âPower Steering Failureâ message. Car dies. Dead as a brick.
5.5 hours to get a tow for âVolvo Roadside Assistanceâ.
Tow driver finds that car battery totally dead. He jumps it. He takes it, via flatbed, to dealer.
