2006 Volvo S60 Brakes Problems

THIS REPORT CONCERNS THE FAILURE OF THE PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY ON MID 2000S VOLVO SEDANS AND SPECIFICALLY, A 2006 VOLVO S60, 2.5T. SPECIFICALLY, A DE-LAMINATION OF THE PARKING BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLY, WHICH RESULTS IN A TENDENCY FOR A METAL COMPONENT OF THE SHOE ASSEMBLY TO DISLODGE AND JAM BETWEEN THE BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR, RESULTING IN THE BRAKE SUDDENLY LOCKING UP WITH NO WARNING. WHILE THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THIS REPORT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 20MPH, AT HIGH SPEEDS, A BRAKE JAM EVENT OF THIS NATURE COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. THE ONSET OF THE DE-LAMINATION OF THE PARKING BRAKE SHOE ASSEMBLY OCCURS WITH NO WARNING, OTHER THAN A MILD BUMPING NOISE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE AT LOW SPEEDS. UPON INQUIRY TO SEVERAL VOLVO-SPECIFIC REPAIR SHOPS, AS WELL AS MULTIPLE REPORTS ON ONLINE VOLVO-SPECIFIC FORUMS, THIS PROBLEM IS KNOWN TO BE A RELATIVELY COMMON ISSUE AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4-8 YEARS OF NORMAL WEAR AND/OR 50,000-100,000 MILES OF USE ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SHOES. HOWEVER THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY VOLVO AS TO THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I FIRST EXPERIENCED THIS BRAKE FAILURE 2 YEARS AGO DURING AN EXIT FROM A HIGHWAY ON AN UPHILL OFF-RAMP. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKING POWER. ONLY AFTER I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND REAPPLIED PRESSURE DID I HAVE ANY BRAKING POWER. THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED A FEW TIMES AND IS VERY INFREQUENT AND RANDOM IN ITS APPEARANCES, BUT IS A RECIPE FOR DISASTER AND IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED FROM IT. THERE ARE MULTIPLE OWNERS REPORTING THE SAME FAILURE. VOLVO HAS NOT PROVIDED A SOLUTION TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 VOLVO S60 R AND I AM FILING A COMPLAINT FOR THE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WHEN GOING UPHILL SLOWLY OR MODERATELY FAST. THE CONDITION WILL OCCUR IN ANY TYPE OF WEATHER. TIRES OR BRAKES SUCH AS ROTORS AND PADS HAVE NO ROLL IN THE PROBLEM AS REPORTED BY OTHER OWNERS AND MYSELF. MY CAR HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM WHEN IT WAS BRAND NEW, WITH ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES. THE ONLY WAY TO GET PROPER BRAKE PRESSURE BACK IS TO REAPPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN. I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE IS NO REPORTED FIX FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

JAN., 2007: CAR WAS TOWED TO VOLVO DEALERSHIP. AFTER TAKING CAR TO CAR WASH IN 14 DEGREE WEATHER, TIRE, BRAKE PADS OR ROTOR FROZE, MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVEABLE. FEB. 24, 2007: DROVE 45 MINUTES ON HIGHWAY DURING BLOWING SNOW. MY CAR HAD BEEN PARKED IN MY HOME GARAGE. I PARKED CAR OUTSIDE FOR 3 HOURS AT MY DESTINATION. DRIVING THE 45 MINUTES RETURN TRIP, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK LIKE I WAS HOLDING ONTO A BATTERING RAM OR JACK HAMMER RESULTING IN EXTREMELY ROUGH DRIVING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE TIRE, BRAKE PADS OR ROTOR FROZE AND THE FREEZING PROBLEM MAKES THE TIRE(S) SEEM OUT OF BALANCE. THE TIRES FELT EXTREMELY OUT OF BALANCE. MY HANDS WERE LITERALLY SHAKING LIKE I HAD PARKINSONS. 3/7/07: ON MY WAY TO WORK AFTER CAR WAS PARKED IN MY HOME GARAGE, THE TIRES OR BRAKES, ETC. MUST HAVE FROZEN AGAIN WITHIN TEN MINUTES. I TOOK THE FIRST HIGHWAY EXIT TO SLOW FROM 60 MPH TO TRY TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAR FROM SHAKING SO MUCH. DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS "NORMAL". I HAVE HAD MORE INCIDENTS TO A LESSER EXTENT WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAR SHOOK TO A LESSER EXTENT. I AM AFRAID OF GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. THIS 2006 S60 VOLVO IS LESS THAN ONE YEAR OLD, BOUGHT NEW. THE CAR IS NOT FIT FOR WINTER DRIVING. ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THE SEIZING UP OF THE TIRE, BRAKE OR ROTOR COULD HAPPEN EVEN IN WARM WEATHER AND THEY TOO SAID THEY SEE THIS OFTEN IN VOLVOS. IT IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE DEALT WITH. *JB

CAR TYPE: VOLVO S60R MODEL YEAR 2006 (EURO SPEC.) MANUAL TRANSMISSION. TECHNICALLY NEAR IDENTICAL WITH VOLVO S60R SOLD IN US MARKET, EXCEPT FOR LIGHTS AND SPEEDOMETER. TEMPORARY COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKE POWER GOING UPHILL AT MODERATE SPEED (+/- 30MPH), WHEN DEPRESSING CLUTCH AND ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE. OCCURRED A NUMBER OF TIMES, UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. UNDER THIS CONDITION, THE BRAKING DISTANCE BECOMES VERY VERY LONG. WHEN IT HAPPENS, IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A SORT OF SPRING RELEASE NOISE THAT SEEMS TO COME FROM THE REAR HALDEX COUPLING. WOULD LEAD TO ACCIDENT IN DENSE TRAFFIC. THERE SEEMS TO BE A SOFTWARE INTERACTION PROBLEM BETWEEN THE COMPUTER THAT CONTROLS THE HALDEX AWD SYSTEM AND THE ABS SYSTEM. REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AS THIS INTERMITTENT FAILURE CAN CAUSE SEVERE CAR CRASHES AT INTERSECTIONS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. VOLVO IS UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM AS COMPUTER STORES NO FAULT CODES.