Recall notice & Volvos on fire

VOLVO: POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEMS
2/26/03

Recall campaign # 112

'96 VOLVO 850 Wagon Recall - SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

Recall Date:	NOV 19, 2002
Component:	SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Model Affected:	850
Potential Units Affected:	65000

Description of Recall:
ON SOME SEDANS AND STATION WAGONS EQUIPPED WITH SEAT HEATERS, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT EXCESSIVE COMPRESSION OF THE SEAT CUSHION COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING OF THE SEAT HEATER.

This recall is now underway involving thousands of Volvo's because of a dangerous defect. It comes on the heels of an Action News investigation. We first exposed a potential safety problem in some Volvo vehicles earlier this month. One week later, the automaker started sending recall notices to 65,000 consumers. But does that recall go far enough?

Who can forget Sue Ferrick? 

Sue Ferrick/MALVERN, PA.:

I could have lost my family. There's no words. I just think it's an absolute disgrace.
The Ferricks barely made it out of their car alive last December, after the seat heater in their 1997 Volvo 850 short circuited and caught fire.

Sue Ferrick/MALVERN, PA.:

We had like less than a minute, I think to get out of that car.
After Action News called Volvo - the automaker agreed to give her another car. This is the recall notice thousands of Volvo consumers have now received. It covers 1996 and 97 850 sedans and wagons. The question is - is this enough?

Volvo says it's not expanding the recall because the incidents of fire are less frequent in other models and years, and in part, because they don't think there's a great risk for personal injury because they've found there's enough time to leave the car before the seat catches fire. But try telling that to John Simkiss. 

John Simkiss/WAYNE, PA.:

This is where my girls were sitting just half hour before the fire started.
These are pictures from his 1994 Volvo 850, which isn't covered by the recall.

John Simkiss/WAYNE, PA.:

The windows shattered and it was shooting flames 15 feet into the car with a huge column of smoke that attracted my neighbors.
We were very fortunate that no one was hurt.
Simkiss says an independent fire inspector tells him the seat heaters are the probable cause. But Volvo says because the car was so badly burned, it cannot conclusively determine a product defect is at fault. And the seat heaters involved in the recall are different from the seat heaters in any other vehicle manufactured before or after 1996 and 1997. 

Volvo has a serious problem and they are not addressing it and it makes me so angry.

All of a sudden, I just jumped out of my seat.
Dino Malitas drives a 1999 Volvo S-70 which isn't covered by the recall either.

Dino Malitas/ABINGTON, PA.:

I would tell them to recall this year as well as other years. This is a dangerous situation.
Volvo replaced the seat in his car free of charge after the heater coils on the driver's side got so hot - the seat started smoking!

Dino Malitas/ABINGTON, PA.:

It was like touching a hot stove.
The next person might not be as lucky as I was.
Volvo also hasn't issued the current recall to customers in other countries even though the equipment on those vehicles are the same as the ones here. Volvo says that's because it's seen a higher frequency of incidents in North America, they will keep a close eye on the situation in other markets.

By the way, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the federal agency that oversees vehicle recalls in the US. Spokespeople will only tell us they do not comment on ongoing or pending investigations.