20" Wheels - excessive road noise

[BarryOnCaroline]

Demo loan car on 19" wheels and no air suspension. I have specified air suspension on my XC90 on order but seems to be conflicting opinions here if adds to noise and if is even worth the cost.

[neon]

Originally Posted by BarryOnCaroline

Demo loan car on 19" wheels and no air suspension. I have specified air suspension on my XC90 on order but seems to be conflicting opinions here if adds to noise and if is even worth the cost.

I would definitely test drive an Inscription with 20" wheels if you can, and not just on perfect smooth roads. Personally I found it worse on motorways apart from the excellent new surfaces with new compounds they are using.
The bit I was disappointed in is I raised this with the dealer before I received the car and was told that they had had not one complaint and the road noise would be as expected in a car with wide tyres and no worse.
Personally on air suspension I steered clear of it, this was because I have had it before on one Mercedes and said never again after the struts failing one after another out of warranty and the huge cost. I have no experience of the Volvo one though and there are many who swear by it on the XC90.

[Zoo21]

Agreed that these forums are very useful for helping each other out.
The fix I had done was definitely a Volvo directive.

The technician let me sight the form which was over 20 pages of A4 paper - but he said that I shouldn't be seeing it. Now I genuinely do not know if that was a flippant throw away statement or request from Volvo.

What I DID see, reading the pages upside down (across a service desk) was comments like excessive noise, customer concerns and further enhancements as they become available.
The sheets I was looking at were technical line drawings with block colours - a step by step guide to an installation process or similar.
The dealer principal explained that "circular chrome pieces - looking like watch batteries, had been put in the pillars along with some other materials''. There was no further elaboration on this when I questioned further but I was told that Volvo are working on the road noise.

If anyone is in central London NW and knows about interior trim, you are welcome to come photograph my car and see what has been done and post up on the forum but I'm not having my car left stripped down. You can PM me.

In fairness to the dealer - the MD and sales team were unaware of the fix until I was introduced to the body shop and engineering section of the dealership..that was a refreshing moment because up until that point, I was told that the tyre pressures were going to be checked and my neck hair was already rising, along with a typed official refusal to accept - and return under the 2015 consumer act, section 20 and 22. Carpet was somewhat pulled out from below me at that point.
I still have just under two weeks to enforce my rights and make a claim under the act. I have agreed to drive the car this week and as I have a longer trip today to the coast and back, I'll see what the difference is. On a sound pressure meter, there is already a 5dB drop in interior noise (an increase in 10 dB is a perceived doubling of sound - 20dB is a four times increase in the sound level).

The MD and dealer principal took rides with me driving my car, before and after the visit to the body shop. We also tested their demonstrator, similar model and variant to mine albeit not perforated leather on theirs..their car being 5dB louder than mine, after the 'fix'. The MD requested his engineer to sort their demo car.

Now - I've owned 6 (or 7?) Volvos in my family over past years and the Volvo has usually been the 2nd car in the household. The service I have had from this dealer from which I have purchased the last 4 new cars, has been fantastic. They just weren't joined up over this problem with the XC90. Please get yourself in front of the engineers - they are generally younger and much more eager to please, especially when I went back and thanked them for the 'fix'..
I'll post my findings during the week and also whether I decide to keep or return the car.

[neon]

Thanks for the info, very useful. Sounds like Volvo are a lot more aware of this than they are letting on. So frustrating that they are not doing these fixes on the cars at the factory, even if they only go part way to resolving the issue.
My experience with the technicians at the dealer has been very good so far, although this is my first Volvo. They seemed really eager to make sure I was happy with the car so I am hoping my discussions on Monday will bring some progress.

Did you mean the dealer had an official document refusing your claim.

[Zoo21]

...so I have been trawling the internet to find more and have had no success but this link is very similar to the type of illustrations and block colours that I saw on the road noise B pillar fix, done to my XC90 yesterday am (obviously not a dog guard fix)

Might give cause for all to see that it IS a known official Volvo remedial fix..

http://accessories.volvocars.com/en-...-470792-1/2016

[Zoo21]

Originally Posted by neon

Thanks for the info, very useful. Sounds like Volvo are a lot more aware of this than they are letting on. So frustrating that they are not doing these fixes on the cars at the factory, even if they only go part way to resolving the issue

I was told whilst driving the car with the MD, that most people don't come back and service. The upgrades or enhancements are never done, that would be, through normal course of servicing and we as drivers and owners would never know. This is not a safety recall issue.


Did you mean the dealer had an official document refusing your claim.

No - I meant that as I was pulling my letter out of my bag, the technician showed me what they were about to do. I had the MD with me at that point and he had no idea what the 'fix' was. I absolutely believe that. The dealer accepts my right to return.

I'm off to Southwold via A12 and back to London....will post my findings on the car after.

[Zoo21]

Apologies, still getting used to posting....
I inserted my reply into your quote on the previous post...

[Zoo21]

Hi Neon, I quote from your posting....
They seemed really eager to make sure I was happy with the car so I am hoping my discussions on Monday will bring some progress


One reason the dealer calls...it 'can' mitigate their responsibilities under the act.
I've learnt some valuable insight to the trade over this process of buying another car that I am initially disappointed with.

This link is for the trade http://www.lawgistics.co.uk/read-news/865

Look at some of the postings and see what legal advice is given to these traders and dealers.
The act only covers business to consumers. As a private buyer, I have all rights.
If I bought that car through my business, registered it to the business or indeed, as I found out, had the car insured for business use, then the dealer can refuse my claim - or at least put up an argument that I am a trade customer and not consumer.

Likewise, Volvo dealers (or any brand) are not covered under the act with The UK importer or manufacturer. The dealer takes the financial hit on the car and can have punitive damages awarded against them.
When I forwarded all of this to the salesman last week, things happened for me and I was taken very seriously.

I'm no solicitor, however, the 2017 XC90 Inscription with air suspension supplied with 20" wheels fitted with Continental tyres, is not an acceptable luxury SUV for U.K. Roads. In my case, I am a dog with a bone and my car will be fixed - or returned.

[neon]

I have just completed the Volvo survey I was asked to complete and have clearly stated I am not happy with the level of road noise on 20" wheels. I have added the following comments on the survey which I have decided to post here for transparency for other owners/potential owners as it seems to be just going round in circles with no visible stated resolution.

"Apart from the odd niggle which I am not worried about as I have confidence Volvo will resolve, there is one substantial area that I am really concerned about as detailed below.
When on order I was concerned about hearing comments on road noise for the Inscription on 20" wheels with Continental tyres. I contacted the dealer and was told there had been no other complaints and there would be an acceptable level of road noise for a Luxury SUV.
On receiving the car I took a journey on the motorway, the car was good on the newly surfaced roads with the new substrate, but was noisy on any other surfaces. At one point my wife asked if there was a window open. On perfect surfaces it feels like a luxury SUV, but on other surfaces it feels like a cheap car with cheap tyres. After many journeys I have experienced the same.
I am not happy as I have paid for a XC90 Inscription Luxury SUV and it is not acceptable for the price of the vehicle and does not meet the expected standard or quality for the luxury SUV I have paid for in the area of road noise.
I am progressing this with the dealer and have requested an official response from Volvo but have not had anything as of yet after 2 weeks. I will be phoning the After Sales Manager tomorrow."

[Zoo21]

I've received private messages but unable to reply until I hit 30 posts.
(This is another added to my tally).

Will return all messages when I can do so.