Dear All,I’m writing to raise a formal complaint and request an urgent technical escalation regarding a recurring propulsion/electrical failure on my 2020 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV (Reg: KM70 ABU | VIN: YV1XZBBVFM2446049). Vehicle was purchased 11/2024 from Lookers Kia Chester.The vehicle has now been into Lookers Volvo Stockport three times. Each time I’ve been told no fault could be replicated and no diagnostic codes were stored, yet the same issue continues to occur, leaving the car unsafe and undriveable.________________________________________Summary of symptoms• Dashboard warnings: “Propulsion System Service Required,” “Restart Not Possible,” “12 V Critical,” “Hybrid System Fault.”• Vehicle intermittently enters limp/turtle mode or fails to start.• Fault clears temporarily but returns—often after charging or under load.• The problem has now recurred multiple times under my ownership and has been confirmed as a pre-existing defect previously diagnosed and repaired under Volvo warranty in January 2021 by Volvo Chester (see attached reports).________________________________________Chronology (condensed)• 10 Jul: “Propulsion System Service Required” appeared; cleared after restart.• 11 Jul: Complete loss of power with multiple errors; AA/Volvo Assist attended, reset, advised to drive in Power mode only and book a workshop visit.• 28 Jul: Independent Volvo specialist suspected high-voltage battery contactor fault; advised booking with main dealer to protect hybrid warranty.• 5 Aug: Lookers Stockport performed diagnostics and a software update; advised issue should be resolved.• 4 Sep: Car failed to start, showing “Propulsion System” and turtle symbol; later restarted and drove in Power mode.• 13 Sep: While driving at 60 mph the car entered limp mode with “Restart Not Possible / 12 V Critical.”• 2 Oct: Booked for service and repair; recovered as undriveable.• 7 Oct: Told deeper hybrid investigation hadn’t taken place.• 14–15 Oct: Advised “monitored, no faults found.” No documentation provided; Volvo app shows car was unmoved for ~2 weeks.• 16 Oct: “Propulsion System” warning re-appeared; after charging, engine ran loudly/continuously until unplugged.• 24–26 Oct: Warning returned; next day car entered limp mode again; Volvo Assist unable to read data and arranged recovery.• 28 Oct: Delivered to Lookers Stockport. Informed the fault could not be replicated; a technician intended to take it home for further monitoring.My car’s MOT is due to expire on Friday 31st October, but I have been unable to book it in as I do not know when the vehicle will be returned. I have already had to cancel one MOT appointment, and until it passes, I also cannot renew the vehicle tax, meaning the car will soon be legally off the road due to an unresolved fault.________________________________________Hire-car issueVolvo Assist recovered the vehicle and arranged a hire car through Enterprise.No time limitation was communicated to me by Volvo Assist or Enterprise. I later learned from the dealership that the hire was limited to 24 hours and would not be extended.I therefore returned the car immediately once told this, but have since been charged £40 for exceeding the unknown limit.At no point did Volvo Assist contact me to say the vehicle needed to be returned. Had I not used my initiative, the charges could have been significantly higher.________________________________________Evidence of a wider patternI have attached screenshots from other MY20–MY23 XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV owners reporting identical issues: propulsion-system errors, 12 V critical warnings, limp mode, and lack of stored fault codes.Several report fixes involving HV battery contactors, 12 V battery faults, or hybrid-system software, confirming a recurring weakness across this model range.In addition, Volvo Chester service records (January 2021) now confirm this same vehicle previously experienced an identical propulsion system fault and had components replaced under warranty, indicating a recurrent underlying defect that has not been permanently resolved.________________________________________Requested actions1. Open a formal case and escalate to Volvo Technical, linking all workshop visits, recoveries, and the prior repair record from Volvo Chester.2. Provide a written investigation plan and outcome report, covering:o 12 V battery and charging-system testso HV battery contactors/relays, BMS, inverter, DC-DC converter, grounding checkso Confirmation of any Technical Service Bulletins or field fixes relevant to this known issueo Installation of a data logger for extended testing to capture the intermittent fault event3. Review the Volvo Assist/Enterprise hire-car handling and reimburse the £40 charge caused by inadequate communication.4. Provide goodwill mobility support while the car remains unsafe to drive and legally off the road due to the expired MOT and inability to tax it.5. Consider goodwill repair coverage or extended hybrid-system warranty, given the issue is a continuation of a known, previously repaired defect.6. Retrieve and include the vehicle’s full Volvo service history (including the attached Volvo Chester records) as part of the investigation.________________________________________Attachments• Volvo Chester service reports (January 2021) – confirmation of prior identical fault and replaced components• Independent specialist diagnostic note (suspected HV battery contactor fault)• Screenshots of other owners’ reports________________________________________I would appreciate confirmation that a formal case has been opened, together with a reference number and a named contact.Given the safety implications of a propulsion failure at speed, and the fact this is a recurrent manufacturer defect, I would be grateful for a prompt and thorough response.Thank you for your attention and cooperation.Kind regards,Danielle Hardy077874108382020 Volvo XC40 T5 Recharge PHEV | KM70 ABU | VIN YV1XZBBVFM2446049

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