Swedish luxury car brand Volvo is facing a class action lawsuit in the US over a serious technical defect in its XC40 Recharge electric vehicle. According to the lawsuit filed in court, more than 100 car owners allege that the XC40 Recharge can accelerate or jerk uncontrollably, especially when using One Pedal Drive mode, a feature that allows you to accelerate or decelerate using only the accelerator pedal.
Lead plaintiff Robert M. Becker said he experienced sudden and uncontrolled acceleration while driving his 2024 XC40 Recharge. The problem typically occurred at low speeds, while shifting gears, or while using One Pedal Drive. Becker claimed the defect posed a high risk of accidents, injuries, and property damage, and accused Volvo of failing to take appropriate corrective action despite numerous complaints from users.
NHTSA warns, plaintiff accuses Volvo of hiding severity
The lawsuit comes as the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently advised Volvo electric and hybrid vehicle owners to temporarily stop using One Pedal Drive mode until a software update is available to fix the bug.
According to the lawsuit, Volvo allegedly knew or should have known about the problem based on internal testing, customer feedback, dealer engineering reports, and data from NHTSA. However, the automaker allegedly intentionally downplayed the severity or concealed the true nature of the problem.
Mr. Becker said he rented the car in September 2024 and in less than a month had to take it to the dealership multiple times because of the sudden acceleration problem. The plaintiff and his legal team are seeking a jury trial and are asking Volvo to pay damages, return any profits made from the violations and take steps to correct the safety hazard.
Two recalls are not enough, risks still lurk in many Volvo cars
The lawsuit also points to two previous recalls of Volvo electric vehicles in the US. One was to fix a software issue that could cause the vehicles to suddenly lose power, and the other involved 2021–2022 models due to the risk of water getting into the accelerator pedal sensor. However, the plaintiffs argue that these recalls were not thorough and did not do enough to completely eliminate the dangerous control defect.
Volvo is currently being sued for violating a number of laws including the Consumer Protection Act, the Unfair Competition Act, the False Advertising Act, fraud and unfair profiteering. The case is attracting great attention in the context of the global electric vehicle industry placing high priority on product safety and quality control.
Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/volvo-xc40-recharge-bi-cao-buoc-tu-tang-toc-mat-kiem-soat-post1556626.html
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