BoatU.S. - August/September 2010

$3,000 per replacement. “Since purchase, the bellows have been replaced four times, the U-joints and gimbal bearings have been replaced two times,” a boat owner in West Chester, Pennsylvania, told BoatU.S. Earlier this year, his mechanic told him the bellows, U-joint and bearing would have to be replaced again. “This will be five bellows and three sets of U-joints and bearings in five years of operation,” the owner reported. “My mechanic has informed me that Volvo won’t pay for this replacement, a cost of $2,275.

Up to this point Volvo has been supportive
in standing
behind
their
prod-
uct,”
he said.
“I don’t
think it’s
proper for
Volvo to ask
the custom-
ers to support the replacement
of U-joints and gimbal bearings as a
yearly maintenance item.” A Massachusetts
owner of a 2006 I/O told BoatU.S., “We
sold the boat after making a total of
$12,000 in repairs without any help
from Volvo. We used it in saltwater with
the recommended anodes sourced directly
from Volvo.”
Addingto engine owners’ confusion is
Volvo’s choice of words in describing the
bellows repairs. In both the service bul-
letins distributed to dealers and to letters
sent to owners, the repair effort is referred
to as a “recall.” Turns out, it’s not a recall
under the definition of the Federal Boat
Safety Act, which is a defect that creates a
substantial risk of personal injury. Kelleher
told BoatU.S. that it’s the company’s prac-
tice to use the word “recall” whenever they

contact customers about a repair issue.

Volvo does not consider the bellows problem a safety defect, nor does it represent noncompliance with federal manufacturing regulations, because there are no regulations governing the engine parts involved. This is a conclusion shared by the U.S. Coast Guard, which oversees safety defect recalls of recreational boats and accessories, after the Volvo service bulletin was brought to their attention.

Volvo records indicate that 5.70SXi and 8.10Si XDP sterndrives with XXP TSK transom shield Spec Numbers 3869293, 3869297, 3869347, 3869348, 3886856, 3886857 may experience bellows failures. All XDP drive units with serial numbers higher than s/n 4251009540 were shipped with new U-joint bellows and are not included in this campaign.

Consumers who own engines that haven’t already been repaired should contact their Volvo dealer to obtain repair authorization from the engine maker.

Consumers who own affected engines and who have either received engine repairs but who are still experiencing problems or who have been denied assistance, should contact the BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau, 703-461-2856 or consumerpro- tection@BoatUS.com

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                   

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�     �   

�   

� 

�  
    

34 Boat U.S. Magazine AUG/SEP T 2010

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                             

   

   

                              