Exclusive: 2 local families share how their cars caught on fire mid-drive
Volvo provided the following statement: “At Volvo Cars, safety is our highest priority and we take the well-being of our customers seriously.”
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Two families say their cars burst into flames while they were driving on the road.
Alex Krupp and her husband were on a road trip together in their 2022 Volvo XC90 that they say went up in flames along the Bruckner Expressway in April.
“The fear didn't really set in until later because it was such this fight or flight mode of we have to get out,” said Krupp. “Within 30 seconds, the entire hood was in flames.”
Krupp says that the most difficult parts were yet to come after her negative experience with Volvo.
“I felt like I was being gaslit… this response was anything but safe or feeling like they had our best interests in mind,” said Krupp.
The couple’s insurance company immediately investigated and stated the car was too charred to figure out the cause of the fire. Volvo’s investigation revealed that rats were responsible for the damage.
Krupp and her husband took to the internet to find a solution, and instead, found another family with a very similar story.
Orson Joseph was with his 7-year-old son Miles in their 2015 Volvo VC60 when they smelled smoke – which quickly turned into a billowing fire.
“I was pretty scared,” said Joseph. “Why wasn’t there a safety feature that shut the car off so it didn’t ignite on fire? That’s the scary part.”
Volvo currently has multiple active recalls in place, but those recalls do not include the 2022 XC90 or the 2015 XC60. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tells News 12 they’re not aware of any ‘actionable fire-defect trend’ in either car model.
Krupp was offered a dollar credit to a Volvo dealership, but Joseph says he wasn’t offered anything. Joseph adds that he had a similarly negative customer service experience with the car manufacturer.
Volvo provided the following statement:
“At Volvo Cars, safety is our highest priority and we take the well-being of our customers seriously.”
