Three Volvo vehicle owners have initiated legal action against an official Volvo service centre in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, over unsatisfactory service. One owner claimed that a third-party tyre shop worked on the alignment and balancing of her car.
Two owners have filed a suit at the Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court against Ingress Swede Automobile Sdn Bhd.
Twentytwo13 reached out to Volvo International, Ingress Corporation Bhd and Ingress Swede Automobile but has yet to receive a reply.
A plaintiff, Lim Zi Hwei, in her statement of claim filed on May 18, said she sent her XC60 to Ingress Swede Automobile on March 29, for service.
“The defendant (Ingress Swede Automobile) asked if the plaintiff (Lim) wanted to do the alignment and balancing of tyres, to which the plaintiff agreed,” read the statement of claim sighted by Twentytwo13.
Lim, a lawyer, paid RM230 for the services, and weeks later, she contacted Ingress Swede Automobile, saying her vehicle was steering to the left.
On April 27, at around 8.45am, Lim sent her vehicle to the service centre in Mutiara Damansara. She was asked not to wait “as it would take some time”.
Lim left the centre but reached out to Ingress Swede Automobile at 2.03pm, wondering about the status of her vehicle. At 2.19pm, she received a reply saying they were working on the tyre alignment.
Lim headed to The Curve at around 3.37pm. She informed the service centre that she was in the area and to call her once her car was ready.
On the way to The Curve, Lim saw her vehicle driven from the service centre. She showed up at the service centre at 4.15pm only to be told that her vehicle was being test driven. She received the car at 5.35pm.
The following day, Lim informed the service centre that the car was still steering to the left and was unhappy with the substandard service.
She also had proof that her car was unattended from the time she brought it into the service centre up until she saw it driven out later in the afternoon (on April 27) and that her vehicle was sent to a tyre shop in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, to get the alignment and balancing done.
When Lim pointed this out to a representative from the service centre, the representative allegedly admitted they did not have the equipment to align and balance tyres.
She added that this was a misrepresentation and alleged that the vehicle was still steering to the left. After her third visit to the service centre, Lim sought a second opinion from another tyre shop and found out that the tyres were, in fact, not balanced.
Lim sent a letter of demand on May 8 but did not receive a reply from Ingress Swede Automobile. She is now seeking damages from Ingress Swede Automobile.
Another plaintiff, Daniel Wong Chee Song, who owns an XC40, filed his statement of claim on May 31.
In his statement of claim, Wong said his car stalled in Seri Kembangan on May 1 with the message ‘Reduced performance – Acceleration performance reduced’ appearing on his dashboard.
He then towed his vehicle to the service centre.
The following day, Wong was informed a team of technicians was diagnosing his vehicle. On May 3, the centre told him there was a problem with the vehicle’s hybrid system and the hybrid starter generator control module.
The service centre had informed him that it would get the parts but that they would arrive in two weeks.
On May 16, Wong claimed that the service centre told him there would be an isolation test, and they had to suspend getting the parts. This irked Wong as he was without a vehicle throughout the duration.
Wong complained to Volvo International and Volvo Car Malaysia. He was informed that the “case has been logged”.
He added that “the lack of response is completely unacceptable from a reputable brand”. He, too, sought damages and demanded that his car be fixed quickly.
Another owner, Vincent Chen Wei Jie, sent Ingress Swede Automobile a letter of demand on May 30 for “unsatisfactory and/or delays in relation to vehicle repair and part replacement”.
Chen discovered an issue with the fuel cap of his vehicle in January. After bringing it in for inspection, the service centre told him on Jan 30 that they would order a new fuel cap and update him accordingly.
On Feb 10, Chen reached out to Ingress Swede Automobile about his fuel cap, only to be told there was a delay in shipping. He claimed he did not receive any updates from the service centre.
On April 27, Chen contacted the service centre regarding a new issue related to the absorbers of his vehicle. They told him to come for an appointment on May 16.
On May 17, Chen was informed that the previous service agent had allegedly ordered the wrong fuel cap, and they had to place a new order.
Chen claimed he was given the run around by the service centre from the beginning. He added that with the prolonged delay, conflicting information and lack of progress in resolving the matter, the service centre had breached its duty of care and obligations to a vehicle owner.
Chen demanded that there would be an immediate arrangement of repairs to rectify the absorber and other issues and requested a detailed chronology of events since Jan 30 when he first reached out regarding the fuel cap.
