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Hello, I have just purchased a 2005 Volvo XC70 from a car yard, they included AA Advantage MBI for me. The car is inclined to fight you when you make a turn/corner in either direction. Most noticeable when making a sweeping turn, holding the steering wheel at a constant angle, you can feel the steering intermittently fight you, wanting to try and straighten the car up. You can hold against it if you have a good grip on the wheel etc. The car did this during my test drives but I was advised that its a Volvo thing, its probably the DSTC doing its thing, but I'm not so sure. After trawling the web I found only one comment that mentioned un-equal pressure in the steering rack (which would need to be replaced to rectify this). Have you heard of this phenomenon? Dos the AA have a service where a tech could try the car?, as this was evident before the purchase the MBI would not cover it.
Having driven numerous Volvo models including the XC70, this is not something I can say I have come across or noticed, so it does not sound like a characteristic of the model to me.
However, as the dealer is telling you it is a characteristic, the best advice would be to take it to an authorised Volvo dealer for an opinion. Unfortunately, the AA does not really have a diagnostic service - but the Volvo dealer would be the most conversant with the XC70 anyway.
You should only notice any DSTC intervention when the car is about to lose traction, but I'm assuming you're saying it's doing it under normal turning conditions too.
As a thought, has the wheel alignment been checked? We often go chasing complex mechanical and electronic faults only to find it's the basics that aren't right. A car with excessive tow-out will exhibit this characteristic.
As a private purchaser buying from a licensed dealer, the Consumer Guarantes Act applies, so if there is a fault, the dealer is obligated to rectify it - so don't worry about the MBI not covering it as it is the dealer's responsibility.
Thankyou for your advise. To my knowledge the wheel alignment has not been checked (I've only has the car for 4 days). Will take it to Archibalds to see what they make of it, Rgds, Mike D