Free repairs: Owners of Volvo cars can now get punctures and chipped windscreens fixed for free…if repairs are viable, the brand says
Volvo has announced it will provide an industry first free repair service that covers both tyre and windscreen damage to any of its cars, new and old.
No matter how old your Volvo, the firm will now fix the windscreen or try to repair a punctured tyre for free.
Any Volvo model that has a repairable puncture or rectifiable chip in a windscreen can be taken to a Volvo retailer and, if viable, have the work carried out at no cost by the brand’s technicians.
The Swedish company, which is owned by Chinese firm Geely, says the initiative will ‘help keep its cars in a safe condition’, with the brand synonymous with safety and setting ambitious targets to reduce road casualties.
Volvo Cars UK says the tyre and windscreen damage is becoming an ‘all too common’ hazard as a result of pothole-riddled roads up and down the country.
It comes after roadside recovery service the RAC recently said it had seen a 10 per cent rise in pothole-related callouts in 2021 compared to 2019, despite there being higher traffic levels in the pre-pandemic year.
Its patrols attended 10,123 motorists who had been stranded at the roadside by damage to their vehicles caused by rutted tarmac.
For any Volvo owner, the cost of rectifying issues caused by cratered routes could become far cheaper.
Owners can take their car to any UK Volvo retailer, where the damage will be checked to determine whether a repair is safe and possible.
In most instances, a repair can be made on the spot, while the customer waits, with no charge.
If the damage is not repairable, the retailer will advise the customer and, if they wish, arrange for a new tyre or windscreen to be fitted.
For tyres repairs, Volvo warns it would not be able to offer its complimentary service if there is: less than 1.6mm of tread across the central three-quarters of the tyre; secondary damage caused by the injuring object; ageing/deterioration of the tyre; any bead damage; an exposed cord; or a faulty/poor previous repair.
There are no restrictions on the age of the car, meaning owners can take their old Volvos to a UK dealer and have damaged tyres and windscreens fixed at no cost
There are some limitations of the free service, such as tyres needing to have more than 1.6mm of tread and no have been repaired previously
And if a chip in the glass falls outside of the necessary requirements, Volvo says it can offer a replacement service – at a cost, of course.
Kristian Elvefors, Volvo Car UK managing director, said: ‘As well as reducing the nuisance factor of minor damage, this new service helps keep cars in safe condition and, in the case of windscreens, can prevent chips leading to cracks and more costly replacements.
‘We value all Volvo drivers, no matter how old their car might be, and this new service is the perfect way to help them stay safe, secure and mobile.’
Volvo is one of the car makers taking a leading role in improving safety standards as part of its Vision 2020 project, which has a headline aim for there to be zero fatalities in its cars.
It became the first manufacturer from the beginning of 2020 to fit all of its new models with speed limiters, restricting top speeds to 112mph. It also offer a Safe Key system where owners can set their vehicle to travel no faster that specified speeds – as low as 31mph – when the user of that particular key is at the controls.
It is also planning to install cameras in all of its cars to measure if a driver is falling asleep at the wheel.
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