Car is back and fixed, here is what happened:
Issue: Steering locked while vehicle in motion & running. Once stopped, the car displayed the "steering locked, please try again" error. Prior to this we had never had a "steering locked" issue, but we had experienced 5 instances where the car would not unlock the steering or start due to a "Key error, please try again". The key error would eventually go away after numerous attempts.
Actions Taken:
- Filed NHTSA complaint # 10411674
- Called Volvo Corp to complain and request "good will" repair since issue was a serious safety hazard. They were not helpful and said the warranty of 50k miles was to "protect me", and after that they were not accountable for issues. They said goodwill would not be offered unless all maintenance had been done at an authorized dealer.
- Emailed Volvo Corp with the same details as above and got a similar response as when I called. I replied to their message and emphasized the serious safety risk this issue posed, and was clear that I would be very vocal about this issue if they didn't make it right. They were more engaging the second time around...they recommended i take the car to a dealer and have them request goodwill on my behalf.
Resolution:
Car was towed to Sandberg Volvo north of Seattle, WA. I was very pleased with their service. They requested goodwill from the regional manager who offered to cover the parts (but not labor). In the end the Steering Column Lock (SCL) unit (goes on the underside of steering column and requires programming so you can't easily do this at home) and the ignition were replaced. The ignition was replaced to hopefully resolve the "key error" issue. In the end I paid 600 which was for labor and towing. Volvo covered the parts which were ~400.
Overall I was very pleased with the dealer, and am glad Volvo paid for the parts, but feel more should have been done. I doubt they will take any action on the safety risk. I was also displeased that I had to be so aggressive to get any attention from Volvo corp. It also sounds like the issue with this part has not been resolved, so I may run into this again in 50-100k more miles.