Emails and letters.
The dealership. Volvo Car Canada. Regulators. Hours spent researching remedies and chasing responses.
DAY 400
Volvo said
“For life.”
I didn’t realise
it was a sentence.
I chose Volvo to protect my growing family.
Four months later, our new car broke down.
Getting a fair resolution became a fight of its own.
Days without my EC40
393days.
Total loss of use · September 22, 2026
Across the vehicle’s service visitsThe EC40 has been back at Carling Motors since October 14, 2025.
I have had loaners. I am still paying for the vehicle I leased.
“We believe Volvo should have suspended the lease payments by now.”
01 / The reason I chose Volvo
I was getting ready
to be a dad.
December 2024
A new 2025 Volvo EC40 Black Edition.
With my daughter on the way, I leased a new Volvo from Carling Motors in Ottawa. I wanted what so many families want: a car we could depend on.
Four months later, I was in a Walmart parking lot with my infant daughter and our dog. The EC40 would not go into drive. The screen said the propulsion system needed urgent service.
The service department was closed. Volvo’s SOS service could arrange a tow, but no ride home. I rented a car.
What would you have expected to happen next?
Read my full account02 / What happened next
A repair should
have been the end of it.
01June 2, 2025 / Collection day
I came to collect it.
The warning was still there.
I had been told the car was repaired and tested. I went straight back to the service desk without leaving the lot.
The failed handover
02June 7–20, 2025 / Back again
Five days later,
another propulsion warning.
Reduced acceleration. Another repair. Then the car was delivered with an eCall warning, shown above. A technician returned to my driveway.
Another repair, another warning
03September 21, 2025 / Montreal
200 km from home,
the Volvo stopped charging.
“Reconnect Error.” The charging cable was locked in the port. She had to use the emergency release to unplug it.
The charging failure03 / The price of waiting
The car was gone.
The bills stayed.
Lease payments. Insurance. Fuel for gasoline loaners. A home charger installed for an electric car I could not use.
My published losses & expenses$31,055.29Canadian dollars · Claimed financial impact
A published snapshot of my losses and expenses. The total is not a running balance or a court award.
THE COST TO MY FAMILYCAD
| Lease payments during loss of use | $12,041.06 |
|---|---|
| Lost federal iZEV incentive | $5,000.00 |
| Down payment | $4,424.78 |
| Insurance during loss of use | $3,862.68 |
| Fuel for gasoline loaners | $2,593.80 |
| Volvo-recommended home charger, installed | $2,145.87 |
| Security deposit | $800.00 |
| Loaner maintenance and oil change | $187.10 |
| Total | $31,055.29 |
And every two weeks, another $543.79 lease payment.
“It is a part-time job fighting with Volvo. It costs me an incredible amount of time and money.”
Michael Brulotte · My published account
A loaner came
with restrictions.
The loaner terms I reported excluded my wife as a driver and prohibited travel outside Ontario, including family visits to Quebec. The loaners also lacked winter tires.
Even when I had the EC40, the possibility of another breakdown followed us on family trips.
05 / The response, in writing
Read what
Volvo offered.
On December 19, 2025, Volvo offered to repurchase the vehicle, refund my initial down payment, and provide $500 toward fuel. Acceptance required a release.
I had asked for a replacement with compensation, or a full lease termination with refunds and reimbursement. Volvo’s reply included this:
Read the timeline summary“At this time, we’re not able to accommodate the alternative resolutions.”
From Volvo’s response to my settlement proposals.
See the timeline contextBefore you put your trust in a brand
Put yourself
in the driver’s seat.
Same payments. Same responsibilities.
How long could your family keep doing this?
My Carling Motors Volvo review: service history and questions to ask before signing
Volvo Cars Canada · Quebec right-to-repair notice
In Volvo’s own words.
“Volvo Cars does not guarantee the availability of replacement parts, repair services and information necessary to maintain or repair the vehicle.”
Volvo says this disclosure is provided under Quebec’s Consumer Protection Act and regulations. The notice also says it does not affect Volvo’s limited new vehicle warranty or other written warranties.
Read Volvo’s noticeA call for stronger consumer protection in Ontario
30 days is enough.
Families deserve a clear way out when a new vehicle spends weeks, then months, out of service.