B+ battery cable at starter solenoid shorted to starter case and grounded. Causing a fire in engine compartment. Car shut down without warning. Engine went off, lights went out all in an instant. Emergency flashers were inoperative. Pulled off to the side of the road and stopped using the emergency brake. Smoke was coming from under the hood. Opened the hood and found the front of the engine on fire. Extinguished the flames. Disconnected the negative terminal on the battery located in the trunk, car towed to dealer, in process of repair.

- Fairborn, OH, USA

1) events leading up to failure: Purchased new Volvo S80 car on 9/3/2005 with 813 miles, drove it home. No information was given on the 813 miles already on the car. The next day there were oil puddles underneath car and oil was all over the passenger side frame underneath the car. The car was taken in for service tues 9/6 morning for oil leaking. The leaking oil pump and seals were replaced. Car was ready and picked up on fri evening 9/9. from talking with the service people the oil pump had been cracked. They said the car had been cleaned of the oil and that there was no more oil leaking. On sat morning 9/10 there was a new oil puddle and oil underneath the passenger side of the car on the frame. Service is closed on the weekend. On mon I was not able to change cars due to work commitments and after driving home from work there was the smell of burning oil. The car was serviced on tues 9/13 for oil leaking. The service people reported that there oil collected in the bottom of the car from the first oil leak. They reported cleaning the car again and doing a lot of test driving to verify that there was no more oil leaking. I received the car back tues afternoon. 2) failure: Sat 9/17/2005, I left home with 2 children in the new Volvo S80 car to go shopping. One child was in the passenger front seat and the other in the passenger side back seat. After turning on another side street, the car went to the right and hit a mailbox. The arm (control arm) on the passenger side tire was split broke off. The car had damage from the mailbox to the headlights, hood, and side panel. The passenger side wheel was no longer in the correct position but pushed toward the rear of the car. The car was not drivable and towed by Volvo service to sam swope auto collision center. 3) my insurance company has inspected the damage. The Volvo field tech specialist (fts) inspected the car on thurs 9/22. No information has been released from Volvo.

- Crestwood, KY, USA