2011/2012 Volvo uncontrolled braking issue update

Additional Update Saturday Jan. 21 2012: Apparently a part for our tractor (only) has arrived from Winnipeg. Someone pulled out all the stops on behalf of our company and managed to get the needed parts to Winnipeg Manitoba and then one of our own trucks brought it directly to the dealer here in Calgary. Others may have to wait til next week, but apparently we won't. As of 12:30 pm Pacific time, the tractor is thawing out in the shop, and will be worked on shortly. Hopefully end of business today will see us back out on the road, with a near new Volvo that does not slam it's brakes on at odd intervals any longer. I'll post an update in the forum as a new post once we finish our shift cycle and get back home again next week. Stay tuned, and if you own or drive one of these Bendix equipped Volvos, go get it checked out.

Original update: Just called the dealership, apparently the problem has been traced to a valve body in the Bendix brake system. There's a cover plate that has to be replaced. From what I understand it allows water to enter the mechanism, causing the brake locking events at random when that water turns to ice in cold temperatures. (There shouldn't be water in this valve body even in warm weather, so you Southern drivers aren't off the hook.)

So Volvo North America now has an official fix for this problem. Unfortunately, Since every single 2011/2012 Volvo with this Bendix brake system is affected, there's a shortage of parts.

The parts are on order by dealership, and the best Bendix could say was that they would arrive "Some time Next Week". They have no other information, and we continue to sit here in a hotel in Calgary, which isn't nearly as much fun as it sounds.