A Steep Mountain Drive, a Brake Failure and a Volvo Recall
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Michael Brooks, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, said he hasn’t traditionally seen a fix for one part of a car lead to a defect in another. But the Volvo situation is a concern as vehicles become more defined by software and electronics that use multiple systems inside a car, he said.
“A repair to one safety system should not be creating problems in another safety system,” Brooks said.
By Ryan Felton
August 3rd, 2025
Peter Rothschild was driving home down a steep single lane road in northern California, when suddenly his Volvo SUV started accelerating out of control.
“I kept pushing on the brakes and pushing on the brakes,” said the 69-year-old retired radiologist. But for several seconds, nothing he could do would slow down the car.
Rothschild was able to steer his gray Volvo SUV up a hilly roadside, bringing the car to a stop. The side air bags deployed, and the vehicle suffered some damage. “I don’t think I would’ve made the next curve and would’ve gone off the side,” he said.
What he didn’t know at the time—and Volvo says it didn’t know either—was that his 2025 XC90 plug-in hybrid SUV had a braking defect. It materialized after an April safety recall for 400,000 vehicles over rearview camera failures. That recall involved several software updates. Volvo later identified that about 11,500 plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles that received those updates could experience the same braking failure.
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