[David]

So this is the first major problem I've had since getting my car in May (2021), and it's got the dealership totally stumped. Certain areas of my front bumper appear to be melting, especially the left front where there's actually a groove/indentation (see photos below). My first thought was maybe the engine gets too hot, but there's no engine up front, right? That's where the frunk is. Or maybe something is going on during charging (overheating, short circuit, etc)? Anybody have any ideas? The dealership took their own photos and is sending to Corporate

 

[improvius]

Have you been parking near any hi-rise buildings with lots of glass on them? Serious question. Some buildings have been known to reflect the sun and melt cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vdara#Solar_convergence

 

[Ces]

Whoa! That is really weird, it does look like something is going on with front bumper. I need to observe mine too. Please let us know any updates from the dealer. Thanks

 

[improvius]

Can you post a shot of the whole front? I'm curious whether or not the lower spot lines up with the angle of the damage under the headlight. If it does, I'll bet it's reflected sun heat damage, or something similar.

 

[Homer]

This has been reported on other forums for other cars. The explanation has been solar reflection that allows heats in excess of 300 degrees.

I find that somewhat of s suspicious explanation, but it seems to be the corporate answer.

This was reported as solar reflection damage from a Honda Ridgeline

G2 Front-end plastic melted! Anyone else experience this?

DEATH RAY! Not only the most likely, it is the coolest story also! Which sounds better someone spilled some_____ on my grill It is just a defective grill My truck was hit with a DEATH RAY! I am lucky to have survived, good thing it is a RIDGELINE! no comparison. Remember the Mythbusters...

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

 

[David]

When at home, my car is always parked in the garage. My work commute is 5 minutes away, where I do park outside in one of approx 10 spots that are all in a row facing the building, which is only 1 story in the upper lot where I park. I'll have to ask the other docs/PAs if anyone has had any similar issue and also take a look at all of their front bumpers. I couldn't be the only one with this issue, if that's what it is.

 

[David]

What doesn't make sense to me is that I live in the Pacific Northwest. It rarely gets hot here. We did have a brief but intense heat wave this Summer (late June it got to 110+ for a day or two), but othewise it stays pretty cool here, even in the Summer. What about all the people in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, etc, who own/drive/park these cars? Seems like they'd be a puddle of goo by now with their Summer weather.

 

[SeattleCat]

I will check with the city engineer spouse but I think there are ordinances down town in Seattle on new buildings to stop them working as a giant focusing mirror array

Reflection is definitely a thing. It’s not going to vaporize a person but cars do not move and I wonder how well that area of the car conducts heat away.

Another thought is do you park touching or close to any hot piping? Hospitals and all. One would imagine that such would be insulated but? Or hot metal that is sun heated. Would not take long touching hot metal to do that.

Any idea when it happened? If it happened recently after the heat then I would doubt the fun but we did have some hot hot days this summer.

Good luck. Please let us know what they find

 

[David]

I just noticed it last week. I can't imagine it being there all Summer without me noticing sooner, but I guess it's possible? I'm definitely going to check out the other cars in the doctor spots tomorrow to see if they have any front end issues. And no, there's no hot piping or anything near where I park. Just a single story medical office building......

 

[SeattleCat]

Does you or anyone else drive it anywhere else?

I hope you P8 has had some adventure any chance it happened on any of them?

 

[David]

Does you or anyone else drive it anywhere else?

I hope you P8 has had some adventure any chance it happened on any of them?

Nope! I'm the only one who has ever driven it since I drove it off the lot (and I've offered! My wife/brother/mother were all too chicken ). I live in a place where all 4 grocery places are 5 minutes away, and so is my work. It's parked in my garage every single night, and 4 days a week it's parked in front of the office with a line of other cars (and not even the same spot). Everyone in those doctor spots is getting a free bumper inspection tomorrow morning, courtesy of yours truly

 

[improvius]

Another thought is do you park touching or close to any hot piping? Hospitals and all. One would imagine that such would be insulated but? Or hot metal that is sun heated. Would not take long touching hot metal to do that.

I think you can rule that out. The damage goes evenly across contours in such a way that would be very unlikely from a physical heat source. If it were a pipe or something like that, the damage would only be on the edges closest to the heat.

I'll bet if @David takes it to a body shop, they will be able to confirm reflective damage.

 

[SeattleCat]

I think you can rule that out. The damage goes evenly across contours in such a way that would be very unlikely from a physical heat source. If it were a pipe or something like that, the damage would only be on the edges closest to the heat.

I'll bet if @David takes it to a body shop, they will be able to confirm reflective damage.

True I did not review the pictures properly.

Looks like a beam moved slowly accross the Volvo. Are all the melts in a line?

 

[improvius]

I mean it could have been an a**hole with a heat gun...

 

[SeattleCat]

I mean it could have been an a**hole with a heat gun...

I thought that but I chose not to live in a world like that.

That said one of the ea chargers gets smashed regularly so they are putting cameras in.

 

[David]

Funny, the first place I took it was a body shop and the appraiser said she'd never seen anything like it ! It had better not be my crazy ex-girlfriend with a heat gun!😆 Seriously though, to do a heat gun job on it, the person would have to have done it in full daylight right in front of our building, which is also right in front of the security camera. So that seems doubtful. The worse spot is the long linear groove, but the other areas are very small and don't seem consistent with a sun beam moving across the car.
Will be interesting to see what the head honcho repair guy at corporate (forgot his title) says.

 

[David]

If it is heat damage, who is liable? Volvo, for using material that melts in sunlight? Or would I have to file ian nsurance claim and have my rates go up when I did absolutely nothing wrong?

 

[improvius]

I linked TCL. I'll bet someone over there can give you some better answers.

Mystery damage - reflected sunlight?

Mystery melting on a XC40: 2021 P8 FRONT BUMPER MELTING(!) What does TCL think?

www.vwvortex.com

 

[David]

I linked TCL. I'll bet someone over there can give you some better answers.

Mystery damage - reflected sunlight?

Mystery melting on a XC40: 2021 P8 FRONT BUMPER MELTING(!) What does TCL think?

www.vwvortex.com

Thanks!

 

[SeattleCat]

Sitting at the charger I was looking over your pictures. The thing that is most curious to me is the way you have this damage on both the front and side …

Question. Do you always park your car in the same orientation ? I know I do. For every place I go I park a specific way every time (ocd/best solution).

If you do then I wonder if you can back track the way a beam would have to move to catch both places.

Such a cool problem. Sorry you car had to be hurt to cause such interest

As to who pays? Well I had my car broken in to week one and had to get a new side window and luckily I could easily afford to pay for its replacement. I would hope that anyone getting a 60k car could afford the repairs especially as they are only cosmetic.

I did not mean to slight the damage. If it was my car I would be very upset and though it is cosmetic I would get it repaired. We are all slightly insane in how we like to keep our cars pretty


As to the is Volvo at fault. I imagine that the Amount of heat needed to cause the damage shown would damage any car …that said Volvo might be nice and do it for you.

Good luck.