by Anura Guruge
on April 15, 2023.

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So, so, so frigging GLAD that this was NOT ‘OTA’ (Over the Air). I would have been totally dead in the frigging water.

This was a DEALER — a very big & super-good DEALER at that — doing it.

Totally KILLED the car. Couldn’t even open the tailgate! I had my hiking gear bag in the back (as always, packed & ready for action). LUCKILY we were able to pull it out by folding the backseat.

This is BEYOND STUPID. Car totally dead. They don’t know what is wrong with it!

They, at the dealership, can do OTA. Appears they tried doing it OTA 3 times. Failed each time. So, they plugged the car into the computer. That is when they FRIED the car!

I took the car (i.e., XC60) in at 12:30 (as agreed). They said about two hours. That is fair enough. It was 80F. I went ambling. {See the pictures}

At 3:30pm they sheepishly broke the news. WE HAD A PROBLEM. I am going ambling in upstate New York on Monday. I told them, forget the update, just get the car to the state it was when I brought it in. They admitted they couldn’t. Told me that they can’t even open the tailgate. I was NOT amused.

They, of course, immediately offered me a loaner. They had to.

My XC60 is my HIKING car. The Mazda CX-30 is my local car. The XC60 is PRECISELY packed with all my hiking gear. Spare boots, sticks, clothing, straps, picnic stuff, hotel/motel stuff (e.g., extension cords, nighlights {SMILE}), maps.

I had to transfer 90% of the stuff from my DEAD car to the loaner — which was a XC60. I was nearly done when I remembered SIRIUS XM. I can’t drive without Sirius {& I am NOT kidding} & there was no way I was going on a hiking trip WITHOUT Sirius. I need to listen to CNBC. SMILE. That loaner didn’t have Sirius. I am so RELIEVED that I had asked.

They scrambled around & got me another loaner that had Sirius. This was FANCY. Fancier than mine! It was a 2023 whereas mine is a 2022. It also has Premium Sound & is a B6 (whereas mine is a B5 with POLESTAR). So, at least, I don’t have to slum it. It is pretty nice car — with only 3,000 on the clock (whereas mine (after 16 months) has 12,900 miles). Plus, I will save myself around 800 miles on the lease. SMILE. They still owe me.

NOT HAPPY. NOT HAPPY.

I have had NOTHING but trouble with this XC60. I hate it. Never getting the software updated again.