Volvo Car UK has issued a warning to owners of its cars to only use Volvo technicians and windscreens to ensure vehicle safety standards are maintained.

The car manufacturer claims its latest advanced safety functions means it’s “crucial” owners use replacement parts that have the right characteristics.

A spokesman said: “A Volvo genuine windscreen is manufactured to the same specifications as the windscreen originally assembled in the car and offers perfect fit, exact tolerances and maximum precision.

“Aftermarket alternatives that don’t meet these exact specifications may affect the car’s passive safety technology as well as active safety functions such as City Safety.”

ADAS re-calibration

It follows recent warnings about the increasing use of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and the importance of re-calibration following work.

Speaking to GW Views recently, Neil Hilton, head of business development for HELLA UK, said: “Despite the dramatic increase in the number of ADAS equipped vehicles – which incidentally, are visiting the independent workshop on a daily basis – there is still a worrying level of ignorance in the aftermarket when it comes to the need to recalibrate these vehicles after carrying out any mechanical repair that affects its geometry.

“So that’s anything from a simple tracking adjustment to any steering and suspension component replacement, as well as changing its wheel/tyre combination.

“What the independent workshop also needs to appreciate is that after undertaking this work, the responsibility to ensure that the vehicle’s ADAS equipment is functioning correctly does not lie with the motorist, who may or may not know the vehicle is equipped with these systems, or the VM that originally incorporated them, but with the workshop that worked on the vehicle.”

ADAS is becoming increasingly common on our roads with many new cars already equipped with the likes of blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking and park assist.

It’s thought that by 2020, forty per cent of all new vehicles will be fitted with ADAS but there’s warnings that many garages remain unaware about how these systems are already affecting the work that they carry out on a daily basis.

Do you fear this could be the start of a slippery slope which could see manufacturers using ADAS as an excuse to scaremonger owners back to the main dealer? Share your comments below.