Motorists experience unusual problem on NC 211 in Brunswick County

July 21, 2022

Celeste Smith,

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office is warning drivers about some cars experiencing technical issues on a portion of HWY 211 in Bolivia, leaving many drivers concerned and confused.

In a Facebook post from the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, a forwarded message from the county manager, that was sent by a resident who says they were driving on HWY 211 near a funeral home, when their vehicle began to experience technical issues.

According to the post, the driver’s message said “I was traveling toward Midway and all of a sudden my brakes seized and my seatbelt choked me. It’s as if my car was keeping me from an accident. It was a clear day and I was not close to another car at all. I figured maybe someone crossed the line and I just didn’t see them. Then….two days later I was traveling the same direction and the same thing happened.”

The Facebook post also said this has been happening to several Volvo drivers. Within the hundreds of comments under the post, motorists who drive other vehicle say they’ve experienced similar issues with their braking systems in the area on HWY 211.

A spokesperson with Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said Volvo is aware of the incidents, but has not been able to verify or duplicate the problem.

WWAY reached out to NCDOT and received a statement that reads in part, “NCDOT is aware of the situation a driver brought to the attention of local officials and a local Volvo dealership regarding their vehicle. NCDOT sent an inspector to the location of this occurrence last week and confirmed no work has been done in this area that would impact the roadway. In addition to being in contact with local government officials and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office, NCDOT has also notified the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration about the situation.”

WWAY also reached out to Volvo Car USA, they said they have been made aware of and will review the recent reports of automatic emergency braking applications.