VOLVO Complaints

I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S 70 WHICH HAS FAILED DC INSPECTION BECAUSE THE OBD SCANNER USED BY THE DMV CANNOT GET A READOUT FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR AND A COUPLE OF OTHER EMISSIONS RELATED ITEMS. THE CAR ECU SIGNALS "NOT READY". THE CAR RUNS FINE. WE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR IN ACCORD WITH VOLVO'S RECOMMENDED "STRUCTURED DRIVE" WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO RESET THE COMPUTER. THIS DID NOT WORK. ONE VOLVO SHOP BELIEVES THE ECU IS FAULTY. ANOTHER SAYS THE ECU IS FINE AND ITS THE SCANNER'S INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ECU THAT IS AT FAULT. THIS SHOP ALSO REPORTS THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR MODEL VOLVOS OVER THE PAST MONTH OR TWO WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. MEANWHILE DV DMV SAYS THEY CANNOT PASS THIS CAR UNLESS THEIR SCANNER GETS POSITIVE AND ACCEPTABLE READINGS. *NM

WHILE DRIVING LOST STEERING POWER AND ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, UNSAFE ON THE TURNPIKE, I SCARED. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP WHILE UNDER WARRANTY REPLACED THROTTLE UNIT. CAR SHUT DOWN AND LUNGES FORWARD AT A LIGHT/TOOK TO DEALER AND FIXED RESET VALVE STICKING AND GASKET HAPPENED AGAIN REPLACED BOX AND PIPE REMOVED TRAP BOX IN PIPE, SHUT DOWN AGAIN REPLACED DID TOTAL CAN UP GRADE FAILED AGAIN. UNTIL TODAY CAR STILL SHUTS DOWN VERY DANGEROUS THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP AND MY WARRANTY IS OVER AND THEY WANT TO PAY 3,000.00 DOLLARS TO FIX, I FEEL THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE THEY SOLD ME A LEMON AND A VERY DANGEROUS CAR. AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE OF VOLVO CLAIM THEY CARE ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE VERY UNTRUE THEY GOT YOUR MONEY AND THE DON'T CARE MY PROBLEMS STILL EXIST AND I GET SCARED JUST GETTING INTO THIS CAR. *NM

. I HAVE SPENT $2200 IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS WHILE HERB GORDON TRIES TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER, CLEANED AND RESEALED THE BRAKE CALIPERS AND NOW AS A LAST RESORT ARE REPLACING THE INTERNAL ABS SYSTEM, WHICH FINALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM. IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BOLTS CAME LOOSE CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN, AIR SENSORS AND OXYGEN SENSORS SEEM TO NEED REPLACING AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR. *NM

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) HAS FAILED TWICE ON MY 2000 VOLVO V70XC. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND WAS ABOUT 17K MILES AFTER THE FIRST. BOTH TIMES IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. BOTH TIMES ENGINE STALLED IN TRAFFIC. BOTH TIMES MANAGED TO GET TO SHOULDER, RESTART, AND GET HOME WITH CAR ALTERNATELY SURGING AND STALLING THE WHOLE WAY. BOTH TIMES HAD MY PRESCHOOL AGE TWINS IN THE CAR AND DIDN'T FEEL IT SAFE TO STOP ON THE SHOULDER TO WAIT FOR HELP. ALSO, WOULD HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THEM HOME SAFETY (IN THEIR CAR SEATS). THEN HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. FIRST FAILURE - CAR MILEAGE WAS 41,222, REPAIR DATE WAS 6/25/03. QUOTE FROM ANNAPOLIS VOLVO SERVICE RECEIPT: "ETS LAMP COMES ON AND VEHICLE SURGES BADLY, ALMOST STALLED. INTERNAL FAULT INSPECTED AND FOUND CODES ECM903F/904D/9150/9160/904C. TESTED AND REPLACED ELEC. THROTTLE MODULE" THIS WORK WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND FAILURE - CAR MILEAGE WAS 58,611, REPAIR DATE WAS 3/15/05. QUOTE FROM ANNAPOLIS VOLVO SERVICE RECEIPT: "ETS LIGHT IS ON INTERNAL FAULT VOLVO GOODWILL WARRANTY-VOLVO TO PAY PARTS DEALER LABOR CHECKED AND RETRIEVE CODE-ECM 959F, 903F-TRACED AND FOUND INTERNAL FAULT IN ETM, REPLACED ETM, RELOAD SOFTWARE AND CLEAR CODES. *JB

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ON OUR VEHICLE HAS CAUSED US TO ENCOUNTER HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. IN JANUARY, 2004, THE ETS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND BEFORE WE COULD DRIVE THE 60 MILES TO THE NEAREST VOLVO SERVICE CENTER, OUR CAR WAS SPUTTERING AND SURGING AND LOSING POWER ON A CONTINUAL BASIS. THIS WAS A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR US TO BE IN. THE REPAIR THAT WAS MADE INVOLVED INSTALLING A USED PART BECAUSE OF COMPUTER RELATED PROBLEMS (WHICH IS ANOTHER STORY AND A COMPLAINT TO VOLVO). NOW, 20 MONTHS LATER, THAT USED PART HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND PUT US IN A SIMILAR HAZARDOUS SITUATION (NOT TO MENTION AN INCONVENIENT SITUATION) AGAIN. WHEN THESE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULES MALFUNCTION, THERE IS LITTLE NOTICE AND THE RESULTS CAN BE SERIOUS WHEN THEY OCCUR AS YOU ARE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. *JB

MY CAR IS A 2005 VOLVO V70R PURCHASED NEW IN JULY 2005. THREE WEEKS AGO, WITH NO WARNING, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER, BUT KEPT RUNNING WITH GREAT HESITATION (I WAS DRIVING AT ONLY 30 MPH AT THE TIME). TOWED TO DEALER AND THROTTLE SENSOR REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. YESTERDAY (9/15), THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN, AFTER ONLY ABOUT 250 MILES OF DRIVING. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AGAIN AM I AWAITING WORD. IN BOTH CASES AN ERROR MESSAGE "DECREASED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" WAS DISPLAYED. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING. IN BOTH CASES, I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 MPH ON A SECONDARY ROAD. THESE 2 INSTANCES HAVE CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR, ESPECIALLY TO DRIVE ON HIGHWAY.*JB

FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) ON 1999 VOLVO S80 T6 ON A REPLACEMENT PART. CAR HAS STALLED NUMEROUS TIMES ON OPEN HIGHWAY RESULT IN A SEVERE SAFETY SITUATION. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR IS ONLY 43,000 DESPITE BEING A 6 YEAR OLD VEHICLE. THE ORIGINAL ETM WAS DETERMINED FAULTY AND A REPLACEMENT UNIT WAS PUT IN ON SEPTEMBER 19, 2002. INDEPENDENT VOLVO REPAIR DEALER HAS DETERMINED THAT THE REPLACEMENT UNIT HAS FAILED AGAIN DESPITE ONLY HAVING 17,000 MILES PUT ON THE CAR SINCE BEING REPLACED IN 2002. *JB

ON FEBRUARY 16 OF THIS YEAR, I HIT SOME BLACK ICE THAT CAUSED ME TO HIT A CURB SIDEWAYS. THE IMPACT KNOCKED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE KEN GARFF SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE SOUTHTOWNE LOCATION IN SANDY, UT WHERE IT WAS "REPAIRED". A FREE LOANER CAR WAS GIVEN TO ME, AND THE CHARGES WERE COVERED BY MY INSURANCE. AT THAT TIME THE CAR HAD APPROX 3700 MILES ON IT. SINCE THAT REPAIR I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR APPROX 5000 MILES. I HAD THE 7500 MILE SERVICE COMPLETED AT THE KEN GARFF DOWNTOWN SLC LOCATION AROUND JULY 15TH. AT THAT TIME, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY CHECK THE CAR OVER FOR ANY AND ALL SAFETY ISSUES. ON AUGUST 15TH, I DROVE FROM ELKO, NV TO LAKEWOOD, CO, WITH MY 14 MONTH OLD BABY. THE 750 MILE DRIVE TOOK US VIA I-70 AND THE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO. ON AUG 16TH, I DROVE 1 BLOCK FROM MY PARENT'S HOUSE TO A STORE, WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING PLACE THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. I GOT OUT TO SEE WHAT THE TROUBLE WAS AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS LYING COMPLETELY SIDEWAYS. A BOLT HAD COME OUT OF THE A FRAME AND THEREFORE THE WHEEL FELL OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO RICKENBAUGH VOLVO IN DOWNTOWN DENVER TO BE REPAIRED. *NM

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILED AND REPLACED 3 TIMES; 11/03, 12/04, 8/05 ON A 1999 VOLVO V70XC. *NM

1999 VOLVO V70 WAGON. MASS REGISTRATION 9418PG MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING WITH HER MOTHER IN THE ABOVE DESCRIBED 1999 VOLVO ON RT 3 SOUTHBOUND BETWEEN MILTON & MARSHFIELD MASSACHUSETTS, WHEN THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND STALL. MY WIFE HAVING EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE INSTRUCTED MY DAUGHTER TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE CAR. MY WIFE & I PAID SOUTH SHORE VOLVO OF NORWELL MASSACHUSETTS $1100 TO REPLACE THIS ETS OR ETM SYSTEM JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. WE HAVE ALSO HAD SPENT $800. ON TWO OXYGEN SENSORS THAT SOUTH SHORE VOLVO INITIALLY DIAGNOSED AS THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE FURTHER SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $125. ON AN IGNITION SWITCH WHICH HAS BEEN CAUSING ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHT TO CONTINUOUSLY LIGHT AND GO OUT, NOW THE SPEEDOMETER AND MILEAGE METER HAVE BEGUN TO FAIL.. SOUTH SHORE VOLVO HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS, THEY WILL NOT EVEN RETURN OUR CALLS. CALIFORNIA HAS FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET SOME RELIEF FOR IT'S CITIZENS. I AM GOING TO ATTEMPT TO JOIN THEIRS, WOULD PREFER SOME APPRECIATE SOME ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU VINCENT P STANCATO. PS, 20 YEAR VOLVO OWNER, I DRIVE A 1991 VOLVO 245, USED TO LIKE THESE CARS. *NM