VOLVO Complaints

I OWN A 2001 VOLVO S80. I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE NOT RESPONDING TO THE THROTTLE INPUTS AND SURGING AT IDLE. IT WOULD SOMETIMES KILL THE CAR WITHOUT WARNING WHEN COMING TO A STOP (LOSING POWER-STEERING WHILE IN TURNS) OR MAKE THE CAR LUNGE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. THE LUNGING FORWARD HAS ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENTS AT INTERSECTIONS. I'VE BEEN LUCKY FOR NOW, BUT I WILL NOT LET MY WIFE DRIVE THE CAR WHILE IT IS DOING THIS BECAUSE SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. I TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE, AND THEY NEED REPLACING AFTER A WHILE, SO I REPLACED IT. 4 MONTHS LATER, I'M EXPERIENCING THE SAME IDLE PROBLEMS AS WELL AS THE LUNGING PROBLEMS. I AM BEING TOLD THAT IT IS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE MODULE. I'VE LOOKED AT MANY WEBSITE FORUMS AND FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THROUGH OUT THE GLOBE. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN TIMES WHEN IT HAS DIED WHILE IN REVERSE AND I LOOSE POWER BRAKES WHILE BACKING, WITHOUT NOTICE. I WOULD REQUEST A RECALL AND AN IMPROVED PART. USA TODAY IS ALSO REPORTING ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL: HTTP://YAHOO.USATODAY.COM/MONEY/AUTOS/2005-08-01-VOLVO_X.HTM?CSP=1 FORUM WEB SITE: HTTP://WWW.VOLVOXC.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?MODE=HYBRID&T=6026 THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER/ACCELERATION IN MY VEHICLE. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, BUT COULD NOT RESTART IT. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS - REPLACE THROTTLE BODY AND DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE (ETM). BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS PAST THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPARIS SINCE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT SPECIFICALLY LIST THESE DEFECTS . . . $815 PARTS AND LABOR. APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR 3 MONTHS LATER, I BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS IN 2002 WHICH VOLVO DIAGNOSED AS A THROTTLE BODY FAILURE; HOWEVER I HAVE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO START MY CAR, BUT WITH SOME TROUBLE. NON-WARRANTY REPAIRS ARE COVERED FOR ONLY 1 YEAR. I CALLED THE WARRANTY COMPANY TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP ME OUT. THE WARRANTY COMPANY KNEW OF THE DEFECT FROM PREVIOUS OTHER COMPLAINTS, AND THEY TOLD ME TO TRY TO WORK OUT A DEAL WITH VOLVO (WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN). ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2002, I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO VOLVO BECAUSE MY ENGINE FLUCTUATED WHILE IDLING. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKERED AS THE IDLE SURGED. VOLVO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE. PARTS AND LABOR COST ME $250. I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2002 (5 DAYS LATER) WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I REQUESTED A FUEL FILTER CHECK/REPLACEMENT, BUT VOLVO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. THE CHECKED AND CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS HAPPENED, OF COURSE, JUST 2 MONTHS BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE BODY. I'VE SPENT OVER $1000 FOR MIS-DIAGNOSIS AND AN DEFECTIVE PART THAT VOLVO AND THEIR WARRANTY COMPANY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

SHORTLY AFTER BUYING A VOLVO 80, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WOULD SURGE PERIODICALLY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. AFTER READING UP ON THIS, IT SOUNDED LIKE A WASTE OF MONEY SO I AM STUCK WITH A $40+K CAR THAT HAS A SIZABLE DEFECT. THE SURGING IS SO BAD THAT IF YOU DON'T HOLD THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD THE CAR WILL SURGE FORWARD IE AT RED LIGHTS. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. ALSO I HAD TO REPLACE A BALL JOINT ON THIS CAR AFTER A RECALLED BALL JOINT WAS INSTALLED AT MY COST. THE DEALER SAID THE RECALL WAS ONLY A BOLT AND NOT THE WHOLE JOINT BUT I VERIFIED THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD BOTH BALL JOINTS REPLACED VIA A VOLVO RECALL. I BELIEVE THE RECALLED JOINT WAS DEFECTIVE LIKE THE ORIGINAL ONE. NO ACCIDENTS OCCURED BUT IT PUT MY STEERING WAY OUT OF WHACK AND NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. (ALL AT MY COST)

I WAS ON THE RAMP GETTING ON TO THE HIGHWAY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STALLED. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND A SEMI WAS GOING TO HIT THE BACK OF MY CAR BECAUSE I GOT OUT THERE IN FRONT OF HIM AND THEN I CAN'T MOVE. SO TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, I DARTED OF THE HIGHWAY UNTO THE SHOULDER WITH THE DISMAY OF THE TRUCK DRIVER. THE INFORMATION IN THE LEFT CORNER GAVE "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. SO I HAD IT TOWED, AND WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING THE FIRST DAY, THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. SO I HAD TO PAY OVER $1000 TO GET THIS FIXED. THIS WAS BACK IN MARCH, AND NOW I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM NOT GOING TO PAY ANOTHER $1000 FOR THE SAME THING. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT AND I ALREADY PAID OVER $1000 TO GET IT FIXED, AND NOW I HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET AGAIN ONLY 4 MONTHS LATER. THIS IS HORRIBLE, AND VOLVO SHOULD RECALL ALL THE CARS WITH THIS ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. I HAVE ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. I REFUSE TO GET IT FIXED, BECAUSE VOLVO WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED ONCE BEFORE, AND IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. VOLVO NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT ON THEIR END. PLEASE HELP TO GET THIS FIXED. I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER $1000 TO GET THIS FIXED EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS!!! *NM

I SHOULD HAVE KNOW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY USED 2000 VOLVO S80 T6 TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASED IT WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF ON ME WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. I JUST THOUGHT THAT MY CAR WAS STILL WARMING UP AND THAT IS WHY THE ENGINE CUT OFF. THEN A COUPLE WEEKS LATER MY AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY SO MUCH SO THAT I HAD TO USE MY REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY JUST TO UNLOCK MY DOORS WHILE I AM SITTING INSIDE MY CAR! BUT THIS ISN'T THE WORST OF IT. WHILE I AM ON MY WAY TO A HAIR APPT IN HEAVY LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC, MY CAR STARTING STALLING. I WAS DOING 30 - 50 MILES PER HOUR GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR WOULD JUST CUT OFF. IMAGINE IF MY 3 YEAR DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I WAS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLVO. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I HAD TO LITERALLY DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY JUST TO KEEP GIVING MY CAR POWER. I HAD NEVER BEEN SO AFRAID WHILE DRIVING. I WAS UPSET AND PISSED OFF THAT MY CAR WAS STILL CONSIDERED SAFE TO DRIVE. ALL OF THESE MODELS SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS. I EVENTUALLY HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALER AND LUCKILY I STILL HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AND THEY REPLACED IT. MY CAR WAS WORKING FINE UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN THE SAME ISSUE HAS STARTED TO OCCUR WITH THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS. I CAN'T UNLOCK THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS FROM INSIDE OF MY CAR, I HAVE TO USE THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY. I HAVE TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CAR THAT I AM DRIVING IN IS A DEATH TRAP AND THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL THE HEADACHES THAT THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME. VOLVO'S MOTTO IS "FOR LIFE", I AM STARTING TO TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE, THEN DON'T PURCHASE A VOLVO.*JB

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" (SES) LIGHT CAME ON RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH 55000 MILES ON ODOMETER. CALL TO VOLVO INDICATED THAT THIS USUALLY MEANT THAT THE ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE) NEEDS CLEANING. CALL LOCAL INDEPENDANT VOLVO MECHANIC. HE HAD ME CHECK THE COLOR OF THE LABEL ON ETM. SAID THAT I HAD THE ORIGINAL ETM AND THAT CLAING DOES NO GOOD, ETM NEEDS REPLACED AS HE HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE MANY TIMES. HAD INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACE ETM AT A COST OF ~$800. FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON INTERNET FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURANCE. ALSO NOTED THAT I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH CAR AND THAT THE WARRANTY EXPLICITLY EXLUDED ETM....COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT.....THE ETM FAILURE IS NOT ONLY A SAFETLY HAZZARD (CAR CAN NOT GO > 20MPH WHEN SES COMES ON..) BUT FOR A CAR OF THE ALLEDGED QUALITY OF A VOLVO TO HAVE A PRT SUCH AS A THROTTLE MODULE GO BAD AT 55000 MILES IS CRAZY. IN ADDITION IT APPEARS THAT THE REPLACEMENT ETM WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE...NOTE THAT THE VIN OF THIS VEHICLE IS [XXX], 1999 VOLVO V70-XC. UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

PURCHASED A VOLVO S80 IN 2001;VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 60700 MILES AND 3 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS & THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENT.

2000 VOLVO S80 4 DR. ERRATIC IDLING/SURGING WITH ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON.LEADS TO STALLING OUT ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS ON MANY OCCASIONS NARROWLY AVOIDING LIFE THREATENING TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS TRYING TO PULL "DEAD" CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD. BROUGHT CAR TO VOLVO DEALER AND CAR WAS REPAIRED FOR $1332.50. REPAIR INCLUDED REPLACEMENT OF: ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY($588.50) WITH SOFTWARE DOWNLOAD($28.00) TO ALLOW ETM TO FUNCTION ALONG WITH GASKET($4.00). REPLACEMENT OF MASS AIR FLOW METER($234.21) TOTAL LABOR/PARTS= $1254.71 + $75.29 TAX + $2.50 ENVIROMENTAL FEE??= $1332.50 I UNFORTUNATELY DO NOT HAVE OLD PART. PLEASE NOTE THAT NOW @ 30,000 MILES AFTER REPLACEMNT ON 12/1/2003 THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY IS SHOWING THE "SIGNS" OF A NEED FOR REPLACEMENT AGAIN.

SUMMER 2004 I SAW ON TV ABOUT A RECALL ON THE MODULE FAN ON MY VOLVO. (FIRE HAZARD) THERE IS NO LONGER A VOLVO DEALER NEAR ME, THE NEAREST IS OVER 1HOUR AWAY! WE CALLED AN AUTHORIZED DEALER OUT OF PA AND I BOUGHT THE FAN MODULE AND MY MECHANIC REPLACED IT. THE RECALL LETTERS WEREV SUPPOSED TO BE MAILED OUT IN DECEMBER 04, I DID NOT RECEIVE ONE NOR HAVE I EVER RECEIVED A LETTER FOR ANY OTHER RECALLS ON MY VOLVO! I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR. I STARTED EMAILING VOLVO AND BEING REIMBERSED FOR THE FAN ON 1/31/05. THEY ARE REFUSING TO REIMBERSE ME FOR THIS! THEY ARE SAYING SINCE AN AUTHORIZED DEALER DID NOT PERFORM IT THEN IT IS NOT COVERED! REMEMBER AS I STATED EARLIER I BOUGHT IT FROM A VOLVO AUTHORIZED DEALER. I AM NOT ASKING FOR LABOR REIMBERSE JUST THE PART. THEY QUIT CONTACT WITH US 2/2005. MY MECHANIC EVEN SPOKE TO A VOLVO REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE AND HE WAS SUPPOSED TO STRAIGHTEN THIS ISSUE OUT AND GET BACK TO US, WE ARE STILL WAITING. WE WERE ALSO ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE REMOTE AS WELL. AS USUAL I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL EITHER. I AM CONCERNED #1 THAT I AM NOT MADE AWARE OF ANY RECALLS ON THIS VECHILE AND ALSO THAT THEY WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. CHEVROLET STOOD BEHIND A RECALL ON MY HUSBANDS TRUCK. *AK

CLUTCH PEDAL WOULD NOT ENGAGE AS DESIGNED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT FAILED. TWICE IN TRAFFIC AND ONE AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. USED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO ENGAGE, FOR IT WOULD ENGAGE AFTER REPEATED STOMPING ON THE CLUTCH PEDAL. HOWEVER, THE LAST TIME IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE, I USED BOTH FEET TOO ENGAGE IT, HOPING THAT THE FOR TO MENTIONED WOULD OCCUR, IT DID NOT. THE ENTIRE CLUTCH PLATE ON THE FIRE WALL BROKE. THIS LED TO THE SUDDEN COLLAPSE OF THE PEDAL WHICH SLAMMED INTO THE FLOOR AND SNAPPED BOTH KNEES AND BUCKLED MY LEFT HIP WHICH I NOW HAVE RECURRING INJURIES WHICH HAS NOW FORCED ME TO LEAVE THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY. THE SHOP SUPERVISOR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL VOLVO TRUCKS AND HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE THEM FOR THE CYLINDER THAT CONTROLS THE CLUTCH LEVER RODS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RUST AND OTHER CONTAINMENTS WHICH CAN CAUSE THE LEVEL ROD THAT CONTROL THE CLUTCH PEDAL TOO FREEZE UP, WHICH STOPS THE CLUTCH FROM ENGAGING. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE CYLINDER HAVING TOO MUCH OPEN SPACE ON THE TOP BEFORE A RUBBER SEAL WHICH IS LOWER INSIDE TO STOP THE RUST, WATER, AND CONTANIMENTS FROM CAUSEING PROBLEMS WITH CLUTCH OPERATION. VOLVO HAS A REPLACEMENT FOR THIS AND DID IN FACT REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER CORRECTED CYLINDER AT THE TIME OF MY INJURIES.*AK