2003 VOLVO S60 Complaints

WE TO HAVE A 2003 S60 WITH A VERY BAD FUEL SMELL. WE BOUGHT IT USED IN 2006 FROM A VOLVO DEALER IN CARY, NC. OF COURSE, WHEN I CALLED VOLVO AND GAVE THEM THE VIN #, THEY SAID THAT WE WERE NOT COVERED. OUR CERTIFIED PRE OWNED STATUS EXPIRED IN FEB. OF THIS YEAR. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SPEND $700+ TO GET SOMETHING FIXED THAT HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR VOLVO. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES ON MY 2003 VOLVO S60, THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR FAILED TO OPEN. THE DEALER SAID A PLASTIC PART HAD BROKEN INSIDE THE DOOR PANEL AND TO CORRECTLY FIX, IT WOULD BE $845 AND THAT THE ENTIRE DOOR PANEL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY THEN SAID THAT IF WE WANTED TO ACCEPT THE RISK, THEY COULD GO IN AND GLUE THE PIECE AND TIE IT FOR $162. VOLVO SAID THEY WOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE ALTHOUGH THE PART FAILURE TRAPS A PERSON IN THE CAR NOT ALLOWING THE PASSENGER TO OPEN THEIR DOOR FROM WITHIN. I WENT WITH THE RISKY $162 OPTION AND IT FAILED TO WORK A MONTH LATER. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR IS INOPERABLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. IT WILL OPEN FROM THE LATCH ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY ACCELERATING AS IF THE VEHICLE WERE IN LIMP MODE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE 2003 S60 WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE A LOUD "BANG" WAS HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING A MOMENTARY MOVING DISTURBANCE (SHIMMY). UPON STOPPING THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT, I NOTICED THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY TENSION ON THE PARKING BRAKE. CONTINUING TO DRIVE INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE WAS SEIZED ON ONE WHEEL AND LOOSE/RATTLING PARTS FROM SOMEWHERE NEAR THE REAR WHEEL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS SO FAR REVEALED THAT THIS MAY NOT BE AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM FOR S60 VOLVOS WITH REPEATED COMPLAINTS APPEARING ON ENTHUSIASTS SITES INCLUDING INCIDENTS OF BOTH REAR WHEELS SEIZING WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. CONSULTATION WITH THE TWO NEAREST VOLVO DEALERSHIPS INDICATES NO ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM VOLVO OF THE DEFECT. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM MAY BE WITH THE INTERNAL PARTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RETURN MECHANISMS IN THE PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY. AS THIS IS POTENTIALLY A SERIOUS SAFETY ITEM I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE THE NHTSA REVIEW THIS PROBLEM AS MANY S60 VOLVOS WILL HAVE REACHED SIMILAR SERVICE LIVES. *TR

ON 12 DEC, 2008, MY 2003 VOLVO S60 STALLED WITH NO WARNING WHILE TRAVELING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH. I PULLED TO SAFETY (VEHICLE WAS IN "LIMP HOME" MODE) AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP (PARK PLACE VOLVO). SINCE THE VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT BACK UP AND PRESENTED NO CODES, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND GIVEN A BILL FOR $418 (FOR TOW AND DIAGNOSTIC CHECK). APPROX. 1 MONTH LATER, VEHICLE PRESENTED SAME PROBLEM; IT STALLED, WITHOUT WARNING, WHILE DRIVING... CREATING A GREAT SAFETY RISK FOR THE SECOND TIME. I HAD VEHICLE TOWED AGAIN TO SAME DEALERSHIP, AND SINCE VEHICLE STARTED RIGHT BACK UP WITH NO CODES, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT GET VEHICLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM ON EITHER OCCASION. HOWEVER, TO APPEASE ME, DEALERSHIP DID REPLACE ACCELERATOR PEDAL...VEHICLE STILL PRESENTS SAME STALLING ISSUE, AND INTERMITTENTLY GOES INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AS IT IS OBVIOUS, FROM THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE, THAT THIS IS A MASS DEFECT. *TR

THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER BROKE WITHOUT MUCH FORCE BEING PLACED ON IT. THE PLASTIC USED TO CONSTRUCT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN OF GOOD QUALITY. THE PART ITSELF IS COSTING ME $100 FOR THE LEVER AND ANOTHER $100 FOR LABOR. THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE WITH CARS. I'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN TO ME BEFORE. THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER HAS A STEEL REINFORCEMENT BAR GOING UP PART OF IT. WHERE THE BAR STOPS IS WHERE THE PIECE BROKE OFF. IT DIDN'T EVEN SNAP. THE PLASTIC JUST SORT OF PEELED AWAY. NOT WHAT I EXPECT OUT OF ANY CAR, ESPECIALLY A VOLVO. *TR

THE OEM JACK THAT CAME WITH MY VOLVO FAILED MISERABLY WHEN I HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE JACK WAS NEVER USED BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. WHILE THE JACK WAS PLACED ON A LEVEL SURFACE AND WAS COMPLETELY VERTICAL, THE FORCE NECESSARY TO SPIN THE JACK HANDLE CAUSED THE JACK TO VERY SLOWLY SLIDE SIDEWAYS IN AN INCREASINGLY PRECARIOUS POSITION. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER SEVERAL TIMES ONLY TO RENDER THE SAME RESULT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, I WAS ABLE RAISE THE CAR HIGH ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT REMOVAL OF THE FLAT TIRE. THE JACK HOWEVER WAS VERY UNSTABLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE TIRE, THE JACK FAILED AND THE CAR FELL TO THE GROUND. LUCKILY, THE FLAT TIRE WAS STILL ON THE CAR. SINCE I WAS IN MY PAVED DRIVEWAY, I WAS ABLE TO USE ANOTHER JACK. SINCE IT WASN'T A VOLVO JACK, I WAS ABLE TO USE WOODEN BLOCKS TO CRIB OR SECURE THE CAR BY STACKING WOOD UNDER THE CAR AS THE JACK RAISED THE CAR SO IT WOULDN'T FALL OFF THE JACK. THE VOLVO JACK IS BENT AND UNSAFE TO USE AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T SAFE TO USE THE FIRST TIME. I AM REPORTING IT AS I HAVE FOUND MANY OTHER VOLVO OWNERS ON THE WEB WHO HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR VOLVOS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE, THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE RAINY AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER 2-3 MINUTES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTS. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO S60. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS AND THE MECHANIC HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE EACH TIME. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER 07V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

I OWN A VOLVO S60 AND IT HAS STALLED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, I TOOK IT IN TO BE LOOKED AT AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE TO FIX MY PROBLEM. *JB