1998 VOLVO S70 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

FAILURE OF ABS CONTROLLER MODULE. MY RESEARCH OVER THE INTERNET AND NUMEROUS VOLVO CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS INDICATE THIS FAILURE IS PROBLEMATIC WITH THE TEVES 20 ABS MODULE. AN INTERNET FORUM PAGE DEALING WITH THE VOLVO 850/S70 MODELS IS LITTERED WITH INQUIRIES INTO THIS PROBLEM. ONE VOLVO TECHNICIAN I CORRESPONDED WITH INDICATED HE HAD REPLACED "HUNDREDS" OF THESE MODULES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. *LA

THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THE CAR WAS HIT ON THE SIDE. CONTACTED VOLVO AND ASKED TO INSPECT. THEIR ANSWER WAS THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK. I ASKED FOR A REPORT WITH ALL THE ENGINEERING DATA AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS TO SHOW WHY IT WAS OK, NO RESPONSE, HAVE ASKED TWICE. THEY SAY EVERYTHING IS OK. I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THEY ARE HIDING THE TRUTH. THE SIDE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED TO GIVE EXTRA PROTECTION. I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THEIR ANSWER AND I DO NEED YOU HELP. *AK *SCC *JB

REAR PASSENGER WHEEL SENSOR FOR THE ABS, SHOWS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE SENSOR REPLACEMENT DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE AUTO TECH RESEARCHED FROM A COMMON AUTO TECHNICHIANS WEB PAGE AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE S70. THE PROBLEM LAYS WITH A FAULTY COMPUTER ON THE VEHICLES. AS A RESULT THE ABS DOES NOT OPERATE. 1998 VOLVO S70T.

TREAD SEPARATED ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH. VEHICLE WENT ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. *AK

WINDOWS AND SUNROOF FAILURES DUE TO SHORT IN CIRCUIT BREAKER, MULTIPLE LIGHT FAILURES,WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID INDICATOR LIGHT ALWAYS ON DESPITE REPLACEMENT OF FLUID, LIGHT FAILURE INDICATOR LIGHTED THEN STOPS. *AK

ABS COMPUTER CHIP WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MY CAR HAS FEWER THAN 60,000 MILES. THIS COMPONENT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND COST OVER $600 TO REPLACE. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. IF FAILURE OF THE ABS CHIP IS AS COMMON AS I'M TOLD, THEN I BELIEVE VOLVO SHOULD PICK UP THE COST FOR REPLACING THIS DEFECTIVE COMPONENT IN THEIR VEHICLES.*AK

ABS AND TRACS LIGHT TURNS ON AND OFF RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. AFFECTS THE BRAKES BECAUSE ABS IS DISABLED AND ALSO ACTIVATED DURING DRIVING. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WIDELY DISCUSSED IN ONLINE FORUMS, AND IS ALSO WELL-KNOWN TO DEALERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO A FAILURE IN THE ABS/TRACS CONTROL UNIT.*AK

ABS LIGHT WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY ABS UNIT AS IS WAS FAULTY BUT ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH DOESN'T ALWAYS TURN ON.*AK

VOLVO CUSTOMER RELATIONS RE: VIN [XXX], 1998 S70 SIR OR MADAM MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A PRE-OWNED 1998 VOLVO S70 IN 2000. TWO NIGHTS AGO AS WE WERE DRIVING ON A 30-MILE RURAL-STRETCH HOME, OUR HEADLIGHT SWITCH BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION. WITH THE SWITCH IN THE ON POSITION, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE OFF AND THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO OUT. WE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND DISCOVERED THAT BY PUSHING THE SWITCH INWARD TOWARD THE DASH, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WOULD STAY LIT, SO LONG AS YOU WERE CONSTANTLY PUSHING IN THE SWITCH. YESTERDAY I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED BY NHTSA RECALL NO. 99V235/VOLVO RECALL NO. 94. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED MAKING PHONE CALLS TO GET THIS PART REPLACED. VOLVO OF LISLE RETRIEVED MY CARS INFORMATION AND INFORMED ME THAT THE SWITCH HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED UNDER THE RECALL ON 051799, PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL SWITCH HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ACCORDING TO THEIR RECORDS, I WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THE RECALL ON THE SWITCH WAS ISSUED BY THE NHTSA BECAUSE THE PROBLEM PUT THE DRIVER AT RISK OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS, AND TO MY DISMAY I AM FORCED TO PAY FOR IT. I FEEL THAT VOLVO IS ALWAYS RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE DESIGN, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY TIMES THE PART UNDER RECALL BREAKS. I EXPECT THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE, AS I AM SENDING THEM A COPY OF THIS LETTER. I KEPT THE BROKEN SWITCH AND I WOULD LIKE A NAME AND ADDRESS IN YOUR WARRANTY DEPARTMENT TO SEND IT TO. I EXPECT TO BE REFUNDED THE COSTS I INCURRED FOR THIS REPAIR, AS WELL AS RECEIVING A NEW SWITCH INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE, ONCE THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. CC: NHTSA. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR