2000 VOLVO S80 Complaints

DT: CALLER SAW VOLVO INVESTIGATION ON TV. CALLER HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED TWICE, ONCE IN DECEMBER 2004 AND ONCE IN JUNE. REPLACED MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. *AK *JB

DT: 2000 VOLVO S80. VEHICLE STALLED/DIED, AND LOST POWER. DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. *AK

ANOTHER COMPLAINT FOR THE VOLVO S80 THROTTLE MODULE CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE ALL POWER ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT EACH TIME THIS OCCURRED, I WAS IN A POSITION TO GET OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS, HOWEVER. I WORK IN NASHVILLE WHERE EVERY ROUTE TO WORK IS UNDERGOING ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND DOES NOT HAVE A SHOULDER TO PULL OFF ON. HAD THE ETM FAILED IN ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS, I WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN HIT BY OTHER AUTOS UNABLE TO AVOID ME. I HAD THE PART REPLACED FOR ABOUT $850 AS VOLVO CLAIMED THAT IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND REFUSED TO FIX IT. IN ADDITION TO THE FAULTY ETM IS THE ABS CONTROL UNIT FOR THE AIRBAGS AND TRACTION CONTROL. ACCORDING TO WHAT I'VE SEEN ON VOLVO MESSAGE BOARDS (VOLVOSPY.COM, SWEDESPEED.COM AND BRICKBOARD.COM), THIS PART ALSO SEEMS TO FAIL AS FREQUENTLY AS THE ETM. MINE IS FAILING NOW AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED OR I CAN HAVE IT FIXED AT AN INDEPENDENT SHOP - PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS SHOP: HTTP://HOME.EARTHLINK.NET/~VICROCHA/ IF THE ABS CONTROL UNIT FAILS IN AN ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT TO DEPLOY. IF THE TRACTION CONTROL IS NOT WORKING, THE CAR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AVOID A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT AS WELL. THE PART CAN BE MADE TO BE MORE DEPENDABLE, ACCORDING TO INFORMATION FROM THE INDEPENDENT SHOP LISTED ABOVE. THE INCIDENT DATE IS NOT ACCURATE. IT OCCURRED OVER A PERIOD OF A COUPLE OF WEEKS A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO. I CAN CHECK THE DATE OF REPAIR TO GIVE YOU A MORE ACCURATE DATE IF YOU WISH. THANKS!

CAR BEGAN LURCHING WHEN IDLING. TOOK TO DEALER, WHO SAID THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE NEEDED REPLACEMENT - AND THAT NHTS WAS INVESTIGATING THIS.

THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES ONCE WHILE ON A RAMP ENTERING THE EXPRESSWAY AND A SECOND TIME WHILE ON THE EXPRESSWAY. EACH ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO RE-START THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THE CAR AND THE ETM AND MAF WERE REPLACED THEN. SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A VARIATION OF ENGINE SPEED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED. THE DEALER WAS NEVER ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. I JUST HAD THIS FIXED (AT A COST OF $1,326.68) SINCE IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.

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)

1. WIFE AND CHILD DRIVING VEHICLE ON STRAIGHT SECTION OF FREEWAY AT APPROX 60 MPH. 2. VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED ABRUPTLY CAUSING WIFE TO QUICKLY CHANGE LANES AND EVENTUALLY EXIT FREEWAY VIA OFF RAMP. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN AT "LIMP HOME"MODE (APPROX. 20 MPH) OFF OFF RAMP, ONTO FREEWAY FEEDER, AT IDLE, AND THEN FOR ANOTHER APPROX 20 MILES ON FREEWAY FEEDER ROADS AND CITY ROADS TO RESIDENCE. 3. VEHICLE TOWED TO VOLVO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. OLD PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. *NM *AK 11/02/05 *JB

2000 VOLVO S80 -- DEFECTIVE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE SUBJECT OF PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE05041 ON APRIL 20, 2005, WHILE DRIVING USING CRUISE CONTROL AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE CAR WOULD LOSE AND REGAIN POWER FREQUENTLY. ON APRIL 21, 2005 WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR ON A TWO LANE ROAD WITHOUT A SHOULDER THE CAR LOST SIGNIFICANT POWER AND A VARIETY OF WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR WITH LIMITED POWER AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY THROTTLE MODULE AND REPLACED AT A COST, PAID 100% BY ME, OF $919.16. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE CRUISE CONTROL OCCASSIONALY EXHIBITS THE SAME SLIGHT LOSS AND RESUMPTION OF POWER. WHILE I WAS LUCKY IN THAT I WAS ABLE TO TURN INTO A DRIVEWAY WHEN NEARLY ALL POWER WAS LOST, HAD THERE BEEN TRAFFIC ON THE TWO LANE ROAD I WAS SUBJECT TO BEING REARENDED. THE FREQUENCY OF THIS FAILURE, WHICH I UNDERSTAND TO BE THE SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN CALIFORNIA CONTENDING THERE IS A "HIDDEN WARRANTY" PRACTICE BEING CONDUCTED BY VOLVO WHICH AT TIMES PAYS FOR THE EXPENSE AND OTHER TIMES NOT, IS WORTHY OF YOUR OFFICIAL EVALUATION. THANK YOU. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. THE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED, AN DLOST CONTROL ON AUGUST 11, 2005 WHILE DRIVING AT 55-60 MPH. *AK

IN JULY, 2005 I TOOK MY 2000 S80 IN FOR SERVICE COMPLAINING OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS INCLUDING SURGING WHEN STOPPED, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE A/C IS RUNNING. SOMETIMES I SAW THE TACHOMETER JUMPING DURING THE SURGE ACTIVITY. RED BANK VOLVO, MY REGULAR SERVICE FACILITY, ADVISED ME THAT THE PROBLEM REQUIRED SOFTWARE UPGRADES FOR ECM AND ETM, AND IF IT PERSISTED THAT MY ALTERNATOR WOULD NEED CLEANING. THEY NEVER MENTIONED AN ETM DEFECT. BASED UPON THE ETM COMPLAINTS LISTED ON NHTSA'S WEBSITE, MY EARLY PROBLEMS SEEM SIMILAR. *NM