1999 VOLVO S80 Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW, IT SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. SHE PUSHED THE BUTTON TO RAISE THE WINDOW AND THE GLASS FELL OFF TRACK, WHICH RESULTED IN THE WINDOW RESTING AT A SLIGHT RIGHT ANGLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118,000.

FIVE LANE RUSH HOUR FREEWAY DRIVING, 1999 VOLVO S80 T6 WENT INTO LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT WARNING. WITH HIGH SPEED TRACTOR TRAILERS COMING UP THE REAR, THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO ACCELERATION RESPONSE FROM MY VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY PUSH THE HAZARD WARNING INDICATOR AND MOVE OVER TO THE SHOULDER. THIS IS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY TO MYSELF OR OTHERS. AFTER SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL SERVICE MANAGERS AT LOCAL DEALERSHIPS, I AM LESS THAN SATISFIED THAT THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS DEFECT IS PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED. ACCORDING TO VOLVO NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, THE SYMPTOMS SUGGEST A DEFECTIVE ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE). *TR

DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AT NIGHT, THE LOW BEAM (DIPPED BEAM) HEADLIGHTS FAILED WHILE OUT OF TOWN WITH MY WIFE AND TWO DAUGHTERS. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A SAFE LOCATION USING THE HIGH BEAMS. A CHECK OF HEADLAMP BULBS AND FUSES SHOWED THAT EVERYTHING WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER AND I WAS LEFT SCRATCHING MY HEAD. THE HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL NOT WORKING THREE WEEKS LATER, AND I FINALLY KNOW WHY. VOLVO OWNERS EXCHANGE INFORMATION ON VARIOUS WEBSITES AND ON MORE THAN ONE I FOUND PEOPLE SUGGESTING THAT THE CEM (MAIN COMPUTER) USED "SHUNTS" FOR VARIOUS COMPONENTS ON THE VEHICLE AND THEY WERE PRONED TO SHORTING OUT DUE TO RANDOM OVERHEATING ISSUES. I CHECKED THE AREA UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE DASH AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE IS A SHUNT INSERTED INTO THE CEM WITH HEAVY CHARRING AROUND THE TERMINALS. THE 1999 VOLVO S80 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF MY PARTICULAR MODEL, AND THE FIRST YEAR THIS TYPE OF WIRING ARCHITECTURE WAS USED ON THEIR VEHICLES. THE SHORTING OF A CRUCIAL CIRCUIT SUCH AS HEADLAMPS NOT ONLY POSES A GRAVE DANGER WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT, BUT COULD ALSO CAUSE A FIRE. I FEEL THE FAILURE IN THE DESIGN OF THE CEM AND THE VEHICLES WIRING ARCHITECTURE COULD ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RANDOM ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS OCCURRING WITH THE S80 AS WELL. THERE ARE SEVERAL WEBSITES THAT MENTION THE CONSTANT "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT THAT COMES ON AND DEALERS ARE CLAIMING THEY REPAIR THE PROBLEM AFTER EACH VISIT, WHICH USUALLY END UP COSTING OVER $1,000.00. THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF CUSTOMERS , INCLUDING MYSELF, WHO LOSE THE A/C COMPRESSOR RANDOMLY, AND THE ALTERNATOR INDICATING THAT IT ISN'T CHARGING CORRECTLY. FINALLY, THERE IS ALSO SOMETHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION OF THE S80. I'VE PAID FOR STRUTS AND BALL JOINT REPAIRS AND HAVE HAD THEM REPAIRED THROUGH A MANUFACTURER RECALL. AGAIN, THE DEALER CLAIMS TO HAVE REPAIRED THE PROBLEM AFTER EACH VISIT, YET THE PROBLEM HAS RECENTLY COME UP AGAIN IN MY VEHICLE. PLEASE CONTACT ME ANYTIME. *TR

BRAKE BOOSTER LEAKING VACUUM CAUSING THE CAR TO MIS FIRE AND RUN ERRATIC AND DIE IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE BOOSTER QUITS WORKING WHICH MAKE IT A DEATH TRAP AND HARD TO STOP. LOSE OF POWER BRAKES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH A MESSAGE STATING "TRANSMISSION SERVICE URGENT". THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VALVE BODY WAS FAULTY AND THERE WAS MECHANICAL FAILURE WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT FELT THERE MAY BE A DEFECT WITH THE SOFTWARE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 100,255 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,769.

CUSTOMER WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SIMILAR DEFECTS ON THE VOLVO S 80**CC THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER IT RAINED, WATER WOULD APPEAR IN THE LUGGAGE CARRIER. *JB

I'VE REPLACED THE STRUTS AND STRUT MOUNTS TWICE; ORIGINAL OWNER REPLACED THEM ONCE.... SWAY BAR REPLACED LAST YEAR AND WHOLE FRONT END HAS BEEN RE-BUILT.... NOW I HAVE STEERING PROBLEMS.. REPLACED U-JOINT AND RACK.... *NM

THIS CAR HAS SEVERAL RECURRING PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN ON ANY CAR BEFORE. 1) ELECTRONIC THROTTLE HAS BEEN REPLACED 2 TIMES AS WELL AS OXYGEN SENSORS. 2) SUSPENSION PARTS REPLACED 3 TIMES, BALL JOINTS, STRUTS, STRUT MOUNTS, FRAME BUSHINGS. THE CAR STILL SQUEAKS. *JB

1999 S80 STALLED/SURGED AT 20,000 MILES AT THE TIME. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED WHENEVER THE STALLING OCCURRED, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD GO OUT, AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE WOULD START TO RUN IN AN UNEVEN/HESITATION MODE. THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH WORSE AT LOWER SPEEDS. THE DEALER INSTALLED TWO SOFTWARE UPDATES AT DIFFERENT TIMES WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED WHEN THE AIRFLOW SENSOR AND THE ABS CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE SKIDDED, AND PULLED TO THE RIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON INITIAL INSPECTION BY THE CONTACT, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS PARTIALLY SEPARATED AND TURNED PERPENDICULAR FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE TIE ROD ASSEMBLY, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE FRONT SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A NHTSA RECALL, #00V238000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE FRONT SUSPENSION HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.