1999 VOLVO V70 Complaints

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING AUTO TO STALL AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, REPLACED SYSTEM, NOW THROTTLE SYSTEM CAUSES AUTO TO SURGE FORWARD MAKING THE AUTO HARD TO CONTROL

I HAVE HAD TWO 1999 VOLVO 70-SERIES. ONE A V70 WAGON, AND THE OTHER A S70 SEDAN. BOTH HAD A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM). THE ETM ON THE V70 FAILED AT 61,091 MILES. THE S70 FAILED AT 101,312 MILES FOR ME, BUT SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED AT ABOUT 98,000 MILES, I DO NOT KNOW IF IT FAILED BEFORE. THE V70 WAS EXHIBITING SYMTOMS AND WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE. THE S70 HOWEVER FAILED ON THE ROAD IN TRAFFIC WITH MY DAUGHTER DRIVING, WHILE I WAS ALSO IN THE CAR. IT WAS REPLACED BY VOLVO, BUT COST ME AS THERE WAS NO WARRANTY.

ON AUG. 13, 2005, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A PUBLIC ROAD IN SAN FRANCISCO APPROX. 35 MPH WHEN HER 1999 VOLVO V70 (APPROX. 72,500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER) STALLED. I CALLED PUTNAM VOLVO IN BURLINGAME THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY, AND MADE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT FOR THURSDAY, AUG. 18. THAT THURSDAY MORNING, WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, IT BEGAN TO IDLE ROUGHLY, SURGING FROM APPROX. 800 RPM TO 1500 RPM REPEATEDLY. I SHUT THE CAR DOWN, THEN RESTARTED IT; THE CAR THEN RAN FAIRLY NORMALLY. PUTNAM VOLVO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE, AND CHARGED ME $1225.00 FOR THE REPAIR. IT SEEMS THAT MANY OF THESE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULES ARE FAILING PREMATURELY.

1999 VOLVO V70 XC DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM. *MR RECALL CAMPAIGN#10131400. WHILE IN MOTION THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE ETS LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. *SC

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED 65-70 MPH CAR SUDDENLY JUMPED FORWARD THEN SLOWED AND STALLED WHILE DRIVING ON HWY. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT A PROBLEM. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE CAR RESTARTED AND WOULD DRIVE BUT WAS SURGING JUST LIKE BEFORE IT STALLED. I QUICKLY DROVE THE CAR HOME AND PARKED. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT YET BEEN CORRECTED BUT WAS QUOTED $1000 TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE BY DEALER (WILDE VOLVO IN BROOKFIELD, WI). THE SAME DEALER ALSO TOLD ME THAT THEY REPLACE AN AVERAGE OF THREE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULES EVERY WEEK. THAT SEEMS LIKE A DEFECTIVE PART IF THEY CHANGE 3 A WEEK AT 1,000 EACH AND THE STALLING COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *NM

1. EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE.... ABOUT 3 WEEK PRIOR, EXPERIENCED HESITATION (ALMOST STALLING) WHEN SLOWING FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS TO LOWER AND STOPPING SPEEDS. *NM 2. FAILURE.... FINALLY, IT HAPPENED. (I HAD JUST READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS IN THE PAPER!) IT STALLING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND WOULDN'T RESTART UNTIL SOME 2 HOURS LATER. LUCKILY IT WAS DAYTIME AND IN A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD. 3. WHAT WAS DONE... TOOK IT INTO VOLVO DEALER WITH THE SYMPTOMS AND THEY REPLACED THE ETM. LOTS OF $$$!

COMPLAINT: NONE OF THE ELECTRIC WINDOW SWITCHES (ALL 4 DOORS) OPERATE; SIDE-VIEW MIRRORS ELECTRIC SWITCH INOPERABLE. RESOLUTION: FAULT TRACED TO INTERNAL FAULT IN WINDOW SWITCH PACK MASTER CONTROL. DEALER REMOVED & REPLACED. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH INOPERABLE ELECTRIC WINDOW SWITCHES. THE 1ST TIME HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA'S WEBSITE (ODI #10133081).*JB

COMPLAINT: PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT ELECTRIC WINDOW SWITCH INOPERABLE. RESOLUTION: DEALER REMOVED & REPLACED RIGHT FRONT WINDOW SWITCH. THIS IS THE 1ST OF 2 ELECTRIC WINDOW SWITCH FAILURES. I WILL ALSO BE REPORTING THE LATER 2ND FAILURE ON NHTSA'S WEBSITE AS WELL, AS A SEPARATE INCIDENT. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS TWO VOLVOS, A 1999 CROSS-COUNTRY AND A 1998 CROSS-COUNTRY. VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER DUE TO THE FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM (ETS). *AK

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ETM FAILURE IN 1999 VOLVO XC70 VIN [XXX] 64189 MILES AT FAILURE. THROTTLE IN CAR WOULD SURGE / CUT OUT AT SPEED FOR WEEK LEADING UP TO FAILURE. ETM LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. ETM UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED TO FIX PROBLEM $970. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)