1998 VOLVO V70 Complaints

INTERMITTENT "STUTTERING" OR "SPUTTERING" PROBLEM BOTH AT IDLE AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. FEELS LIKE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM IS MISFIRING THE ENGINE. CAR HAS NEVER STALLED, BUT NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN PRESSING ACCELERATOR FROM STOP, SPUTTERING CAUSES DELAY IN ACCELERATION.

WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH ON WET PAVEMENT GOING AROUND A CURB, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HIT A WALL. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S SIDE AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *AK

SEAT BELT FAILS TO RETRACT FULLY AND CATCHES IN DOOR CLOSURE. WHILE THE IMPACT SO FAR IS MINIMAL, IE, SCRATCHES THE PAINT AND CAUSES ME TO REOPEN THE DOOR AND PUSH THE BELT INSIDE, MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS WILL, IN TIME, RESULT IN A BENT SELT BELT LATCH MECHANISM WHICH COULD RESULT IN NOT LOCKING COMPLETELY WHEN THE SEAT BELT IS ENGAGED AND THEN COME LOOS UNDER STRESS -- GIVING ME THE BELIEF OF A SAFE, SECURE, VOLVO 3-POINT BELT BUT IN FACT IT WILL GIVE ME A ONE-WAY TRIP TO ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED ON HIGHWAY, CAME UPON A ROUGH STRETCH OF ROAD. THE CAR GOT BUMPED AROUND A FEW TIMES, LEFT REAR DOOR GOT KNOCKED OPEN - IT STAYED LATCHED AND DID NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY. NO ONE WAS IN THE REAR SEAT AT THE TIME. AT THE TIME THE DOOR LOCK SWITCHES WERE IN THE UP/OPEN POSITION - BUT ALL DOORS WERE PROPERLY CLOSED BEFORE I BEGAN DRIVING.

VEHICLE HAS HAD A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END (NOT FELT IN THE STEERING COLUMN OR GAS PEDAL) AT SPEEDS OF 35-45 MPH SINCE I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE ON 8/25/98. MILEAGE AT VEHICLE PICK UP = 279. THIS WAS REPORTED TO DEALER ON 9/29/98, (MILEAGE 2035),WHEN I HAD THE SPEED RANGE AND KNEW IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY ROAD CONDITIONS. ON NOVEMBER 1, 1998 THIS MANIFESTED INTO A SHAKE IN THE FRONT END AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS CONDITION, (SHAKE IN THE FRONT END),OCCURRED AGAIN ON 11/6/98, ALSO AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SHAKE IN THE FRONT END HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER VERBALLY BUT HAS NOT BEEN DOCUMENTED. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE 11/9/98 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 11/11 AND 11/12 TO TAKE IT TO AND FROM THE DEALER FOR THE THIRD AND FINAL REPAIR ATTEMPT (CURRENT MILEAGE = 4482). I AM CURRENTLY IN POSSESSION OF THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO FILE UNDER NH DMV ARBITRATION BOARD FOR RETURN OF THE VEHICLE. VOLVO HAS OFFERED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR IDENTIFICATION/REPAIR OF THE DEFICIENCY BUT I AM WAITING FOR NH DMV ARBITRATION TO MONITOR THIS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR OTHER DEFICIENCIES RELATED TO THIS VIBRATION/SHAKE. THIS VEHICLE HAS EXHIBITED OTHER, REPORTED DEFICIENCIES; DUAL CLIMATE CONTROLS DO NOT WORK INDEPENDANTLY (NOT FIXED), REAR VIEW MIRROR BROKE OFF WHILE ADJUSTING (FIXED), SPEAKER GOES ON AND OFF (NOT FIXED), EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST ON FRONT WHEELS (DEALER CLEANED OFF) , APPEARANCE OF A FLUID STAIN ON RIGHT FRONT WHEEL (DEALER STATES THIS IS COMBINATION OF BRAKE DUST AND CONDENSATION CAUSED BY EXCESSIVE HEAT WHILE BRAKING).

THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK ON AN INCLINE WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. EMERGENCY BRAKES HAD TO BE USED TO STOP. DEALER SAYS IT'S NORMAL. *ML

THE DEFECTIVE EXHAUST SYSTEM LEAKS INTO THE CABIN. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE SEATBELTS DO NOT APPEAR TO RETRACT PROPERLY. THERE IS A SMALL LIGHT IN THE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE WHICH HAS BEEN BROKEN ON 3 OCCASSIONS BECAUSE THE SEATBELT DID NOT RETRACT PRIOR TO THE DOOR CLOSING. THE DEALER DID REPAIR THIS AND MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS DEFECT BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL. ALSO IF THE SEATBELT BECOMES LOOSE BECAUSE OF DRIVER/PASSENGER MOVEMENT IT DOES NOT RETRACT OR BECOME TIGHT AROUND THE WAIST AGAIN. TO TRY TO CLARIFY THIS, IF AFTER INITIALLY SETTING THE BELTS WHEN YOU GET IN TO THE VEHICLE AND YOU HAVE MOVEMENT THAT ALLOWS THE SEATBELT TO EXPAND AROUND YOUR WAIST THE SEATBELT REMAINS EXPANDED. SO IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO ARISE YOU WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED. BEST REGARDS, RANDY GIBSON

THE CATALITIC CONVERTER SMELLS INSIDE THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT I HAD WITH A PREVIOUS V70. AFTER NUMERUS COMPLAINTS TO VOLVO THEY REPLACED THE CAR WITH A SIMILAR CAR. NOW I FACE THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. IT IS NOT AS BAD WHEN I USE THE HIGHEST OCTANE AVAILABLE AND ADD OCTANE BOOST. I CONSIDER THESE ODORS DANGEROUS BECOUSE I GET HEADACHES AND BURNING EYES WHILE DRIVING. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFO YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE FOLLOW UP ON THIS COMPLAINT. THANKYOU.

CAR LOST TOTAL ENGINE POWER AT FREEWAY SPEED WHEN OPERATING AT NORMAL TEMPERATURE. WOULD RESTART ON BERM UPON SLIGHT COOLING, THEN FAILURE RECURRED BACK ON FREEWAY. CAR WAS FLATABEDED TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALER FIRST IDENTIFIED FUEL PUMP FAILURE, THEN SAID WIRING TO FUEL PUMP WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED. SO FAR, DEALER'S REPAIR SATISFACTORY.