1998 VOLVO V70 Complaints

VEHICLE RANDOMLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. ENGINE SHUT-DOWN WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING CONTROL. DISABLED VEHICLE WITH GROCERIES AND SMALL CHILDREN INSIDE ON A 90+ DEGREE (VERY HOT!!)AFTERNOON IN MID-JULY. $322 FOR REPLACEMENT OF AIR FLOW DEVICE (METER OR SENSOR?) TO CORRECT PROBLEM. APPROX. $50, LOSS OF PERISHABLE FOOD. *JB

1998 VOLVO V70A EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVERS SIDE SHOULDER HARNESS. *MR THE SHOULDER HARNESS WAS FRAYED. ONE WOULD HAVE TO PULL THE SEAT BELT TO UNLOCK AND THEN PULL IT DOWN WHICH CAUSED IT TO WEAR. *SC *JB

THE CAMSHAFT BELT TENSIONER BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE BELT TO COME OFF AND THE VEHICLE TO LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. THE OWNER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. *JB TIMING BELT TENSIONER, BELT AND VALVES AND HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TT

THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED DURING A PANIC STOP, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP AND THE CAR TO SKID UNCONTROLLABLY INTO THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. *AK THERE HAD BEEN NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AFTER THE INCIDENT AND HAD NOT BEEN ON PREVIOUSLY. THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. UPON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TECHNICIAN, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE WITH THESE MODELS AND IT LEAVES THE THE ABS SYSTEM COMPLETELY DISABLED WHEN IT OCCURS. AS MY INCIDENT SHOWS, THIS FAILURE CAN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE DRIVER IS RELYING ON THE ABS SYSTEM AND INSTEAD HAS THE BRAKES LOCK UP CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLABLE SKID. IN ADDITION TO THIS INCIDENT, THE TECHNICIAN ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE MODULE HAD ALREADY FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED PREVIOUSLY AT 31K MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT THAT IS VERY COMMON AND WILL CAUSE UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS TO SUDDENLY LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLES IN A PANIC STOP SITUATION.

AT ONLY 70,000 MILES MY ABS UNIT FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER AGREED TO PAY HALF. VOLVO SHOULD REPLACE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONET ON EVERY VEHICLE AT THEIR EXPENSE. *JB

FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR BROKE. MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. *AK *SC

CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AS STATED IN RECALL 99V235000. TOOK VEHICLE INTO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS,. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TESTED AND FOUND TO HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF CARBON MONOXIDE. *NM BLACK SMOKE WAS BELCHING OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. *SC THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. *JB

I OWN A 1998 VOLVO V70 THAT HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR LOCKS. THE CAR WILL LOCK BUT TWO DOORS DO NOT UNLOCK WHEN THE MASTER OR REMOTE SWITCHES ARE ACTIVATED. ONE HAS TO MANUALLY LIFT THE UNLOCKING KNOB FIRST. MY CONCERN IS THAT IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR THE NEED TO LEAVE THE CAR QUICKLY, A YOUNG CHILD OR SOMEONE WHO IS INFIRM MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR AND SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UNLOCK THE CAR DOOR EITHER TO HELP THEM. FOR THE FRONT DOOR, IT IS EASY ENOUGH TO LEAN OVER FROM THE OTHER SIDE AND LIFT THE KNOB TO UNLOCK THE DOOR BUT FOR THE REAR DOOR, THE KNOB IS PLACED TOO FAR BACK TO REACH FROM THE FRONT, HENCE THE CONCERN. FROM OPENING THE LOCK, IT APPEARS THAT A SMALL (3 MM) PIECE OF RED PLASTIC IN THE LOCK MECHANISM HAS SNAPPED OFF. FROM SEARCHING THE INTERNET, IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL BUT THAT THE DESIGN FAULT WAS FIXED ON LATER MODELS. ALSO, APPARENTLY THE BREAKAGE APPEARS TO OCCUR WHEN SOMEONE TRIES TO OPEN THE LOCKED DOOR WHILE SOMEONE IS TRYING TO UNLOCK IT  A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. I HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO BUT THEY TELL ME THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND SIMPLY WEAR AND TEAR. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.*AK

I OWN A 1998 VOLVO V70. WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH THE AIR PUMP AND THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. THESE PARTS SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED ON A CAR THAT IS FIVE YEARS OLD. SINCE THE CAR IS PAST ITS WARRANTY PERIOD, VOLVO WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THESE PARTS (A TOTAL OF $1,273). IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER FROM ME, VOLVO SAID, "IN THE EVENT THAT EITHER OF THESE COMPONENTS IS RECALLED, REIMBURSEMENT COULD BE CONSIDERED AT THAT TIME." PLEASE ADD MY NAME TO OTHERS WHO UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THESE FAULTY PARTS (AIR PUMP - PKS70AP AND ABS/TRAC - 8602266) SO THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED. I WOULD BE GLAD TO SUBMIT TO NHTSA BOTH LETTERS BETWEEN VOLVO AND MYSELF.*AK