2000 VOLVO V70XC Complaints

VEHICLE WENT INTO 'LIMP HOME MODE' ON HIGHWAY. SPEED WENT FROM 65 MPH IN PASSING LANE TO 15 MPH. I HAD TO CROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE BREAK DOWN LANE. AUTO IS 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY WAGON. ETS SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AT 66,800 MILES WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED BEFORE. THE CAR NOW EXHIBITS THE SAME BEHAVIOR AT 122,000 MILES. *JB

2000 VOLVO V70XC REAR LATCH FAILURE. MY XC WAGON HAS EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT REAR LATCH FAILURES SINCE 2002. THE PROBLEM ONLY USED TO OCCUR DURING THE WINTERS, WHICH ACCOUNT FOR 3 MONTHS A YEAR IN MA. I BROUGHT IT IT TO MY VOLVO DEALER, BARRY'S VOLVO OF DARTMOUTH, MA ON 2/17/2004. SINCE THEY WERE TESTING IT IN THEIR HEATED GARAGE, OF COURSE, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT REPRODUCED. THEY LUBED THE LATCH AND SENT THE CAR HOME. WE DEALT WITH IT FOR A YEAR AND THEN I FOUND THE TSBS ON THE INTERNET, THANKS TO BRICKYARD.COM AND THE NHTSA. I HAVE SINCE TRIED TWO MORE TIMES TO GET MY DEALER TO REPAIR THE LATCH AS NOW THE LATCH FAILS JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME I CLOSE THE REAR TRUNK. I FEAR FOR MY CHILDREN'S SAFETY AS WELL AS MY PET, WHO RIDES IN THE REAR, AND ANY BELONGINGS WE PLACE BACK THERE. I HAVE CALLED VOLVO NA AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD MAKE SURE MY DEALER WOULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY ISSUE, RECALL OR WHATEVER FOR MY CAR AND THEY WOULD GLADLY FIX IT AT MY EXPENSE. I'VE FINNALY HAD ENOUGH AND DECIDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA SINCE THERE IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, NHTSA00V239000

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT EXCEED 10 MPH. ON OTHER OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE.

UPON EXITING THE HIGHWAY, AFTER TRAVELING AT SPEED FOR 30 MINUTES, A KNOCKING SOUND CAME FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE STALLED AT THE END OF THE EXIT RAMP AND STEAM WAS EVOLVING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS AT MAXIMUM. STEAM WAS EVOLVING NEAR THE TURBO AT THE FIREWALL. THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WAS NOT RUNNING, BUT MAKING A BUZZING SOUND. THE ENGINE OIL WAS HOT, STEAM OR SMOKE EVOLVED FROM THE DIP-STICK TUBE, BUT THE LEVEL WAS GOOD. THE COOLANT BOTTLE WAS EMPTY. I TRIED TO START THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE CRANKED RAPIDLY, AS IF THERE WAS NO COMPRESSION, AND MORE STEAM WAS PRODUCED AT THE EXHAUST SIDE OF THE HEAD. I PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY SERVICE STATION. THE SERVICE STATION TOPPED OFF THE COOLANT BOTTLE, PLACED THE VEHICLE ON A LIFT AND CRANKED THE ENGINE. FROM BELOW, COOLANT COULD BE SEEN EXITING THE EXHAUST SIDE OF THE ENGINE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A NEARBY FOREIGN VEHICLE SERVICE STATION FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. THIS STATION DETERMINED THERE IS NO COMPRESSION IN CYLINDERS #2 THROUGH #5, AND ONLY 40 PSIG IN CYLINDER #1. THE TIMING BELT IS IN PLACE. THE STATION BELIEVES THE ENGINE HEAD IS CRACKED OR WARPED AND SUGGESTS THERE MAY BE CONSIDERABLE BOTTOM END DAMAGE AS WELL SUCH AS PISTONS, RINGS, AND CYLINDER SLEEVES DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. I CONTACTED VOLVO CARS AND EXPLAINED THAT THIS INCIDENT SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CURRENT NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 04V451000 REGARDING ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM FAN FAILURE ON 2000-2001 V70'S AND 2001 V70XC'S (AND OTHER MODELS). VOLVO CONTENDS MY VEHICLE (A 2000 V70XC) IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM THE COOLING FAN ON MY VEHICLE IS DIFFERENT THAN THE DEFECTIVE FAN COVERED BY THE RECALL. *JB

FAILURE OF THE ETM ON MY 2000 VOLVO XC 70. THE CAR ABRUPTLY LOST DRIVING POWER IN THE MIDST OF 65 MPH TRAFFIC ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY. *JB

TWO TOYO PROXES TPT 205/55R-16 (94V ALL SEASONS BLACKWALL) TIRES HAVE FAILED WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF PURCHASE AND 10,000 MILES. THE SIDEWALLS HAVE DEVELOPED THIN SPOTS THAT ARE BULGING OUTWARDS, ON THE VERGE OF A BLOWOUT. THESE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENTS FOR TOYO PROXES FZ4 BLACKWALLS P205/55VR WHEN ONE OF THEM BLEW OUT THROUGH THE SIDEWALL AFTER 2.5 YEARS OF MODERATELY LIGHT USAGE. BECAUSE TWO TIRES (BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE) ARE AFFECTED, I CAN'T CLICK AN APPROPRIATE BOX ON A FOLLOWING SCREEN.*JB

THE ETS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM) LIGHT CAME ON REPEATEDLY OVER A PERIOD OF TWO WEEKS. ON TWO OCCASIONS, ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR LOST POWER TOTALLY WHEN THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER SAID THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM), WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $1,500. THIS CAR HAS 85,000 MILES, VIRTUALLY ALL OF WHICH WERE HIGHWAY MILES AS IT IS USED TO COMMUTE FROM MA TO CT. A SEARCH OF THE WEB INDICATED THAT THIS SENSOR--THE ETM--WAS DEFECTIVE IN 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS. IN JULY 2001, VOLVO ISSUED A TECH BULLETIN STATING THAT PROBLEMS OCCURRED ONLY WHEN THE OWNER MADE MANY SHORT TRIPS. FURTHER, THE TECH BULLETINS SAID THE ETM COULD BE CLEANED (BUT NOT REPLACED) IF THE CAR STILL WAS UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. THIS CAR HAS 85,000 AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY A VOLVO DEALER. *NM

I HAVE A 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY WAGON. THE PROBLEM BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2005. CAR STARTS BUT IMMEDIATELY DIES, STARTS BUT DIES, STARTS BUT DIES AND THEN, FINALLY, CATCHES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON ABOUT 15 OCCASIONS SINCE DEC 10, 2005 AND TAKES ABOUT 3 TO 6 TRIES BEFORE ENGINE CATCHES. CAR SURGED ONCE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE COMPUTER REPLACED IN JAN 2005 (BEFORE THIS PROBLEM EMERGED), THE STARTER MOTOR REPLACED (JUNE), THE THERMOSTAT REPLACED (JANUARY 2006) AND RECENTLY THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED (LATTER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY). I HAVE ONLY 75,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND IT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE A LEMON. THE SERVICE DEALER PUT ME OFF WHEN I STATED THAT IT MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. I DON'T HAVE ALL THE OLD PARTS BUT MAYBE EITHER THE THERMOSTAT OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I CAN'T TAKE THE CAR ANY DISTANCE FOR FEAR THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO START IT. THE DEALER SAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS TO COME ON AND INDICATE ETM FAILURE BEFORE THEY ARE OBLIGATED TO REPLACE THE ETM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID COME ON FOR THE 2 PROBLEMS, THERMOSTAT AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I DON'T WANT TO BLAME THE DEALER FOR FAILING TO RESPOND BECAUSE THEY DID REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS AN UNDER-WARRANTY ITEM AND THEY DID SEEM TO HONESTLY LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM. BUT WE ALL KNOW THE ETM IS WAITING TO FAIL AND MIGHT EVEN BE IN THE PROCESS OF FAILING. WHY WASN'T VOLVO FORCED INTO A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM? I'D APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE. THANKS. *JB

THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN AUG. 2004, FORTUNATELY I DO NOT DRIVE VERY FAR, BECAUSE THE CAR SLOWED AS IF IT WAS STALLING AND THEN RAN SLUGGISH FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AT THE TIME I WAS ALONE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE 20 MONTHS AND 1 MONTH OLD AND THANK GOD IT WAS A SIDE STREET BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. AS I WAS ON THE WAY TO HOME, THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT IT BUT THE CODES HE CAME UP WITH HAD TO BE FIXED BY A VOLVO DEALERSHIP MECHANIC. THE PRICE TAG FOR THE FIRST FIX $1100. THE ETM WAS REPLACED SOFTWARE DOWNLOADED AND BRAKE PEDAL SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME 68574. TODAY LUCKILY I HAD NOT EVEN LEFT MY DRIVEWAY, I STARTED MY CAR THAT ALL TO FAMILIAR SPUTTER AND THE ETM LIGHT IS ON AGAIN NOT EVEN 10,000 MILES LATER. *JB

MY VOLVO V70 XC ALSO HAS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE ETM - ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE COSTING $1350. AFTER, LIKE MANY OTHERS HAVE STATED, LOSING ALL POWER, SHUTTING DOWN, LOCKING UP, CAUSING ME AND THOSE AROUND ME A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE GARAGE ONLY TO BE TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE CAR CONTINUED TO DRIVE IN A VERY UNPREDICTABLE MANNER, LOSING ACCELERATION, STALLING, DYING, ANOTHER NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE WHEN IT DIED IN AN INTERSECTION, MULTIPLE TOWS AND SEVERAL DIFFERENT GARAGES, SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS OF NO ANSWERS LATER, ONE GARAGE WAS AWARE OF THE COMMONALITY OF THIS PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE ETM. THIS WAS AT ~65K MILES. NOW AT 92K AND I AM BEGINNING TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS-CAR DYING, GOING INTO LIMP HOME MODE-20 MPH WITH NO ACCELERATION, ANOTHER $1000 IN REPAIRS WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION TO PROBLEMS. IT FEELS LIKE THE ETM MIGHT BE GOING AGAIN. THIS IS RIDICULOUS AND DANGEROUS! WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CARS THAT COST OVER $30000!! *JB