2000 VOLVO V70XC Complaints

MY VOLVO 2000 V70XC STALLED IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE INTERSTATE LAST NIGHT DUE TO A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND MOVE OUT OF TRAFFIC BUT NOT AFTER SEVERAL "SCREECHING" CLOSE CALLS. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DESIGN ROBUSTNESS ISSUE THAT VOLVO HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ADDRESS. I HAVE REPLACED THE FAULTY UNIT AT A COST OF $985.00 DOLLARS BUT THEIR IS NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT REOCCUR. NHTSA NEEDS TO DIRECT VOLVO/FORD TO REPLACE/REIMBURSE ALL EMT UNITS IN THE EFFECTED 1999 TO 2002 VOLVO'S TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE PERSONAL INJURIES OR DEATHS. IN ADDITION, VOLVO NEEDS TO REDESIGN A RETRO-FIT FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED MODEL YEARS TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM. *JB

FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE ON A 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY, BEVEL GEAR FAILURE IS LIKELY AS WELL, BOTH ARE FREQUENT FAILURES AMONG OWNERS. *NM

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. CAN NOT CONTROL SPEED IN CAR. FUEL CUTS IN AND OUT. VERY ERRATIC SPEEDS IN CAR. *JB

(1) NO WARNING AT ALL BEFORE THIS FAILURE HAPPENED. (2) WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN, CAR SUDDENLY FAILS TO REV ABOVE 1000 RPM EVEN WHEN GAS IS FLOORED. CAR WILL NOT GO ABOVE 10 MPH, AND IT TAKES A COUPLE MINUTES TO GET THERE, SO IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. TRIES TO STALL. ETS DASH LIGHT COMES ON. (3) ETM PART REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMING PERFORMED, HAD TO BE ONLY AT A DEALER, WAS WITHOUT CAR FOR 2 DAYS. I DON'T HAVE THE OLD PART. *JB

THE AUTOMOBILE IN QUESTION IS A 2000 VOLVO XC70. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. AT 97,731 MILES THE ETS FAILED. AT THE TIME I MADE A COMPLAINT TO BOTH THE DEALER AND TO VOLVO OF AMERICA AS IT DID NOT SEEM TO ME THIS PART SHOULD FAIL AT THIS MILEAGE AND AT THE COST OF $1,050.58. SINCE THIS TIME, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM BOX AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AT THE COST OF $2,900 (111,000 MILES). AGAIN I CONTACTED VOLVO OF AMERICA. BOTH TIMES I CALLED THE RESPONSE WAS "TOO BAD". I AM WRITING TO YOU AS I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE IS A POSSIBLE RECALL OF THE ETS AND WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE ETS FAILURE. *NM

DT: 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - *NM

OUR 2000 VOLVO V70XC ETS LIGHT CAME WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AND HAD A TRUCK BEARING DOWN ON ME AND MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. I HAD TO COAST TO A STOP AND PULL OVER AND SHUT CAR OFF IN A BAD SPOT. IT WOULD NOT RESTART AND WHEN IT DID THE ENGINE RAN VERY ROUGH. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I RESTARTED THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME BUT WITH NOT MUCH FAITH IN MY CAR. THE CAR HAS BEEN VERY WELL CARED FOR AND HAS LOW MILES. DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW ETM AND WILL COST UPWARDS OF $1000. *NM

ETM FAILED ON 2000 VOLVO V70XC. FIRST INTERMITTENTLY, THEN COMPLETELY LEFT MY WIFE AND GRANDKIDS STRANDED. LIMPED HOME EVENTUALLY. UNSAFE CONDITION, NO REAL WARNING OTHER THAT DASH LIGHT. NEEDED REPLACED/REPROGRAMMED AT OUR COST. 77,000 MILE ON CAR. *JB

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) HAS FAILED TWICE ON MY 2000 VOLVO V70XC. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND WAS ABOUT 17K MILES AFTER THE FIRST. BOTH TIMES IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. BOTH TIMES ENGINE STALLED IN TRAFFIC. BOTH TIMES MANAGED TO GET TO SHOULDER, RESTART, AND GET HOME WITH CAR ALTERNATELY SURGING AND STALLING THE WHOLE WAY. BOTH TIMES HAD MY PRESCHOOL AGE TWINS IN THE CAR AND DIDN'T FEEL IT SAFE TO STOP ON THE SHOULDER TO WAIT FOR HELP. ALSO, WOULD HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THEM HOME SAFETY (IN THEIR CAR SEATS). THEN HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. FIRST FAILURE - CAR MILEAGE WAS 41,222, REPAIR DATE WAS 6/25/03. QUOTE FROM ANNAPOLIS VOLVO SERVICE RECEIPT: "ETS LAMP COMES ON AND VEHICLE SURGES BADLY, ALMOST STALLED. INTERNAL FAULT INSPECTED AND FOUND CODES ECM903F/904D/9150/9160/904C. TESTED AND REPLACED ELEC. THROTTLE MODULE" THIS WORK WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND FAILURE - CAR MILEAGE WAS 58,611, REPAIR DATE WAS 3/15/05. QUOTE FROM ANNAPOLIS VOLVO SERVICE RECEIPT: "ETS LIGHT IS ON INTERNAL FAULT VOLVO GOODWILL WARRANTY-VOLVO TO PAY PARTS DEALER LABOR CHECKED AND RETRIEVE CODE-ECM 959F, 903F-TRACED AND FOUND INTERNAL FAULT IN ETM, REPLACED ETM, RELOAD SOFTWARE AND CLEAR CODES. *JB

ETS LIGHT COMING ON - IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER. VERY DANGEROUS AT 70 MPH IN 3-4 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. I PUT MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON AND TRIED TO SAFELY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THE LIGHT WENT AWAY AND I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP. ENROUTE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN JUST AS I WAS PULLING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, IT DID NOT HELP THIS TIME - AN AMBULANCE CAME UP BEHIND ME. I WAS IN A PANIC TRYING TO GET THE AUTO OUT OF THE WAY. LUCKILY THE LEFT LANE WAS OPEN AND THEY WERE ABLE TO BLOW PAST ME, BUT THEY DID HONK AS THEY PASSED LETTING ME KNOW THEY WERE UPSET THAT I DID NOT MOVE. I AM PICKING UP THE CAR TOMORROW FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH A NEW ETM. BUT I HAVE POKED AROUND ON VARIOUS VOLVO FORUMS AND FOUND THIS ISSUE TO BE PRETTY PREVALENT. THE REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE (AROUND $1000 TO THE CONSUMER) AND THE BREAK DOWN SITUATION POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. *JB