1999 VOLVO V70XC Complaints

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

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)

MY 1999 VOLVO V70 XC SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THROTTLE CONTROL WHILE TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN WHAT WERE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND THEN COAST DOWNHILL TO FIND A SAFE AREA IN WHICH TO PARK. THE ETC WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN POWER AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED 20 MILES TO PIONEER VALLEY VOLVO IN SOUTH DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. THE CAR HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED.*JB

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURES. MY 1999 VOLVO V70XC SPUTTERED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS I WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC IN JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. IN THAT MOMENT THE CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE, REGARDLESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION. I WAS LEFT BROADSIDE AGAINST TWO LANES OF ONCOMING CARS. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MOVE, LURCHING, AT WALKING PACE. AFTER NEARLY BEING HIT BY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I TRIED SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, TO NO AVAIL, AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO "DRIVE" SLOWLY AND SPUTTERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INTO THE NEXT PARKING LOT WHERE THE CAR HAD TO BE ABANDONED SINCE IT WAS UNDRIVEABLE IN TRAFFIC. RETURNING TO THE CAR LATER, A RESTART ELICITED THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER ANOTHER RESTART THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY UNTIL ABOUT 20 MILES LATER WHEN IT FAILED AGAIN. AT THE TIME, MY CAR HAD ABOUT 80K MILES. THE REPAIR, DIAGNOSED BY THE VOLVO DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, WAS TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM), WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED BY MARELLI. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A FAMILIAR ISSUE ON THESE CARS TO MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALER. THE PRICE QUOTED FOR THE REPAIR WAS $1,200. I HAVE THE FAILED ETM IN MY POSSESSION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND, I AM NOW AWARE, A KNOWN DEFECT (UNFORGIVABLE ON A CAR COSTING NEARLY $40,000). VOLVO SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THESE POORLY DESIGNED PARTS ON ALL 1999-2001 VOLVOS, AND REIMBURSE OWNERS WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPLACEMENT. (I NOW KNOW THAT VOLVO HAS REDESIGNED THE PART ON NEWER MODELS). NO ONE IS NOTIFYING OWNERS, LIKE MYSELF, OF THIS EXISTING SAFETY ISSUE.) FURTHER, I DO NOT KNOW IF MY DEFECTIVE ETM WAS REPLACED WITH A REDESIGNED (IMPROVED?) ETM,OR WITH ANOTHER OF THE DEFECTIVE MARELLI PARTS.*JB

FROM FEBRUARY 2004 TO APRIL 2005, I HAVE HAD VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 VOLVO XC70 AND HAVE LITTLE HELP FROM THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN THE MATTER. I TWICE HAD TO CALL AAA BECAUSE I STALLED MY CAR AT SCHOOL. ORIGINALLY, I THOUGHT IT MAY BE AN IGNITION PROBLEM, BUT AFTER TWO TRIPS TO JIM CULLIGAN, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A STEERING CONMPONENT PROBLEM. FURTHERMORE, AS THE RECORDS AT JIM CULLIGAN WILL CLEARLY DOCUMENT (AND MY OWN), I CAME BACK WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND TOLD THEM SO, BUT THEY SAID MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. ALL TOLD, I PROBABLY SPENT CLOSE TO $1500 ON THIS PROBLEM BY THE MANUFACTURE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. SHE EXPERIENCED THREE MONTH OF IMPEDED PERFORMANCE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE WAS PRUDENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. MANUFACTURER SHOULD DO A RECALL AND PAY THE ASSOCIATED EXPENSES. THE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED/ LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTIONING. *AK

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE (ETM) HAS FAILED AFTER A RECENT INSPECTION BY DEALER. NOW $1200 ESTIMATE TO FIX PROBLEM. WARRANTY IS FOR 6 YEARS, 100K MILES. ONLY 93K ON CAR BUT DEALER STATES WARRANTY EXPIRED IN FEBRUARY. LOTS OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *JB

MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING IN OUR VOLVO V70XC (1999) ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN IT STALLED SUDDENLY. SHE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS UNABLE TO RE-START THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED PLENTY OF FUEL SO RUNNING OUT OF GAS WAS RULED OUT. SHE CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED FUEL PUMP & INJECTOR. THE FUEL PUMP AND INJECTOR WERE REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1800. WITHIN 3 DAYS IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A VOLVO DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1200. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STALL ANY MORE, BUT AFTER $3000 IN REPAIRS, IT HAS AN ERRATIC IDLE WHICH IS AN ANNOYANCE. I READ AN ARTICLE AUG 01, 2005 (AP ONLINE VIA COMTEX) WHERE OTHERS WHERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WHEN OUR VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. NOT TO MENTION THE $3000 IN REPAIRS! *NM

I OWN A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED AND STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT AND DRIVE IT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM) HAS FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I AM TOLD THAT IF I DO NOT REPLACE THIS PART, $1000+ REPAIR, THAT THE CAR CAN EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN STALL AGAIN. DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO THE MECHANIC IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN VOLVO'S. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY OF FAILURE AND SERIOUSNESS OF POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES VOLVO WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ETM PROBLEM A LONG TIME AGO. THANK YOU. *NM