2000 VOLVO V70XC Complaints

FIVE YEARS AGO, WE BOUGHT A NEW 2000 VOLVO V70-XC. IT CURRENTLY HAS 39,600 MILES ON IT. STARTING IN ABOUT 2003, THE CAR BEGAN EXPERIENCING REPEATED ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS -- ROUGH IDLE, JERKY ACCELERATION, STALLING AND, MOST ALARMINGLY, SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE MOVING. I ONCE LOST POWER ON A TRAFFIC CIRCLE, WHICH WAS TRULY TERRIFYING -- ESPECIALLY SINCE THE MAIN REASON WE PURCHASED THE CAR WAS THE SAFETY OF OUR TWO SMALL CHILDREN. WE HAVE REPEATEDLY HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP (MARTENS SERVICE CENTER ON RIVER ROAD). INITIALLY, WE WERE TOLD THE CAR WAS CLOGGED WITH CARBON AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ESSENTIALLY OUR FAULT FOR NOT DRIVING IT ON THE HIGHWAY MORE OFTEN. NOW THAT WE ARE PAST THE WARRANTY, WE HAVE BEEN PAYING FOR REPAIRS -- THOUGH ON OUR MOST RECENT VISIT IN SEPT 2005, WHEN I MENTIONED THE NHTSA INVESTIGATION, MARTENS REPLACED THE ETM FOR FREE. I THINK THIS IS A DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS VEHICLE AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED A LONG TIME AGO. EARLIER IN THE CAR'S HISTORY, WE EXPERIENCED A RANGE OF ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS INVOLVING THE TURN SIGNALS, WHICH FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. BECAUSE THOSE PROBLEMS OCCURRED DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD, WE DID NOT HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED -- BUT THE DANGER AND HASSLE FACTORS WERE STILL SIGNIFICANT. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATES: THE ETM LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND RESTART IT. THIS WOULD HAPPEN AT ALL SPEEDS. THE CONSUMER WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAD NOT REPLACED THE ETM AND HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE ETM WAS BAD. *AK (11/17/05) *SC

I PURCHASED A 2000 VOLVO V70, 5DR, WAGON A/T AWD, VIN: [XXX] FROM PUTNAM VOLVO 3 CALIFORNIA DRIVE BURLINGAME CA., AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND REPAIR SERVICE PROVIDER. JAN 14, 2000. ALL WARRANTY AND SUBSEQUENT ROUTINE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE BY PUTNAM VOLVO THRU MAY 2004. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE MY WIFE AND I DISCOVER THAT THE REAR HATCH LATCH WOULD NOT PROPERLY ENGAGE, FASTEN OR LOCK UNDER COLD TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS MEANING TEMPERATURES NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING (32? F OR 0?C). WE REPORTED THE PROBLEM AT THE FIRST SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE AND PERIODICALLY THEREAFTER DURING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE SERVICE CALLS PARTICULARLY DURING WINTER AND SPRING MONTHS. WE HAVE A CABIN IN THE HIGH SIERRAS WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING DURING WINTER SKI SEASON. THE REAR HATCH LATCH SIMPLY DOES NOT ENGAGE AND THE HATCH CAN NOT BE SECURED CLOSED UNDER COLD CONDITIONS. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 00V239000 CONCERNING THE LATCHES/ LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM WE HAVE REPEATABLE EXPERIENCED WITH OUR VEHICLE AFFLICTING VOLVO OF THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL LINE AS OURS. I CONTACTED THE PUTNAM VOLVO SERVICE AND REQUESTED REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR HATCH LATCH OF OUR VEHICLE BASED UPON IDENTIFIED RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL PERFORMED A VIN SEARCH PROVIDED BY VOLVO, AND ASSERTED THAT OUR VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE THE INCORRECTLY MANUFACTURE REAR HATCH LATCH. NOT DID THE SERVICE PERSONNEL OFFER TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS IN FACT AFFLICTING THE VEHICLE, AND EVEN DENIED AWARENESS OF THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. *NM UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

DURING LAST THANKSGIVING BREAK, MY HUSBAND AND I DROVE OUR 2000 VOLVO XC FROM NEW MEXICO HOME TO FORT COLLINS, CO. THE MORNING OF OUR DEPARTURE, THE ETS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE) LIGHT CAME ON, THEN WENT OUT. ON THE WAY HOME, THE CARE SHUDDERED AND LURCHED, AND LOST POWER WITH ACCELERATION. IT TOOK US 6 HOURS TO TRAVEL 125 MILES FROM COLORADO SPRINGS TO FORT COLLINS, AND WE WERE TRYING TO BEAT A SNOW STORM. WE LITERALLY LIMPED HOME. IT WAS TERRIFYING. WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL VOLVO DEALER, AND THE DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. IT COST ABOUT $854 TO REPLACE IT. IT WAS NOT WARRANTY WORK, AND THE DEALER SAID NOTHING ABOUT THIS BEING A COMMON PROBLEM VOLVO WAS ALREADY AWARE OF -- EVEN WHEN WE ASKED. I NOW UNDERSTAND VOLVO HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. I AM ALSO AWARE THAT SOME VOLVO DEALERS HAVE BEEN PAYING THE COST TO REPLACE THE UNITS. WE WERE NOT SO LUCKY. VIRGINIA MOHR-CALLAHAN, FORT COLLINS, CO. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2000 VOLVO XC AND HAVE HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY VERY COMMON AND I WAS TOLD I SHOULD REPORT THIS TO YOU. PROBLEM 1 ETS SYSTEM LIGHT IS NOW ON. PROBLEM 2..HAD TO REPLACE AWD UNIT. PROBLEM 3 HAD TO REPLACE BLOWER MOTOR FOR HEAT/AC. *JB

THERE IS A CURRENT RECALL ON HATCH DOOR LATCHES ON 2000 VOLVO V70'S. I HAVE A 2000 VOLVO V70 XC AND THE VOLVO PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THAT VEHICLE. I CALLED A LOCAL VOLVO DEALER TODAY AND THEY SAID THAT THE TWO VEHICLES HAVE THE SAME LATCH SYSTEM OUR LATCH IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND OUR IDIOT LIGHT NOW COMES ON TELLING US THE BACK LATCH IS NOT SHUT WHEN IT IS. I AM NERVOUS THAT THE BACK HATCH IS GOING TO OPEN UP WHEN WE ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH 2000 VOLVO V70 XC LOSING POWER AND THEN SURGING WHILE DRIVING 20-25 MPH. THE CONSUMER DID NOT MAKE IT UP A HILL . THE LOSS OF POWER EVEN OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS SLOWING TO STOP AND TURNING. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. THEN, IT WAS SURGING AND SMOKING, AND SURGING WITH NO SMOKING, THE CAR WAS WOBBLY AND SLUGGISH. DEALER REPLACED THE FOLLOWING PARTS; SPARK PLUGS, COILS, THERMOSTAT, AND THE FILTERS. OTHER PARTS HAVE BEEN FLUSHED, THIS INCLUDED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITION. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER ONCE, A CERTIFIED VOLVO SPECIALIST ONCE, AND AT PEP BOYS ONCE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $1300.00 TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE CAR HAS HAD 2 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS DONE. NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY PRETENDED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING. THE CONSUMER HAD ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION. HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT, NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. *AK

DT: CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM . DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE HIM ABOUT $1,200 TO FIX IT. VOLVO REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL. *AK *JB

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 AND LOST POWER. THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY( PART # 8644347-0) FAILED. IT WAS REPLACED BY DEALER AT COST OF $968.37

BOUGHT USED 2000 VOLVO V70 XC 3 WEEKS AGO. DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE CAR STARTED SHAKING, FELT LIKE BUCKING & FLAT TIRE. THEN THE CAR JUST DIED. ETC (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL / MODULE) LIGHT CAME ON. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $900 TO FIX AND THAT ONLY A VOLVO DEALER COULD FIX IT, NOT MY VOLVO MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD BY VOLVO OVER THE TELEPHONE THAT THIS WAS "BEING LOOKED INTO" THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. IF I WAS GOING ANY FASTER I FEEL AS THOUGH IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. LUCKILY I WAS ON A BACK ROAD IN VT AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. IT WAS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF OF THE ROAD BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT RUN AT ALL. I COULD NOT MOVE IT ON MY OWN.