2002 VOLVO XC70 Complaints

SLIPPING TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING ON STRAIGHT AWAYS AND UP HILLS ON BOTH OF MY VOLVO'S PURCHASED AS CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLE'S. THE FIRST VEHICLE (2002 VOLVO S60 AWD) WAS TRADED IN BUT THE SECOND ONE (2002 VOLVO XC70 AWD) WAS REPAIRED - BOTH AFTER 2 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP AND WITH WARRANTIES THAT HAD JUST EXPIRED. THE SLIPPING TRANSMISSION OCCURRED CONSTANTLY WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO SLAM INTO GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING AND PROPEL THE CAR FORWARD ONCE THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED. I TOOK THE VOLVO TO THE SERVICE SHOP AND WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T AN ISSUE THEN WHEN I BROUGHT IT BACK AGAIN THEY EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. WHEN I TOOK THE XC 70 TO A CERTIFIED VOLVO TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST (NOT THE DEALER) WE TESTED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THE TEST CAME BACK AS POSITIVELY SHOWING THE EXISTENCE OF RADIATOR FLUID WHICH HAD LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE VOLVO SPECIALIST EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IN RECENT YEARS VOLVO HAD MADE A CHANGE TO HOW THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS COOLED. AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS DESIGN CHANGE TO AWD VEHICLES (ALL AWD'S) THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS COOLED BY FLOWING THROUGH A PIPE DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE RADIATOR. OVER TIME THE RADIATOR FLUID CAUSED THE COOLING PIPE TO CORRODE AND AS A RESULT RADIATOR FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. BESIDES REBUILDING THE TRANSMISSION THE RADIATOR ALSO REQUIRED REPLACEMENT BECAUSE WE HAD TO FIX THE LEAK AT THE SOURCE OR IT WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. EVEN THOUGH THE REPAIRS WERE MADE THE PROBLEM COULD PRESENT ITSELF AGAIN OVER TIME. IT TOOK ONLY 80,000 FOR MY VOLVO XC70'S TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. THIS SEEMS LIKE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW AND ACCORDING TO THE MULTIPLE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST I SPOKE WITH THEY ARE SEEING THIS PROBLEM MORE AND MORE WITH ALL AWD VOLVO'S FROM 2000 TO PRESENT DAY MODELS. *TR

OUR 2002 VOLVO XC70 HAS A TENDENCY TO JERK ?VIOLENTLY? FORWARD ?SHIFT FLARE? AND HARSH SHIFTING PROBLEMS AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING AND HAS DONE SO ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE RIDING WITH OUR FAMILY; FRIGHTENING EVERYONE IN THE VEHICLE AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE FREQUENCY HAS INCREASED OVER THE PAST YEAR TO THE POINT WE ARE UNABLE TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY OR ACCIDENT. WE WERE DENIED WARRANTY SERVICE BY A SOUTH ATLANTA VOLVO DEALER (THAT HAS SINCE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS) AND BY VOLVO NORTH AMERICA DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF INTERNET POSTINGS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS. NAMELY, THERE ARE SEVERAL PRIMARY ISSUES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE ECU BRAIN OF THE CAR MALFUNCTIONING, SOFTWARE MALFUNCTIONS AND TCM MALFUNCTIONING. THE JERKING IS VERY FREIGHTING AND COULD SEND ONE TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SEVERE NECK AND NERVE INJURY. WE HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO NORTH AMERICA, VOLVO WORLDWIDE AND PARENT COMPANY FORD MOTORS. THE VEHICLE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY CONTRACT THAT WAS BREACHED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND BY VOLVO NORTH AMERICA. *TR

MY 2002 VOLVO XC 70 SEEMS TO SMELL LIKE GASOLINE INSIDE THE CAR. I HAVE READ ON NUMEROUS VOLVO FORUMS REGARDING VOLVO OWNERS THAT HAS THE SAME OR SIMILAR CONCERNS. THIS CANT BE GOOD FOR THE DRIVER(MYSELF) OR THE VEHICLE. ANY INSIGHT ON A RECALL WOULD BE WONDERFUL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. JOE BOYLAN .... A CONCERNED VOLVO DRIVER....... *TR

AT 65,000 MILES THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ON MY 2002 VOLVO XC70 WENT BAD. AS WE ALL KNOW THIS CAN BE AN EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS CONDITION AS THE WHEELS MY FALL OFF. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR THE XC70 AND THE VOLVO SUV. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. *TR

TRANSMISSION ON MY 2002 VOLVO V70 XC STARTED TO EXHIBIT SHIFT FLARE AND HARSH SHIFTING THAT GAVE CONTROL PROBLEMS AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. DEALER DOWNLOADED NEW TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE AND INSPECTED AND CLEANED THE TCM (THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE). TCM WAS NOT REPLACED AS DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS NOT PART OF RECALL PROGRAM. HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS WITH NO NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN SHIFTING PROBLEMS. CONTACTED VOLVO NORTH AMERICA'S CONSUMER SUPPORT TO FILE REPORT THIS MORNING. VISITED SEVERAL ONLINE FORUMS CONCERNING THE ISSUE AND FOUND THOUSANDS OF POSTS REGARDING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH CARS USING ASIN-WARNER AW55-50 GEARBOX. ESPECIALLY HELPFUL WERE POSTS AT VOLVO- FORUMS.COM AND SWEDESPEED.COM. ONE POST WAS FROM USED VOLVO DEALER COMPLAINING OF THE EFFECT ON HIS BUSINESS IN 2001-2003 VOLVO CARS SAYING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WORSE THAN THE ETM RECALL ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM EFFECTING THE SAFETY OF THOUSANDS OF VOLVO DRIVERS. VOLVO NEEDS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*CN

2002 VOLVO XC70 WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, BUCKING, AND JERKING WHEN SHIFTING INTO LOWER GEARS. *KB THE VEHICLE HAD A SIGNIFICANT OIL LEAK FROM THE ENGINE TURBO OIL RETURN. THE HEADLIGHT AND REAR MARKER LIGHT WOULD FLICKER WHEN THE CONSUMER DROVE OVER BUMPY ROADS *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 VOLVO XC70. ON JUNE 4, 2007, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT EXCEED 20 MPH WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THERE IS SAFETY RECALL # 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE SAFETY RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO HER VIN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 33,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,800.

DT: THE CALLER SAID WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH COOLANT LIGHT ON DASHBOARD CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BROKE DOWN AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. SHE SAID THE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE SHE LEFT FOR A TRIP, AND THE DEALER SAID THEY FIXED IT. THE CALLER SAID WHILE ON THE TRIP THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND SHE CALLED DEALER, AND WAS TOLD AS LONG AS THE TEMPERATURE WAS NOT RISING THE VEHICLE WOULD BE OKAY. THE DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE COOLANT SENSOR. THE CALLER STATED THE TEMPERATURE DID NOT CLIMB BEFORE THE VEHICLE LOST POWER, STOPPED RUNNING ,AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WAS A REPORT FILED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. VEHICLE WAS BADLY BURNED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLEW. OUT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE WORN OUT LOWER BALL JOINTS.*AK

THERE WERE TRANSMISSION, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION AND DRASTIC LURCHING PROBLEMS THAT HAD BEEN OCCURRING FOR THE PAST 14 MONTHS. *BF THE LURCHING PROBLEM WAS NOT DUPLICATED. THE PROBLEM WOULD OCCUR IN PARKING LOTS WHEN THE CONSUMER FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE AND PRIOR TO TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THE STICK SHIFT WOULD LOCK AS WELL. *SC THERE WAS A RE-OCCURRING SQUEAK IN THE STEERING. *JB