2001 VOLVO XC70 Complaints

I HAVE A 2001 VOLVO XC70. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN CLUNKING INTO AND OUT OF GEAR IN THE 20 - 40 MPH ZONE SINCE I HIT 95000 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER WHO SIMPLY REPROGRAMMED THE CAR BUT THE ISSUE IS NOT RESOLVED. THE CAR HESITATES WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS. SOMETIMES IT GOES AND OTHER TIMES IT DOES NOT. THIS MAKES THE CAR EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. *NM

WE HAVE DRIVEN VOLVOS SINCE 1983. WE NOW HAVE A 2001 XC WAGON. IT HAS BECOME THE MOST EXPENSIVE CAR WE HAVE EVER OWNED, AND A FEW YEARS OF EXPENSIVE REPAIRS CULMINATED IN A WHEEL HUB BREAKDOWN ON THE OHIO TRURNPIKE A FEW WEEKS AGO. AFTER PAYING ANOTHER THOUSAND BUCKS FOR THE TOW/REPAIR, THE NEXT WEEK WE HAD A MINOR EMERGENCY, GOT IN THE CAR, AND IT RAN LIKE AN OLD STEAM ENGINE. SEEMS THAT VOLVO HAD A NON-RECALL RECALL: A THROTTLE BELT SOFTWARE PROBLEM THAT THEY POSTED IN THE NEWSPAPER AND DID NOT ALERT OWNERS TO. THIS WEEK WE DUMP THE CAR. IT IS ONE THING TO HAVE REPAIR ISSUES. IT IS QUITE ANOTHER TO HAVE SAFETY ISSUES THAT THE COMPANY DUCKS. NOW VOLVO DID SEND OUT A SHORT LETTER ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT IT WAS INCOMPREHENSIBLE. THE VOLVO DEALER TOLD ME THAT HE DID NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND THE LETTER THEY SENT OUT, AND THAT THEY HAVE HAD LOTS OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT. NOTE: WHILE OUR CAR WAS AT THE DEALER, THERE WERE APPARENTLY 2 OTHER NON-RECALL RECALL UPGRADES THAT WE HAD TO HAVE DONE THAT WE HAD MISSED OUT ON. THIS COMPANY HAS SLIPPED MANY MANY NOTCHES. *JB

OUR FAMILY OWNS A 2001 XC70 THAT WE BOUGHT SECOND HAND. THANKFULLY, I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. WE DID RECEIVE THE DEC 2005 SOFTWARE UPGRADE WHICH APPEARED ODD, BUT WE COMPLIED. SINCE THEN THE CAR ACTUALLY STARTED TO RUN MORE POORLY. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN ANN ARBOR SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND SUGGESTED THAT I HAD READ ABOUT THE ETM FAILURE AND WAS CONCERNED, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP WAS VERY COURTEOUS, BUT I SUSPECT THAT THEIR HANDS ARE TIED AS ONE OF THE SERVICE MANAGERS TOLD ME THAT VOLVO WARRANTY REQUIRED THEM TO DO THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE, THEN THE CLEANING AND THEN THEY COULD REPLACE THE ETM. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE NEW ETM WILL FAIL AGAIN AND POSE A DANGER TO MY FAMILY. MY WIFE USES THE VOLVO TO TRANSPORT OUR THREE CHILDREN IN. I FIND IT OUTRAGEOUS THAT IF IT IS TRUE THAT VOLVO INTENTIONAL MISLEAD THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT GIVEN THAT I DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM PAYING PREMIUM DOLLAR FOR OUR FIRST VOLVO BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION AND ADVERTISING REGARDING ITS EXEMPLARY SAFETY RECORD. I WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP YOUR AGENCY INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM IF YOU NEED ME. *JB

THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD OF MY 2001 VOLVO XC70 DISPLAYED "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" AND "ENGINE SERVICE SYSTEM URGENT". THE CAR LACKS APPROPRIATE ACCELERATION AND SHAKES AS IF IT WERE GOING TO STALL. AFTER TAKING IT TO BE REPAIRED, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE ON MY CAR WAS FAULTY. *NM

THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT COIL SPRING ON OUR 2001 VOLVO XC70 SNAPPED EITHER WHILE THE CAR WAS DRIVEN INTO THE DRIVEWAY OR WHILE SITTING OVERNIGHT. BACKING THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO A DIP PRODUCED A NOISE THAT INDICATED A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION. UPON EXAMINING THE FRONT SUSPENSION I DISCOVERED THE BROKEN COIL SPRING. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE SPRINGS POWDER COAT HAD PEELED AND THE SPRING HAD A COATING OF RUST ON THE LOWER COIL. THE BROKEN EDGES OF THE SPRING SHOWED SIGNS OF RUST PENETRATING INTO THE INTERIOR METAL OF THE SPRING, SUGGESTING THAT THE SPRING MAY HAVE BEEN CRACKED FOR SOME TIME BEFORE FAILING. SINCE THE SPRING IS VERY CLOSE TO THE TIRE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS SITUATION IF THE BROKEN EDGE OF THE SPRING HAD CONTACTED THE TIRE AT HIGH SPEED. WHEN I EXAMINED THE UNBROKEN PASSENGER SIDE SPRING I FELT ROUGHNESS UNDER THE POWDER COATING ALONG THE LOWER PART OF THE SPRING, SUGGESTING THAT CORROSION IS ALSO TAKING PLACE IN THE SAME AREA ON THAT SPRING. BOTH FRONT COIL SPRINGS ARE GOING TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE THE BROKEN SPRING AS WELL AS PHOTOS IF THEY CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE. *JB

2001 VOLVO XC70 TRANSMISSION FAIL AT 97K MILES. TRANSMISSION HAS NEVER BEHAVED APPROPRIATELY, UP/DOWN SHIFT ERRATIC, ETC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF NUMEROUS SOFTWARE UPGRADES, TRANSMISSION FLUSH/FILTER, AND A NEW VALVE BODY. TRANSMISSION STILL FAILED AND VOLVO SAYS I'M OUT OF LUCK. BOUGHT NEW IN 2001 FOR $42,000. VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO OPERATE MARCH OF 2006 WHERE A "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" MESSAGE WAS EXHIBITED. AFTER TURNING CAR OFF FOR SEVERAL MOMENTS, THE CAR RAN FINE. I SUSPECTED A POSSIBLE ISSUE WITH THE ETM. PORTLAND VOLVO INSTALLED AN ETM SOFTWARE UPGRADE ON APRIL 6, 2006. CAR HAS NOT HAD A REPEAT OCCURRENCE OF THIS NATURE BUT WAS SHIFTING ODDLY AS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED. *JB

2001 VOLVO XC 93K MILES [XXX] ETM ISSUES. VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. AFTER ABOUT 5 MILES DRIVING THE VEHICLE DOES NOT IDLE AND STALLS AT INTERSECTIONS OR ON HIGHWAY WHEN FOOT IS TAKEN OFF THE THROTTLE. ALSO GOES INTO LIMP MODE SOMETIMES WITH REDUCED PERFORMANCE. ONLY SETS TEMPORARY CODE NOT PERMANENT. SAFETY HAZARD. *JB UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE BACKING UP AND STOPPING, I HEARD A "THUNK" FROM UNDER THE CAR. PROCEEDING, THERE WAS A NEW NOISE, WHICH I CHECKED OUT. THE RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE NO LONGER POWERED THE REAR WHEELS, AND I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE IT, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1,300. WHEN THE GARAGE TOOK THE OLD DRIVE OFF, THEY FOUND THAT THE SPLINED SHAFT BETWEEN THE RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS STRIPPED OF ITS SPLINES, AND THE MATING PART ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS LIKEWISE STRIPPED. VERDICT: NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION, TOO. I GOT A VOLVO REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE, TOTAL COST $6,100. THE VOLVO DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. BECAUSE THE CAR HAD 90,000 MILES, IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. VOLVO AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO HELP AT ALL-TOUGH LUCK! IT IS DEFINITELY A DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. VOLVO ACTED AS IF ANY PROBLEM OUT OF WARRANTY WAS MINE. I FEEL THAT A RECURRING PROBLEM LIKE THIS, WITH SUCH A HUGE COST, SHOULD BE COVERED, OUT OF CONCERN FOR VOLVO'S AND FORD'S REPUTATION, AND THE RESALE MARKET FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING BUYING NEW VOLVOS. *JB

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR STALLING FOR OVER TWO YEARS. I HAVE HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED TWICE. IN THE MONTH THE CAR HAS BEEN STALLING AT ALL SPEEDS AND SURGING WHEN BRAKING. THIS LAST STALLING EPISODE OCCURRED WHILE PULLING OUT INTO A THOROUGHFARE WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING TO GO SLIGHTLY UPHILL. SINCE I HAD NO POWER, I COULD NOT EVEN STEER THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD QUICKLY. IT WAS AT NIGHT, THEREFORE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN OCCURRING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, DESPITE ALL OF THE SERVICE THAT I HAVE HAD DONE ON THIS CAR. *NM

OUR 01 VOLVO V-70 XC HAD BEEN ACTING A LITTLE OFF, KIND OF SURGING A LITTLE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, DEALER COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM.. SO WE TRIED TO IGNORE IT. ONE DAY A FEW MONTHS AGO MY WIFE (8 MO. PREGNANT) TOOK THE CAR TO THE CITY. ALONG THE WAY, SHE WAS GOING UP A HILL ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE CAR STARTED LOOSING POWER AND FINALLY JUST QUITTING RIGHT THERE ON THE ROAD....NO SHOULDER...CARS WHIZZING BY. BY THE TIME I GOT THERE, THE CAR STARTED FINE, SO I SWITCHED HER VEHICLE AND SHE CONTINUED ON. UPON CALLING THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT I'D PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE THE "ETM THROTTLE" REPLACED. CAR STALLED OUT TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO DEALER. $900 LATER, THE CAR WORKS FINE NOW. UPON LOOKING INTO THIS PROBLEM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S HAPPENING TO ALL THE VOLVOS LIKE OURS! THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM! WHAT CAN NHTSA DO ABOUT MAKING VOLVO REPLACE THESE FAULTY THROTTLES WITH BETTER ONES? *JB