2001 VOLVO XC70 Complaints

ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 VOLVO XC-70 (2001) STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON 695 WEST IN BALTIMORE JUST BEFORE THE EXIT FOR I-83. THE CAR WAS ALMOST HIT BY A SEMI TRAILER, AND SEVERAL OTHER CARS. THE CONTACT'S CAR HAD TO BE TOWED, AND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. HOWEVER, ON DECEMBER 1, 2004, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN CAR STALLED AT AN INTERSECTION BUT WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN. *NM X-REF 10130923 2 REPLACEMENTS, SMCH. *AK

FAILURE OF REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM DUE TO UNKNOWN CAUSE. THIS RESULTED IN THE REPAIR OF THE AUTO TO THE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE CAUSE OF THIS IS UNKNOWN WITH NO KNOWN IMPACT TO THE AUTO (2001 VOLVO XC 70). *NM

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING MY ELDERLY MOTHER IN MY 2001 VOLVO XC 70 FROM OREGON TO CALIFORNIA WE HAD A VERY UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE THAT COULD HAVE COST US OUR LIVES. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE LOST TOTAL POWER IN 70+ MPH TRAFFIC, HAD TO SIT ON A VERY BUSY FREEWAY FOR 2 HOURS IN 100 DEGREE HEAT (UNABLE TO RUN THE AIR CONDITIONER) UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO HEAVY TRUCK TRAFFIC FLYING PAST US. MY DEAR MOTHER AND I WERE FINALLY RESCUED AND TOWED TO SAFETY SOME 70 MILES TO THE NEAREST VOLVO DEALER. THERE WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR ETM HAD FAILED. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS I HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD THAT THE PART THAT THEY REPLACED (A $1200.00 REPAIR) IS SIMPLY ANOTHER OF THE SAME KNOWN FAULTY PART. MY ETM FAILD AT ONLY 50,000 MILES AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR FATALITY. WE WERE REALLY LUCKY BUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT TIME? FROM NHTSA WEB SITE.

WE PURCHASED OUR 2001 VOLVO XC70 FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER IN IOWA CITY, IA WITH 72,000 MILES IN FEBRUARY OF 2005. THE DEALER REPORTED IT HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED PRIOR TO PURCHASE AND WE HAVE HAD IT CAREFULLY MAINTAINED, SINCE. ON OCTOBER 31ST OF 2005, ON MY WAY TO AN IMPORTANT INTERVIEW THE VOLVO BEGAN STUTTERING AND RUNNING ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE REPORTED "REDUCED PERFORMANCE" ON THE DIAGNOSTIC DISPLAY AND THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT TURNED ON. I COULDN'T MAINTAIN A REASONABLE SPEED SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. THE CAR HAD DIFFICULTY STARTING BUT I WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY START IT AND DRIVE TO A NEARBY REPAIR SHOP. I WAS REFERRED TO A VOLVO SPECIALIST AND THEY REPORTED IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AND I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER AT A COST OF ABOUT $1200. I DON'T FEEL THAT AN ESSENTIAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT LIKE THIS SHOULD FAIL SO EARLY ON A WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE. THIS FAILURE STRIKES ME AS A POOR DESIGN - SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC FAN ON THIS VEHICLE THAT WAS FACTORY RECALLED. I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT BEING TRIED IN CALIFORNIA. I UNDERSTAND THAT LATER MODEL CARS HAVE A DIFFERENT ETM AND HAVE FEWER PROBLEMS WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE VOLVO IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND HAS TAKEN STEPS TO RECTIFY IT, BUT ONLY FOR LATER MODEL CARS. I BELIEVE VOLVO SHOULD ALSO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CARS OF THE 2001 VINTAGE AND ISSUE A FACTORY RECALL. THE COSTS TO BE FOR THIS PROBLEM HAVE BEEN: BEING LATE TO MY SECURITY INTERVIEW FOR MY NEW JOB. 4 HOURS OF VACATION TIME FROM WORK 6+ HOURS OF PERSONAL TIME $1200 IN REPAIR COSTS 3+ HOURS DRIVING WIFE TO WORK BECAUSE RELIANCE ON 1 CAR ADDITIONAL FUEL COSTS BECAUSE OF BACK AND FORTH FERRYING WIFE TO WORK PLEASE PRESSURE VOLVO TO ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE THEM ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. THANKS. *NM

2001 VOLVO STALLED WITHOUT WARNING LEAVING MY WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. WHEN VEHICLE STALLED A "REDUCED POWER" MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED ON VEHICLE DISPLAY. AFTER LETTING VEHICLE SIT FOR 10 MINUTES, VEHICLE RESTARTED WITHOUT ERROR MESSAGE. DROVE FOR APPROX 15 MINUTES AND VEHICLE STALLED/CUT-OUT AGAIN; AGAIN STRANDING MY FAMILY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP; VOLVO DIAGNOSED A FAILED "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE". THE ETM WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $1016 TO ME. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROX 58,000 MILES. THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY AS A RESULT OF THIS SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *NM

WE JUST BOUGHT A USED 2001 VOLVO V70XC WITH 70,000 MILES AND A 90 DAY WARRANTY. THE DAY I REMOVED THE 30 DAY TEMP TAG THE TROUBLE. ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MPH AT 1:00AM ABOUT 6 HOURS FROM HOME THE CAR LOST POWER AND DIED. IT RESTARTED AFTER A FEW MINUTES. WE THOUGHT IT WAS BAD FUEL. LATER THAT WEEKEND, OCT 15, 2005, WE LOST POWER GOING THROUGH A TUNNEL. I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO DIE. LUCKILY WE MADE IT OUT. FOUND OUT IT WAS THE ETM. NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND NOT REPAIRABLE BY ANYONE BUT VOLVO WHO ACCORDING TO THEM-NEVER HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART. PLEASE ADVISE. I AM SCARED TO DEATH AND I DO NOT HAVE $1200.00 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *NM

THE ENGINE ON OUR 2001 VOLVO XC PERIODICALLY BEGINS TO BUCK AND THEN GOES INTO LIMP HOME MODE WITH THE "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYED. *NM

SUSPECT FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING AND DOES NOT ALWAYS RESTART UNTIL VEHICLE COOLS. A FOREIGN CAR SERVICE TECHNICIAN LOOKED AT THE PROBLEM AND INFORMED ME THAT THE CURRENT ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WAS NOT FUNCTIONING IN HIS OPINION. ON 9/13/05 I CALLED VOLVO SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE B.J. ALGER AT DON BEYER VOLVO, DULLES, VIRGINIA WHO ADVISED ME TO BRING IT N FOR REPAIR IMMEDIATELY. ALGER SAID THE PROBLEM IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA AND THAT VOLVO NORTH AMERICA WOULD REIMBURSE MY PAYMENT FOR THE REPAIR IF THE INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN A RECALL. ALGER ESTIMATED THE REPAIR AT $1,200.00. *JB

CAR STALLED (POWER LOST) SEVERAL TIMES EVEN AFTER DRIVING FOR AWHILE. STALLED OUT AT STOP SIGN, RED LIGHT, AND WHILE DRIVING AT LOW RATE OF SPEED. TOOK TO MARTENS VOLVO DEALER. THEY CHARGED US $400+ TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE AND SOME PART NEAR THE THROTTLE. *JB

HELLO, THE ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE) IN OUR 2001 VOLVO XC70 FAILED ON MY WIFE IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC ON COLORADO HIGHWAY 83. SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THREE AND WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH. THE ENGINE DIED COMPLETELY AND SHE HAD A HARD TIME MAKING IT THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE HAD TO LET TRAFFIC PASS BEFORE DOING SO. SHE HAD TO SIT ON THE SHOULDER FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WOULD START AGAIN. I DISCUSSED THE HEAVY FAILURE RATE OF VOLVO ETMS WITH MCDONALD VOLVO OF DENVER, CO AND TOLD THEM VOLVO WAS RECALLING THIS PART IN SWEDEN AND THAT AT LEAST ONE CLASS ACTION SUIT WAS FILED. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL NOR WOULD THEY PERFORM A GOODWILL REPLACEMENT. WE HAD TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF $1,090.45. THE MILEAGE ON OUR VOLVO WAS 67,487. DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE SAFETY ISSUES AND THE UNUSUALLY HIGH FAILURE RATE OF VOLVO ETMS? MY WIFE AND I ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY IN OUR VOLVO. RURIK LUBINSKI. *JB