2004 VOLVO XC70 Complaints

I HAVE 70K MILES ON MY 2004 VOLVO XC70 AND NOTICED STRONG GASOLINE SMELL FROM THE GAS TANK AREA. THE CAR OFTEN WOULD NOT START, ESPECIALLY IF PARKED ON THE INCLINE. UPON INSPECTION, AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOUND A GASOLINE LEAK AROUND THE GAS PUMP AREA AND SUGGESTED TO FIX IT AS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE GAS PUMP PIPE HAS A CRACK IN IT. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 VOLVO XC70 WITH ONLY 53,000 MILES.ON JUNE 20TH, THE "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" LIGHT CAME ON WITH NO APPARENT CHANGE IN HANDLING OR ACCELERATION. THE LIGHT THEN WENT OFF 20 MINUTES LATER. THE NEXT DAY AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON THIS TIME ALONG WITH THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT, AND THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO ACCELERATION. I GOT THE CAR TO LIMP ALONG AT ABOUT 5 MPH WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS, AND IT FINALLY STOPPED SO I PUSHED IT ON TO THE CLOSEST PARKING SPOT. THE LIGHT WENT OFF F4 HOURS LATER AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. I THEN TOOK IT INTO THE SERVICE DEALER. THE MECHANIC RAN THE DIAGNOSTICS ON THE COMPUTER AND THE CODE FOR THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR APPEARED. THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME OVER $1,000 UNTIL I INSISTED THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE 7 YEAR EXTENDED FACTORY WARRANTY PLAN. IT IS NOW GETTING FIXED AND SHOULD GET IT BACK TOMORROW BUT I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS HAPPENS QUITE A BIT WITH THIS MODEL. I AM VERY SCARED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN ESP SINCE I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. THE LAST THING I NEED IS TO HAVE THE CAR STALLED ON ME ON THE FREEWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. HELP! CAN MY CAR BE COVERED UNDER THE LEMON LAW? *TR

I HAVE A 2004 XC70 WITH 56,000 MILES. RECENTLY, THE "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" LIGHT CAME ON WITH NO APPARENT CHANGE IN HANDLING OR ACCELERATION. THE LIGHT THEN WENT OFF THE NEXT TIME I DROVE THE CAR. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON THIS TIME ALONG WITH THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT, AND THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO ACCELERATION. I GOT THE CAR TO LIMP ALONG AT ABOUT 5 MPH WITH THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON TO THE CLOSEST GARAGE, WHERE I LEFT IT OVERNIGHT. THE MECHANIC RAN THE DIAGNOSTICS ON THE COMPUTER AND THE CODE FOR THE THROTTLE BODY APPEARED. HE CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY BUT INDICATED THAT MIGHT NOT TOTALLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND THAT IF IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE AT A DEALER. (OTHER THAN SEVERAL OIL CHANGES, ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN PERFORMED AT A VOLVO DEALER.) THE CAR WORKED WELL FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" AND "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE VOLVO DEALER. INITIALLY THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT, THEY DROVE IT ABOUT 20 MILES AND CLAIMED NO LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE COMPUTER DID NOT SHOW ANY DIAGNOSTIC CODES. THEY UPGRADED THE SOFTWARE TO SMOOTH OUT THE GEAR SHIFTING IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND AT MY REQUEST DID THE 60,000 MILE SERVICING. THEN, WHEN I WENT TO PICK THE CAR UP, BOTH LIGHTS CAME BACK ON IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER I STARTED THE CAR. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOOK THE CAR BACK INTO THE SHOP, RAN THE DIAGNOSTICS AGAIN AND CONFIRMED THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR INDICATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL YEAR. AFTER A FEW DAYS IN THE SHOP, THE CAR IS NOW WORKING WELL BUT I NO LONGER TRUST IT - HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

WE HAD JUST DRIVEN ABOUT 200 MILES ON THE HIGHWAY AND PULLED INTO OUR HOTEL PARKING LOT. THE CAR WAS IN PERFECTLY FINE WORKING ORDER WITH NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE CAR TO GO OUT, IT MADE A SCRAPING CLUNKING, SOUND FROM THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WHEN WE MOVED OR TURNED THE WHEEL. WE MANAGED TO GET IT TO A NEARBY REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING HAD SNAPPED WHILE IT WAS PARKED IN THE HOTEL PARKING LOT. THE COIL WAS REPLACED. *TR

I HAD A CAR ACCIDENT YESTERDAY, CAR SLID ON ICE AND HIT TREE, TOTAL LOSS OF MY VEHICLE. I WAS DRIVING BY MY SELF, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED BUT THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT. *TR

CAR BEGAN LURCHING/CHUGGING FORWARD AS I TRIED TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE HIGHWAY, REMINISCENT OF SPARK PLUG PROBLEMS, EXCEPT THAT THE PLUGS WERE REPLACED THE DAY BEFORE. CAR SLOWED TO "LIMP" MODE AND "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF, WAITING A MINUTE OR TWO, I WAS ABLE TO START IT AND DRIVE WITHOUT PROBLEMS. THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG--NO CODES WERE COMING BACK ON THE COMPUTER AND THAT IT WAS A WEATHER RELATED ISSUE. LESS THAN ONE WEEK AFTER GETTING IT BACK IT DID THE SAME THING, THANKFULLY, AFTER I CROSSED A MAJOR ROAD. THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AS DID THE "ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED" MESSAGE. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE THROTTLE CONTROL NEEDS TO BE CLEANED AND POSSIBLY THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I THOUGHT VOLVO HAD FIXED THIS ON '02 AND LATER. GUESS NOT. THIS ISN'T JUST AN INCONVENIENT PROBLEM, IT'S HIGHLY DANGEROUS. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH THE THREE TIMES THAT THIS HAPPENED (WITHIN 3 WEEKS) TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. HAD I BEEN IN HEAVIER TRAFFIC, I EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC70. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STARTING THE ENGINE. SHE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE ENGINE STARTED AND THEN HEARD A LOUD NOISE FOLLOWED BY EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. IMMEDIATELY, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DRIVER SMELLED A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL SPILLING ONTO THE GROUND FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 95,000. UPDATED 2/20/09 *CN THE MECHANIC STATED THE MAIN FUEL PUMP HAD A CRACK AT THE HOUSING. UPDATED 02/23/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC70. THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANGING ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY REMOVED THE FRONT STRUTS. THEY REASSEMBLED THE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLY WITH NEW, ORIGINAL VOLVO MANUFACTURED FRONT STRUTS, MOUNTS, BUSHINGS, AND SPRINGS. THE DEALER REINSTALLED THE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLY AND THEN TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE TO MAKUPDATED 02-23-09 *BFE SURE IT WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,791. UPDATED 02/24/09. *JB

MULTIPLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS BUT NO CLEAR ISSUE DISCOVERED. NOW THE CAR VIBRATES WHEN I START DRIVING IT AND AT TIMES I CAN FLOOR THE GAS PEDAL AND NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. I AM TOLD IT IS THE FUEL PUMP THAT NEEDS REPLACING THOUGH IT DID NOT SHOW UP AS AN ISSUE FROM THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DIAGNOSIS. ALSO, SPARK PLUGS WERE CHANGED IN SEPT 0'7 YET WERE CHANGED AGAIN AT THE 60K CHECK UP TWO WEEKS AGO. *TR

VOLVO XC70 ANGLE GEAR BURNED UP! 2004 WITH 90K ON IT. SEEMS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH VOLVO'S - NEED TO PURCHASE NEW OR USED PART. PRICE IS ANYWHERE BETWEEN $1000 - $2000. NOT GOOD. VOLVO CLAIMS NO REAL ISSUE. *TR