VOLVO Complaints

ETM (ELECTRIC THROTTLE MODULE INTAKE MANIFOLD) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED! (VOLVO ONLY HAS A VERY LIMITED EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED ON 4/2006. THE ETM WAS CLEANED 3 DIFFERENT TIMES SINCE 8/8/02; AND A SOFTWARE UPGRADE WAS COMPLETED ON 10/19/06. MY LAST 2 COMPLAINTS TO MY VOLVO DEALERSHIP MECHANIC HAS RESULTED IN DENIAL ON 10/19/06 AND REFUSAL TO REPAIR UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON 8/18/08 DUE TO UNRETRIEVABLE COMPUTER CODES (VOLVO ADMITS THE PROBLEM WAS STILL AN ETM PROBLEM). [THIS HAS OCCURRED EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS!!!] ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ACCIDENTS ALMOST HAPPENED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EITHER STALLS ON THE FREEWAY AT 55-60MPH, OR VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGES AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. ACCORDING TO VEXEDVOLVO.COM, THE REAL CAUSE IS DUE TO A WEARING OUT OF THE "POTENTIOMETER FILMS IN THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS". A SIMPLE ETM "CLEANING" WILL NOT SUFFICE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS AT A STOP, IT WILL SURGE FORWARD UNLESS THE CONTACT APPLIES A GREAT AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE ENGINE WILL SUDDENLY STALL AND SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE IS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

STALLS ALL THE TIME MECHANIC CAN'T FIND PROBLEM THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. IT STALLS AT 60MPH AND IT STALLS WHILE IDLING. IT STALLED 7 TIMES GOING A TOTAL OF 4.5 MILES. HELP *TR

VOLVO S60 DRIVEN ON FREEWAY AT 65 MPH FOR 30 MINUTES, LARGE BANG, THEN COMPLETE BLOWOUT - ALL THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE MICHELIN TIRE IN THE BACK RIGHT SIDE. TIRES HAD BEEN INSPECTED VISUALLY AUG. 17 BY OWNER, MAY 6 BY VOLVO DEALER AND WERE IN GOOD SHAPE. IN MAY, 2008, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE, SAME MICHELIN BRAND, HAD BEEN DESTROYED BY PERFORATIONS OF THE TIRE EVEN THOUGH NO IMPACT OCCURRED. THE MAY EVENT ALSO HAPPENED DRIVING ON A FREEWAY AT 65 MPH. *TR

TWIN TURBO HAD TO BE REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2008. NOT CHEAP. BUT EVER SINCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF POWER AND VERY SLUGGISH ON TAKE OFF AND WHEN TRYING TO PASS ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD THE CONTROL VALVE REPLACED JUST RECENTLY, HELPED SOME, BUT STILL VERY SLUGGISH. THINK THE VOLVO DEALER HERE HAVE MORONS FOR SERVICE TECH'S. *TR

FAILURE OCCURRED WITH PIRELLI P-ZERO ROSSO 235/40-18 TIRES. FAILURE OCCURRED IN CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH VEHICLE TRAVELING 5 MI OVER POSTED SPEED LIMIT. ROAD WAS BEING REFINISHED. LEFT FRONT TIRE IMPACTED WITH RAISED MANHOLE. IMPACT CAUSED BULGE IN TIRE SIDEWALL. SIMILAR EVENT ALSO HAPPENED IN APRIL 2006 WHEN DRIVING SAME CAR IN ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION ZONE. DROVE OVER STEEL PLATE IN ROAD AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE POSTED SPEED LIMIT. LEFT FRONT TIRE IMPACTED PLATE AND BULGE APPEARED. IN BOTH INCIDENTS, TWO NEW TIRES HAD TO BE PURCHASED (4 TOTAL). *TR

2000 VOLVO S80 2.9L HAD ABS MODULE FAILED TWICE AT 25K MILES (2006) AND 50K (8/2008) MILES. GOTTEN CLOSE TO ACCIDENTS ESPECIALLY DURING RAIN, SNOW, OR HUMID WEATHER. COMPLAINED TO AUTHORIZED DEALER/MECHANIC AT LEAST OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS WITHOUT ANY HELP UNTIL IT REQUIRES REPAIR. *TR

EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE 2000 VOLVO V40 STATIONWAGON FROM A PRIVATE DEALERSHIP I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS TRYING TO START THE CAR. WHEN TRYING TO CRANK UP VEHICLE IT TAKES A COUPLE OF SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR ACTUALLY STARTS AND IT SMELLS LIKE GAS AFTERWARDS. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE MECHANICS AND THEY HAVE GIVEN IT A FULL TUNE UP AND REPLACED THE INJECTORS BUT STILL I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

SUNDAY,JUNE 29, 2008 DRIVING ON I-83 SOUTH APPROACHING MD 695, REAR RIGHT TIRE SHREDDED AND BLEW. TIRE DRIVEN LESS THAN 18,000 MILES. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP NEXT DAY. WE WERE INFORMED TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HAD TO REPLACE BOTH REAR TIRES AT A COST OF $489. WE NOW HAVE CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FRONT TIRES. WE DO NOT FEEL WE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE TIRES. *TR

I OWN A 1994 VOLVO 850 SEDAN. I WAS PARKED ON A BUSY DOWNTOWN PORTLAND ST. AND GOT IN MY CAR, TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED. IT WAS SO LOUD I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN SHOT. (AS DID PASSERSBY) MY CAR FILLED WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WAS SMOKE (DUE TO GUNPOWDER SMELL) AND GOT OUT QUICKLY. I WAS VERY DISTRAUGHT AND IN SHOCK...MY ARMS AND CHEST HAD BURNS AND CUTS AND BRUISES INSTANTLY. I WENT TO THE ER..THANKFULLY NOTHING BROKEN BUT NOW MY INSURANCE COMPANY (FARMER'S) IS SAYING IT'S NOT COVERED SINCE IT IS "SO RARE" AND THEY FEEL "DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT". I THEN CONTACTED VOLVO HEADQUARTERS AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT SINCE THE CAR IS 14 YRS. OLD THERE COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE A "FACTORY DEFECT". AT THIS POINT I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THIS. I FEEL LIKE I AM SUCH AN INNOCENT VICTIM IN ALL THIS. ALL I DID WAS TRY TO START MY CAR........... *TR