VOLVO Complaints

THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE GEAR SELECTOR HAS BURNT OUT. THERE'S A 'SIGNAL-ORANGE' COLORED INDICATOR MARK THAT TRACKS THE GEAR SELECTOR AGAINST THE SLATE GREY COLOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY PUT THERE AS A SAFETY FEATURE SO YOU KNOW WHAT GEAR YOU'RE IN AND DON'T ACCIDENTALLY TAKE OFF IN AN UNINTENDED DIRECTION, FORWARD OR REVERSE, OR ROLL INTO SOMEONE WHILE UNINTENTIONALLY FINDING YOURSELF IN NEUTRAL. WELL NOW AT NIGHT UNLESS YOU TURN ON THE INTERIOR LIGHT, YOU CAN JUST GUESS WHAT GEAR YOU'RE IN BECAUSE WHEN IT'S DARK IN THE CAB YOU CAN'T SEE AT ALL WHAT'S WHAT AS FAR A GEAR SELECTION. I FIND THIS REMARKABLE. AT AGE 49, WITH ALL THE CARS WE'VE OWNED AND ALL I'VE HAD UNTIL OVER 100,000 MILES, NEVER DO I RECALL ANY DASHBOARD TYPE INDICATOR LAMPS BURNING OUT, I THOUGHT THEY JUST MADE THEM THAT WAY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT REPLACEABLE OR SOMETHING. I ASSUMED THEY WERE LIKE NEON OR LIGHT EMITTING DIODES THAT CAN NEVER BURN OUT AND WOULD FUNCTION FOREVER OR UNTIL SOMETHING PHYSICALLY BROKE THEM. HERE'S A TIP FOR YOU FOLKS AT THE NHTSA AND YOUR FAMILIES: AVOID VOLVO'S IN PARKING LOTS AT NIGHT, TURNS OUT WE HAVE ONLY AN IDEA OF THE GEAR WE'RE IN BEFORE THE CAR STARTS MOVING, IN THE DARK THE LACK OF CERTAINTY PROVIDED BY A MANUFACTURING FAILURE COULD PROVE DANGEROUS. VOLVO FOR LIFE? *TR

ABOUT A 1999 V70 GLT VOLVO: THE SUN VISOR IS SAGGING DOWN AND IT UNEXPECTEDLY COMES INTO MY LINE OF SIGHT WHILE DRIVING. TO BE CLEAR, IT'S STRAIGHT AND IN OTHERWISE GOOD CONDITION, BUT IT JUST DOESN'T LOCK UP FLAT TO THE CEILING THE WAY IT SHOULD. CURRENTLY WHILE DEBATING THE RELATIVELY HIGH REPLACEMENT COST - $200 JUST FOR THE PART BECAUSE IT HAS A MIRROR AND LIGHT, I'VE GOT IT STRAPPED UP WITH A NYLON BELT, KEEPING IT OUT OF MY VIEW, BUT THEN I NOW HAVE NOTHING FOR LOW SUN DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT MAY SEEM PETTY TO MENTION THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT IT DID COME DOWN AND PRESENT A VISUAL OBSTRUCTION TO ME WHILE DRIVING. ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED IN MY NOW ALMOST 24 YEAR OLD SAAB, NOT EVEN WITH 240,000 MILES ON IT. NOR DO WE HAVE THIS PROBLEM ON MY WIFE'S '94 ACURA LEGEND, WHERE THERE ARE OVER 140,000 MILES OF USE AND AGE. NOR HAVE I HAD THIS PROBLEM IN OTHER CARS I'VE OWNED, BACK TO AND INCLUDING MY FIRST: THE '73 PINTO I HAD IN COLLEGE, I SOLD IT W/ 105,000 MI. AND DON?T RECALL THIS TYPE OF CONCERN! I JUST THINK ON A NEWER CAR, (THIS OCCURRED ON OUR NEWEST CAR EVER, AND BEFORE 80,000 MILES, I THINK I?VE BEEN FIGHTING TO KEEP THE VISOR UP SINCE 60,000 MI. AND NOW IT?S FINALLY FLOPPED DOWN) ONE SHOULDN'T SUDDENLY HAVE TO BE DODGING THEIR HEAD AROUND THE CAB TO SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDOW, WHILE FIDDLING WITH THE VISOR COMING DOWN, FINALLY PLACING IT TO THE SIDE, WHERE IT STILL SAGS BUT ONLY PROVIDING A MINOR OBSTRUCTION - OBVIOUSLY NOT NEAR AS CRITICAL AS BLOCKING ONE'S FRONT VIEW. SO WHAT AM I TO CONCLUDE: DO I REPLACE IT FOR $200 - PLUS LABOR - (TWO ACTUALLY, THE PASSENGER SIDE ONE IS GETTING READY TO DO THE SAME THING), AND THEN BE SUBJECT TO IT RECURRING? ALSO IT OCCURRED THE NIGHT BEFORE LEAVING ON A ROAD TRIP CT TO ROCHESTER, NY: I.E.: WESTERLY DRIVING INTO THE SUNSET AND THERE WAS NO TIME IN THE TRAVEL SCHEDULE TO DELAY FOR SUCH AN UNEXPECTED REPAIR. I HAD TO MAKE THE DRIVE WITH THE SUN VISOR OUT OF COMMISSION. *TR

THE BRAKING SOMETIMES BECOMES DIMINISHED. THE PEDAL IS 'STIFF' AND NORMAL BAKING IS REDUCED. IT OCCURS SO RARELY THAT THERE IS NO WAY FOR ME TO EXPECT THAT IT WILL PRESENT FOR A MECHANIC ON A TEST DRIVE. OCCURRENCES ARE MANY DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS APART. THE SYMPTOM INVOLVES A DISTINCT VARIATION ON THE NORMAL BRAKING EXPERIENCE: A SLIGHT THROBBING OCCURS AND DIMINISHED STOPPING POWER IS AVAILABLE, I HAVE TO PRESS MARKEDLY HARDER TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. SCARY. THIS SYMPTOM IS SO INTERMITTENT AND FLEETING, IT SEEMS IT WOULD BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO DEMONSTRATE AND TRACK DOWN. BUT EVERY TIME I EXPERIENCE IT, THE VERY SLIGHT PULSING DURING BRAKING AND ACCOMPANYING ADDITIONAL PEDAL PRESSURE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE A NORMAL STOP, I WORRY. I'VE EVEN PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TRIED IN AN ABANDON SECTION TO TEST IT AND TO GET IT TO REOCCUR FOR ME, BUT NEVER CAN. SO I WORRY. TO BE CLEAR, THE SITUATION FOR WHICH I'M CONCERNED HERE IS WHEN, ON RARE OCCASIONS, WHILE ROUTINE BRAKING, I EXPERIENCE THE NEED TO APPLY MORE PRESSURE THAN IS OTHERWISE TYPICAL AND USUAL. IT SCARES ME A BIT, BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, IN ALL THE INSTANCES SO FAR, IT'S OCCURRED ON CITY STREETS W/ RELATIVELY LOW SPEEDS INVOLVED AND LIGHT TRAFFIC SITUATIONS; (E.G.: I'M FIRST TO AN INTERSECTION W/ NO ONE IN FRONT OF ME, ETC.) BUT FOR FUTURE SITUATIONS THAT MIGHT REQUIRE A CRITICAL BRAKING, I REMAIN NATURALLY, CONCERNED. THE DANGER IS DISPLACED IN THE IMMEDIATE TERM WHERE THE REMEDY HAS BEEN, SIMPLY, APPLYING INCREASED PEDAL PRESSURE AND FEELING LUCKY NOT TO BE IN A CRITICAL BRAKING SITUATION. THEN I DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM AGAIN FOR SOME TIME. HAVE YOU HAD OTHER MENTIONS OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH THE 1999 V70 GLT VOLVOS? *TR

1997 VOLVO S90 INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON JUNE 5, 2006. MY VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A RATE OF SPEED OF 60 MILES PER HOUR. VEHICLE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I NOTIFIED THE VOLVO MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRBAGS WAS PLACED INT HE VEHICLE FOR BASICALLY DECORATIONS AND NOT TO HELP SAVE LIVES. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON WHICH WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME FROM HAVING A SERIOUS INJURY. HOWEVER, MY BACK WAS INJURED IN THE CRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. THE VEHICLE FIRST BEGAN HESITATING AND STALLING INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-60 MPH. THE FAILURE IS NOW OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE OR FOUR TIMES FOR THIS FAILURE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED TWICE AND THE THROTTLE HOUSING MODULE WAS CLEANED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE LAST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OR PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED DEFECT INVESTIGATION NUMBER PE05041 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.

THE ABS SENSOR HAS COME ON AND IT IS DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE ABS CONTROL UNIT. THIS IS A VARY COMMON AND SERIOUS FAILURE FOR THE VOLVO 850 AND IS A WELL KNOW TO VOLVO. THEY OFFER REPAIR BUT IT IS AROUND $900. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLVO S40. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE ENGINE MAKES A HOWLING NOISE. THE NOISE STOPS WHILE DRIVING HIGHER SPEEDS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS AN OIL TRAP (PCV SYSTEM) IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT WAS CLOGGED AND COULD CAUSE THE CRANK CASE TO FAIL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

RECENTLY NOTICED CAR WAS DIFFICULT TO START AND CAR SMELLS LIKE GAS. THESE EVENTS SEEMED TO HAVE STARTED AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME TIME AND THERE HAS BEEN NO PHYSICAL EVENT (CRASH, IMPACT) THAT INITIATED THE COMPLAINT. IT APPEARS TO HAVE STARTED IN MID SUMMER WHERE IT IS OPERATED IN SOUTH FLORIDA, AND I GET IN THE CAR AT 4PM TO 107 DEGREES ON THE TEMP READING. I HAVE DONE NOTHING, BUT HAVE CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES AND POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR ON MY 2001 VOLVO V70 FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I DID QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH ON 2001 VOLVO V70 AND FOUND THAT MANY OF THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL HAVE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IN MY PARTICULAR CASE, THE TRANSMISSION GAVE ME "PROBLEMS" SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. EACH TIME THE REPAIRS MADE NO DIFFERENCE. ON MY FINAL ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RESOLVED (AFTER THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED) I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE IS ON HER 3RD TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 08/26/08. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10 - 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY MOTOR MOUNT BUSHING. THE DEALER HAS NOT MADE A DECISION CONCERNING PAYMENT FOR THE REPAIR. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V206000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE) WAS REFERENCED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.