VOLVO Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING, THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. THE HARDER THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED, THE FASTER THE ENGINE WOULD REV AND LURCH FORWARD, UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE IGNITION WAS SWITCHED OFF. WHEN RESTARTED, EVERYTHING OPERATED NORMALLY. THE PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED 5 TIMES AND A MINOR COLLISION HAPPENED, ALTHOUGH NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AND NO POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE SERVICE DEALER COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM OR FIND ANYTHING WRONG ON THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. UPDATED 11/21/2006 - *NM

2004 XC90 HAS HAD THREE COMPUTER/ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, PERHAPS RELATED. URGENT MESSAGE APPEARS ON PANEL, "SRS NEEDS ATTENTION - URGENT". CAR TAKEN TO DEALER WITH MESSAGE ACTIVE, DEALER UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEM, RESETS SYSTEM. 3 MONTHS LATER, SRS MESSAGE REAPPEARS, CAR WON'T START, NO LIGHTS OR OTHER ACCESSORIES LEFT ON. BATTERY DIAGNOSED AS DEAD, REPLACED, SRS MESSAGE CLEARS WITH NEW BATTERY. 3 MONTHS LATER, SRS MESSAGE REAPPEARS, TWO CONTROL MODULES REPLACED. *JB

I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT A COMMERCIAL I JUST VIEWED WITH A LINE SOMETHING LIKE "WHO WOULD YOU BUY A VOLVO FOR?". A YOUNG GIRL - WHO IS CHATTING UP A STORM - IS PLACED IN THE MIDDLE BACK SEAT OF A VOLVO SUV. HER FATHER ENSURES SHE IS SECURED WITH A REGULAR SEATBELT. MY CONCERN IS IT IS QUESTIONABLE ABOUT HER SIZE/WEIGHT/HEIGHT TO BE PLACED IN A REGULAR CAR SEAT. SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE SHOULD BE SECURED BY A BOOSTER SEAT. THE CURRENT GUIDELINES ARE" A BELT POSITIONING BOOSTER SEAT IS TYPICALLY RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE 4 TO 8 YEARS OLD OR WHO WEIGH AT LEAST 40 POUNDS AND ARE UP TO 4 FEET 9 INCHES TALL.* A PROPER FIT IS OBTAINED WHEN THE LAP BELT FITS ACROSS THE HIPS AND THE SHOULDER BELT FITS ACROSS THE CHILD'S SHOULDER AND CHEST. (TAKEN DIRECTLY OFF THE NHTSA WEBSITE). IN THE COMMERCIAL, IT APPEARS THAT THE REGULAR LAP/SHOULDER HARNESS BELT RIDES UP OVER THE CHILD'S NECK. CAN YOU PLEASE VERIFY THE AGE/WEIGHT/HEIGHT OF THE GIRL USED IN THE COMMERCIAL. IF SHE DOES NOT MEET FEDERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A REGULAR LAP/SHOULDER BELT, THIS COMMERCIAL SHOULD BE REMOVED AND VOLVO SHOULD BE MANDATED TO AIR COMMERCIALS PROMOTING THE CURRENT BOOSTER SEAT RECOMMENDATIONS. *JB

IN JULY I WAS TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC AT IDLE SPEED WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO SURGE THEN STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT, HOWEVER I HAD TO KEEP ONE FOOT ON THE GAS AND THE OTHER ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP IT RUNNING. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP IT HOME USING THIS METHOD TO KEEP THE RPMS UP. WHEN THE CODES WERE READ IT SAID THE 4 OXYGEN SENSORS WERE OUT OF RANGE. I TUNED UP THE CAR, CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND OXYGEN SENSORS AND RESET THE CODES. (65,000 MILES) AFTER THIS THE CAR SEEMED ALRIGHT UNTIL AROUND 79,000 MILES. MY WIFE AND I WERE ON RTE. 1A ON THE MAINE COAST IN TRAFFIC . WHILE GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE THE CAR STALLED. I LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING AND BRAKES AND THE CAR NEARLY WENT OVER THE CLIFF INTO THE OCEAN. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL AND THE CAR RESTARTED WITH THE IDLE SURGING. I LIMPED THE CAR HOME USING THE GAS AND BRAKE METHOD. AT INTERSECTIONS IF I LET THE CAR IDLE THE CAR WOULD SURGE FORWARD THEN STALL. MY MECHANIC READ THE CODES AND TOLD ME THE MAP SENSOR AND O2 SENSORS WERE BAD AND REPLACED THEM. THIS SEEMED TO WORK FOR A WHILE, HOWEVER THE CAR REVERTED BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEMS. I FINALLY CALLED GALLO VOLVO WHO HAD SERVICED MY CAR UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL 60,000 MILES AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM COVERED UNDER A HIDDEN RECALL. ONCE A CUSTOMER COMPLAINED THEY COULD FIX IT. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THEM AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER TO "REPAIR" THE PROBLEM. MY CAR NO LONGER STALLS, HOWEVER IT SURGES AND HESITATES UPON ACCELERATION NEARLY CAUSING PEOPLE TO HIT ME IN TRAFFIC. I AM STILL TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM AFTER OVER $1800 DOLLARS IN EXPENSES, MULTIPLE NEAR ACCIDENTS AND NUMEROUS HOURS OF MY TIME. *NM

2005 VOLVO V50 HAS A CHRONIC LIGHT PROBLEM IE THE DIM LIGHT SETTING DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHT TO DRIVE SAFELY ON RURAL ROADS IN THE "DIM" SETTING. MAXIMUM FORWARD VISIBILITY IN THE DIM SETTING IS BETWEEN 48' AND 55' THIS IS MADE MORE HAZARDOUS BY THE DARK LINE THAT APPEARS AT THE 48' TO 55' LINE THIS EFFECTUALLY BLOCKS VISION PAST THIS POINT. MY VOLVO V-50 HAS SPENT 44 DAYS AT MODESTO EUROPEAN (VOLVO DEALER) TO TRY TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT AFTER THE LAST TWO TRIPS I/WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE REPAIRED. IF THIS IS THE BEST IT CAN BE REPAIRED THIS CAR SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD ASAP. THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT ONE COULD HIT A PEDESTRIAN, DISABLED VEHICLE, DEER ,ELK ,ETC AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 55 MPH. WE HAVE A CAR THAT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER DARK WHAT IS VOLVO THINKING. *NM

MY 2000 VOLVO S80 BEGAN GIVING ME ERROR MESSAGES OF SEVERAL KINDS, ONE OF WHICH TELLS ME "DIPPED BEAM BULB FAILURE." WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT WORK (THEY COME ON WHEN I START THE CAR AS RUNNING LIGHTS). AFTER BUYING NEW BULBS TO PUT IN, I FOUND THAT THE OLD BULBS WERE NOT BURNED OUT AND THAT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AT RANDOM. THE BIG PROBLEM WAS DRIVING HOME WITH THE BRIGHT LIGHTS ONLY - WHICH THOUGH SEEMED DIFFERENTLY, ARE NOT TOO AWFULLY BRIGHT - ONLY A FEW PEOPLE FLASHED ME. I THEN HAD OTHER CODES COMING UP AND HAD TO REPLACE THE "ABS CONTROLLER" TO THE TUNE OF $1000; AND, GUESS WHAT? THE DIPPED BEAM BULB FAILURE MESSAGE STILL OCCURS OFF AND ON (SPENDING THE $1000 DID CURE THE OTHER, MULTIPLE MESSAGES)*JB

MY 2001 VOLVO S80 ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL) FAILED, THIS CAUSED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE, STEERING, BREAKING AND HEADLIGHT SYSTEMS. *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

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED THE WRONG SIZE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE TIRES TO WEAR PREMATURELY. THE SERVICE DEALER ORDERED A NEW SET OF TIRES IN A SMALLER SIZE. THE WHEEL BALL BEARINGS ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER A KNOCKING SOUND WAS DETECTED. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THIS WAS DUE TO NOT ENOUGH GREASE IN THE WHEELS. THE CONTACT ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR, WHICH WILL ONLY ACTIVATE AND ILLUMINATE AS THE VEHICLE STARTS AND WILL NOT STAY ON FOR THE RIDE DURATION IF THE SEAT BELT IS NOT WORN.

FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT BINDS AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE FRONT PASSENGER TO DO UP SEAT BELT. *JB