VOLVO Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE LEAKED GASOLINE BEHIND THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WHERE THE FUEL TANK WAS LOCATED. THE DEALERSHIP AND AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP INFORMED THE CONTACT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE VOLVO FUEL PUMPS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT A PART ON THE TOP OF FUEL PUMP FRACTURED WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL PUMP TO LEAK FUEL.

AT 53,000 MILES (FEBRUARY 2006) MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, SERVICE TRANSMISSION LIGHT AND URGENT SERVICE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME. HOWEVER, I WAS I NOT EXPERIENCING ANY NOTICEABLE DRIVABILITY ISSUES. (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME SLIGHTLY ROUGH GEAR SHIFTING - BUT I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT). THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE FAULT CODE WAS RELATED TO MY TRANSMISSION AND THAT I NEED A SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO MY TCM (TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE). IF THE FAULT CODE RETURNED AFTER THE UPGRADE, MY TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AND THAT MOST LIKELY (99.9%) THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, I HAD TO PAY $340 FOR THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE BECAUSE I WAS 6 MONTHS / 3,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY AND SOFTWARE ISSUES WHERE NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (3RD PARTY - EASYCARE -[VIA FORD]). A FEW WEEKS LATER (3/5/06), THE CHECK ENGINE COMES ON AGAIN AND THE DRIVABILITY DETERIORATES RAPIDLY ON MY TRIP HOME FROM WORK. HIGH RPM'S - LITTLE POWER - ABRUPT SHIFTING. FORTUNATELY, I WAS CLOSE TO HOME (WITHIN 1 MILE). IT FELT LIKE THE TRANSMISSION FELL APART. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER (3/8/06), AFTER TWO DAYS OF 'TESTING', I'M TOLD THE ETM WAS REPLACED AT NO CHARGE AND TO COME PICK UP THE CAR. I PICKED IT UP AND COULD NOT LEAVE THE DEALER DRIVEWAY. THEY APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY AND SAID THE ETM WAS REPLACED BUT NOTICED THAT THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM. AFTER A FEW DAYS OF TROUBLESHOOTING BY THE DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION (AND I HAD TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $200 FOR EXTENDED WARRANTY CO-PAY). *NM

2001 VOLVO S60 T5, 100,800 MILES. THE FOLLOWING CONDITION HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO, BUT IS NOW CONSISTENT TO THE POINT TO BE ABLE TO BE LOCATED. WE ARE EXPERIENCING EXTREME GASOLINE ORDER WITHIN AND AROUND THE VEHICLE IN HOTTER WEATHER (>90F). LIVING IN PHOENIX SUMMER VEHICLE TEMPS EXCEED 110F ON A DAILY BASIS. WHEN CONTACTING LOCAL VOLVO DEALER, THE SERVICE WRITER STATED THAT HE IS SEEING A LOT OF FAILURES OF THE FUEL PUMP WHICH VENTS FUMES AT HIGHER TEMPERATURES. FUEL PUMP STILL OPERATES FINE. A QUICK SEARCH OF THE INTERNET INDICATE THAT THIS ISSUE IS BECOMING MORE COMMON. WE NOW LEAVE THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE OF THE GARAGE FOR FEAR OF AN EXPLOSION IGNITED BY THE HOMES' HOT WATER HEATER. QUOTED REPAIR IS $612. VEHICLE DESIGN SHOULD PROTECT THE CONSUMER FROM FLAMMABLE VAPOR FROM THE GAS TANK WELL BEYOND 5 YEARS. PLEASE ADVISE ME IF OTHER VOLVO OWNERS HAVE ALSO REPORTED THIS CONDITION. THANK YOU. *JB

I WANT TO ADD MY DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE MODULE AND SUBSEQUENT LACK OF APPROPRIATE ACTION. THE UNIT IN THE 2000 VOLVO S80 FAILED TO BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE HALT IN TRAFFIC IN DECEMBER 2004. SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WERE $845. IF VOLVO SENT OUT A NOTICE FOR ETM REPAIR REFUNDS LAST WINTER, I DID NOT RECEIVE IT DESPITE LIVING AT THE SAME ADDRESS AS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DEC 1999. I ALSO WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE INCREASING PROBLEM WITH THE DSTC SYSTEM AS EVIDENCE BY ACTIVITY IN THE CHAT ROOMS. OUR VEHICLE SHOWS A PERSISTENT DSTC SERVICE MESSAGE THAT THE DEALER CLAIMS CAN NOT BE ADEQUATELY DIAGNOSED WITHOUT FIRST REPLACING THE YAW SENSOR FOR $668. OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM HAVE TURNED TO BUYING AND SELF INSTALLING REBUILT ABS UNITS WHICH THE NHTSA SHOULD BE PROACTIVELY SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND. THE CAUSE OF THE ABS UNIT FAILURE? SOME CLAIM IT IS THE VIBRATION AND POUNDING FROM THE ENTIRELY INADEQUATE FRONT END SUSPENSION AND WHEEL SYSTEM CAUSING THE ELECTRONIC PARTS TO FAIL. I CAN ATTEST TO THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM HAVING SPENT $1790 YESTERDAY TO REPLACE FRONT BUSHINGS, STABILIZER LINKS, STRUTS AND SPRING SEATS ON A CAR WITH 64K MILES. THE FRONT STRUTS PREVIOUSLY WERE REPLACE IN JAN '04 AT A COST OF $726 WHEN MILEAGE WAS 40K. I'VE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. *JB

THE CAR PULLS TO THE RIGHT. ALIGNMENT WAS CHECKED AND WAS SLIGHTLY OFF. IT WAS CORRECTED BUT THE CAR STILL PULLS TO THE RIGHT. I DROVE ONE OTHER XC70 THAT WAS A LOANER CAR FROM THE DEALER AND IT DROVE THE SAME. *JB

WHILE DRIVING OUR CAR HOME FROM 4TH OF JULY VACATION ON INTERSTATE, CAR SHUT DOWN BY ITSELF AND COULD ONLY DO ABOUT 7 MPH, WITH A NEAR MISS OF TRAFFIC I WAS TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES UNTIL WE DECIDED TO NOT DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL DUE OUR CONCERN FOR GETTING INTO A ACCIDENT. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP COULD NOT SEE US FOR 3 WEEKS WE WERE TOLD, THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WE ARE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WILL TELL US. *NM

I TOOK MY 2005 VOLVO XC-90 TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE OUTER TIE RODS REPLACED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A RECALL NOTICE I RECEIVED FROM VOLVO. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISER THAT I SHOULD HAVE THE REAR WHEELS ALIGNED BECAUSE THEY WERE FINDING THAT WHEN THIS RECALL SERVICE WAS BEING PERFORMED, THE REAR WHEELS NEEDED ALIGNMENT AS WELL AS THE FRONT WHEELS. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT VOLVO WOULD BE PAYING FOR THE FRONT WHEELS TO BE ALIGNED, BUT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT THE SPECIAL PRICE OF $59.95. I DECLINED THE REAR WHEEL ALIGNMENT BECAUSE I FELT IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO PAY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS BEFORE KNOWING WHETHER A PROBLEM REALLY EXISTED. SEVERAL HOURS LATER, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP SAYING THAT THEY WERE WORKING ON MY CAR AND THAT MY REAR WHEELS REALLY DID NEED TO BE ALIGNED. NOT KNOWING WHAT ELSE TO DO, I CONSENTED TO PAY TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. I RETURNED FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE RECALL WORK COMPLETED AND MY WALLET HAVING BEEN EMPTIED OF $66.37 ($59.95 + TAX AND MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES). I DECIDED TO WRITE TO YOU SINCE I BELIEVE THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS BLATANTLY UNFAIR TO THE CONSUMER. VOLVO RECALLS DEFECTIVE PARTS BUT ONLY PAYS FOR THE FRONT WHEELS TO BE ALIGNED, YET THE DEALERSHIP IS SAYING THAT THEY ARE FINDING THAT ALL OF THE WHEELS NEED TO BE REALIGNED? MY CAR IS ABOUT 15 MONTHS OLD, AND I HAD MY 15,000 MILE SERVICE DONE IN EARLY JUNE. AT THAT TIME, MY WHEELS WERE ROTATED AND BALANCED AND NOTHING WAS SAID INDICATING I HAD AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM EITHER IN THE FRONT OR THE REAR OF THE CAR. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT VOLVO IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ITS CUSTOMERS BY HAVING THEM COME IN TO HAVE PARTS REPLACED "FREE" OF CHARGE ONLY TO WALK OUT WITH A BILL FOR "NECESSARY" SERVICES WHICH ARE "NOT COVERED". I DON'T KNOW IF OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, BUT I WANTED TO GO ON RECORD WITH WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. *JB

CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE ERRATICALLY WITH NO CHANGE IN ACCELERATOR POSITION WHILE ON A 250 MILE TRIP. AT ONE POINT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS A TRUCK THE CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND ACTED LIKE IT WOULD STALL THEN JUST AS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS THERE WERE CARS BEHIND US PASSING AS WELL AND ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A VERY SCARY SITUATION. *NM

2000 VOLVO V70XC REAR LATCH FAILURE. MY XC WAGON HAS EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT REAR LATCH FAILURES SINCE 2002. THE PROBLEM ONLY USED TO OCCUR DURING THE WINTERS, WHICH ACCOUNT FOR 3 MONTHS A YEAR IN MA. I BROUGHT IT IT TO MY VOLVO DEALER, BARRY'S VOLVO OF DARTMOUTH, MA ON 2/17/2004. SINCE THEY WERE TESTING IT IN THEIR HEATED GARAGE, OF COURSE, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT REPRODUCED. THEY LUBED THE LATCH AND SENT THE CAR HOME. WE DEALT WITH IT FOR A YEAR AND THEN I FOUND THE TSBS ON THE INTERNET, THANKS TO BRICKYARD.COM AND THE NHTSA. I HAVE SINCE TRIED TWO MORE TIMES TO GET MY DEALER TO REPAIR THE LATCH AS NOW THE LATCH FAILS JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME I CLOSE THE REAR TRUNK. I FEAR FOR MY CHILDREN'S SAFETY AS WELL AS MY PET, WHO RIDES IN THE REAR, AND ANY BELONGINGS WE PLACE BACK THERE. I HAVE CALLED VOLVO NA AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD MAKE SURE MY DEALER WOULD REMEDY THE PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY ISSUE, RECALL OR WHATEVER FOR MY CAR AND THEY WOULD GLADLY FIX IT AT MY EXPENSE. I'VE FINNALY HAD ENOUGH AND DECIDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSA SINCE THERE IS A DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR, NHTSA00V239000

ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO ZERO, AND ENGINE COOLING FANS RAN CONTINUOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH ENGINE WAS NOT OVERHEATING. ENGINE APPEARED TO BE OPERING IN "LIMP HOME MODE". DEALERSHIP REPLACED TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE RESOLVED. ONE WEEK LATER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED CALIBRATION ON NEW TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE RESOLVED. ONE WEEK LATER CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. DEALERSHIP REPLACED TEMPERATURE SENSOR AND COOLING FAN ASSEMBLY AND CALIBRATED NEW TEMPERATURE SENSOR.