VOLVO Complaints

ON THE WAY TO AN APPOINTMENT MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR VOLVO V70 T5 ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR LOST POWER AND A MESSAGE STATING "PERFORMANCE REDUCTION" WAS VISIBLE ON THE CONSOLE. THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL AT ANY MINUTE AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AT 20 MPH. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE HARD SHOULDER BUT AS SHE WAS ABOUT TO ENTER A SECTION WHERE ROAD WORKS HAD REMOVED ANY HARD SHOULDER SHE DECIDED TO STOP AND CALL FOR HELP. WE ARRANGED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO PICK THE CAR UP AND TAKE IT TO OUR NEAREST VOLVO DEALER. WHEN WE ARRIVED THERE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED THE FIRST QUESTION ASKED BY THE SERVICE REP WAS "HAVE YOU HAD THE ETM RECALL PERFORMED ?" I STATED THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALL AND HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY LETTER FROM VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA. 2 DAYS LATTER ONCE THE CAR HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY AN ETM/ECM FAILURE. THE REPLACEMENT PART NUMBER WAS 30785453. I ALSO SPOKE WITH VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL BUT A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THAT PARTICULAR PART. I ASKED WHY I HAD NOT RECEIVED A LETTER YET CONCERNING IT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF SENDING THEM OUT. SINCE THEN I HAVE DISCOVER EVIDENCE THAT THE LETTER WAS AVAILABLE SINCE NOVEMBER 2005. *JB

BRAKE PROBLEM AT 13000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 25000, COSTLY REPAIR, THE TRUCK WEIGHS 6000 LBS AND BRAKE SYSTEM IS NOT ADEQUATE FOR VEHICLE. CALIPER HAD TO BE REPLACED ON NEW VEHICLE! PLEASE INVESTIGATE, I KNOW THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN, BRAKES HAVE EXCESSIVE DUST, WEAR FAST. *NM

TWO TOYO PROXES TPT 205/55R-16 (94V ALL SEASONS BLACKWALL) TIRES HAVE FAILED WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF PURCHASE AND 10,000 MILES. THE SIDEWALLS HAVE DEVELOPED THIN SPOTS THAT ARE BULGING OUTWARDS, ON THE VERGE OF A BLOWOUT. THESE TIRES WERE REPLACEMENTS FOR TOYO PROXES FZ4 BLACKWALLS P205/55VR WHEN ONE OF THEM BLEW OUT THROUGH THE SIDEWALL AFTER 2.5 YEARS OF MODERATELY LIGHT USAGE. BECAUSE TWO TIRES (BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE) ARE AFFECTED, I CAN'T CLICK AN APPROPRIATE BOX ON A FOLLOWING SCREEN.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH THE BRAKES FAILED RESULTING IN A CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE AND THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED ON CERTAIN VEHICLES WATER CAN ENTER THE ELECTRICAL BRAKE VACUUM PUMP, CAUSING THE PUMP TO FAIL. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V474000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST VACUUM. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

NOVEMBER 15, 2005 MY VOLVO S40'S PARKING BRAKE FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. AFTER PARKING MY CAR AND LEAVING THE GARAGE THE BRAKE "SLIPPED" AND ROLLED OUT OF THE SPOT HITTING ANOTHER CAR. MY CAR HAD 2,899 MILES ON IT. WHEN RETURNING TO MY CAR THAT NIGHT I FOUND THAT MY PARKING BRAKE HAD "SLIPPED" AND MY VOLVO HAD DRIFTED DOWN THE RAMP OF MY PARKING GARAGE AND STRUCK ANOTHER CAR. THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT, I PULLED INTO MY PARKING SPOT, SET MY PARKING BRAKE, SAT IN MY CAR A FEW MINUTES COLLECTING MY PERSONAL ITEMS FROM MY FRONT SEAT, AND BACK SEAT, SHUT FRONT AND BACK DOOR AND WALKED DOWN THE RAMP WHILE LOOKING BACK TO MAKE SURE THAT MY CAR WAS LOCKED. THE OWNER OF THE OTHER CAR WAS ALREADY ON THE SCENE WRITING A REPORT WITH THE PARKING GARAGE MANAGER WHEN I ARRIVE AT MY CAR THAT AFTERNOON. I WENT TO GET IN MY VOLVO AND MOVE IT BUT BEFORE I GOT IN IT, I NOTICED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS STILL ON AS I HAD LEFT IT THAT MORNING. I SHOWED THIS TO BOTH WITNESSES PRIOR TO GETTING IN MY VOLVO, THEY BOTH WERE ALREADY AWARE THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ON. THE POLICE WERE CALLED AND ARRIVED ON THE SCENE BUT DIDN'T DO A REPORT SINCE NO ONE WAS INJURED PER THEIR POLICY. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE MY VOLVO TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE PARKING BRAKE CHECKED. THE NEXT MORNING I CALLED VOLVO CORPORATE CRITICAL CARE DEPARTMENT AND EXPRESSED MY SAFETY CONCERN ABOUT MY VOLVO. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE MY VOLVO TO GET CHECKED OUT AND I INFORMED HER THAT I HAD AN APPOINTMENT FOR NOVEMBER 21, 2005. I WAS TOLD A SPECIALIST WOULD LOOK THE CAR OVER. WHEN I PICKED MY CAR UP ON NOVEMBER 21ST I WAS TOLD THAT THE SPECIALIST LOOKED AT MY VOLVO AND THE PARKING BRAKE HAD NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED TO MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN LINE WITH SPECIFICATIONS. *NM

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I HAVE NOTICED A STRONG GAS FUEL SMELL FROM MY 98 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY AWD FROM THE GAS TANK AREA. THE SMELL COMES FROM THE AREA IN FRONT OF THE RR WHEEL, ON TOP OF THE PLASTIC PANEL WHICH COVERS THE FUEL TANK. THE LEAK IS NOTICEABLE WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. THE ONLY WAY FOR ME TO KEEP THE SMELL FROM POPPING OUT IS TO NOT FILL UP THE TANK MORE THAN 8 OR 10 GALLONS. THE CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE TO BE PARKED IN THE GARAGE AS THE FUEL SMELL IT RELEASES IS SO STRONG THAT I CAN FILL THE HOUSE WITH IT THROUGH MY VENTS. I WANT THE NHTSA TO LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM AS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON FAILURE ON THE V70 AWD. MANY VOLVO INTERNET BOARDS HAVE MENTIONED POSSIBLE FAILURE WITH THE GAS TANK/EXPANSION VALVE/FUEL PUMP AREA. CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK, THANKS. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. *NM

ABS CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. I WAS INFORMED BY TWO DEALERSHIPS, NORTH POINTE VOLVO AND DYER AND DYER VOLVO, AS WELL AS VOLVO PROFESSIONAL REPAIR (ALL LOCATED IN THE ATLANTA GA AREA) THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE. WELL I EXPERIENCED THIS YESTERDAY. THE AUTOMOBILES' ABS NO LONGER IS EFFECTIVE WHEN THIS UNIT GOES BAD, LEADING TO DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. IT ALSO LEADS TO STALLING, AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHICH CAN LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT, AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HAVE ONE YESTERDAY. THE PART HAS TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY $1000.00 I CAN PROCURE THE OLD PART FROM THE SERVICE MANAGER. I WAS INFORMED THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW AS HEAT CAUSES THE DETERIORATION OF THIS MODULE DUE TO ITS LOCATION NEAR THE ENGINE. *JB

FRONT SIGNAL HOUSING /LENS COVER KEEPS FALLING OFF. REPAIRED BUT PLASTIC BREAKS. *JB

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR MAKES LOUD POPPING NOISES WHEN OPENED, CLOSED. MIDDLE DOOR HINGE (LARGER ONES ABOVE AND BELOW; LOCATED JUST BELOW WIRING HARNESS) HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM FRAME OF CAR BODY BECAUSE OF FAULTY WELDING. ORIGINALLY, I THOUGHT NOISE WAS "SQUEAKY" DOOR HINGE AND LUBRICATED THE HINGE WITH SILICONE SPRAY. BUT WHEN THE NOISE GOT WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AND FOUND THAT THE BODY FRAME HINGE HAS BROKEN AT THE POINT WHERE IT WAS WELDED. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN 40-PLUS YEARS OF CAR OWNERSHIP. I HAVEN'T REPAIRED IT YET BUT ASSUME IT WILL HAVE TO BE REWELDED, BASED ON INFO I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET POSTED BY OTHERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THIS MANUFACTURER. *NM

I PURCHASED THIS CAR, A 1999 VOLVO V-70 STATION WAGON, IN 2002. THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY AND REPEATEDLY STALLS IN TRAFFIC IN ADDITION TO RANDOMLY ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING ON ITS OWN SO THAT DRIVING IS HAZARDOUS. CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THESE PROBLEMS AND MOST OF THE WORK HAS BEEN ON ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM. PROBLEMS MAY APPEAR TO BE FIXED FOR A SHORT TIME BUT NOT REALLY FIXED BECAUSE STALLING AND UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION/DECELERATION BEGIN AGAIN. CAR HAS PROBLEM UNIQUE TO IT IN THAT IT FAILS TO PRODUCE COMPUTER CODES REGARDING STALLING OR ETM FAILURE, AND BECAUSE CAR FAILS INTERMITTENTLY, EXCEPT FOR ONE MECHANIC, ALL OTHERS WHO HAVE SERVICED THE CAR HAVE FAILED TO EXPERIENCE THE STALLING AND RANDOM ACCELERATION/DECELERATION FIRST HAND. WHAT TO DO WITH A CAR THAT RELIABLY FAILS INTERMITTENTLY, FAILS TO FAIL WHEN THE MECHANIC NEEDS IT TO FAIL TO BE ABLE TO FIX IT AND PRODUCES NO COMPUTER CODES AS TO WHY IT IS FAILING? ON 7 APRIL, 2006, I TOOK CAR TO VOLVO OF RICHARDSON, RICHARDSON TX TO SERVICE THE PROBLEM OF THE CAR STALLING REPEATEDLY IN THE PREVIOUS FEW DAYS. THEY UPGRADED THE ETM SOFTWARE BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO STALL AND STUTTER IN TRAFFIC. IN FACT, IT SEEMED THE STUTTERING AND SHUTTERING (NEAR STALLS) WERE WORSE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALER AND ASKED ABOUT THE REPAIRS UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AS PER NHTSA ACTION: EA05021. SERVICE DIRECTOR FOR DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE ETM UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY SAYING THEY WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED IF THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE THE STALLING ETC. LIKEWISE, AT VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE (1-800- 458-1552), "BART" REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE REPAIRS COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY OF EA05021. THE NUMBER OF FAILURES/INCIDENTS OF CAR STALLING AND UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT ANYMORE. THE CAR RELIABLY STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AND REPEATEDLY. LAST INCIDENT OF STALLING WAS 14 APRIL 2006 WHEN THE CAR STALLED FOUR TIMES IN TRAFFIC. *JB