VOLVO Complaints

PULLING INTO A STORE PARKING LOT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND OPERATING AT VERY SLOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE DRAMATICALLY ACCELERATED BY ITSELF CAUSING A WRECK AGAINST A TREE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE REAR HATCHBACK OPENED WITHOUT WARNING DUMPING THE CARGO ONTO THE HIGHWAY. A CRASH WAS AVOIDED AND THE POLICE WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE HATCHBACK LOCK WAS INOPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE HATCHBACK LOCK WAS REPLACED ONCE BEFORE DUE TO A SIMILAR INCIDENT. UPDATED 05/04/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT U-TURN AT LOW SPEEDS THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND HEARD COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT NEAR THE TIRE. THE DEALER INSPECTED AND DETERMINED THE LINK ARM WAS BROKE IN HALF AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE SUNROOF WOULD NOT OPEN. THE DEALER DETERMINED THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE RADIATOR AND THE SUNROOF MODULE WAS INOPERABLE, AND BOTH WERE REPLACED.

1999 S80 LOSS POWER WHILE DRIVING, SERVICE URGENT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *TS THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE.

I HAVE A 2000 VOLVO S80 T6 WITH SEVERAL ETM OR THROTTLE CONTROL FAILURES. I HAVE HAD IST SERVICED TWICE AND IT CONTINUES TO FAIL. MY NEIGHBOR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE STALLS INADVERTENTLY AND HAS STRANDED ME IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHERE I NARROWLY MISSED BEING HIT BY A TRACTOR TRAILER. MY WIFE ALSO WAS ALMOST HIT WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AND STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT BURNS OUT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. THE BULB HAS BEEN REPLACED EACH TIME, BUT NO FURTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED.

NOTICED A GAS SMELL OUTSIDE CAR, COMING FROM REAR OF CAR. CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, SO WE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, THE DEALER DISCOVERED AND INFORMED US THAT THE GAS TANK HAD A CRACK AND THE GASOLINE WAS LEAKING FROM THE CRACK. AFTER PART WAS REPLACED, THE GAS SMELL WENT AWAY. PROBLEM WAS FIXED FOR A FEW MONTHS, AND NOW GAS SMELL HAS RETURNED. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER AWAITING ANOTHER REPAIR. WHILE THERE HAS BEEN NO FIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM, WE ARE, OF COURSE, VERY AFRAID THAT THERE WILL BE A FIRE. THE GAS TANK IS ABOVE THE EXHAUST, SO WE ARE CONCERNED THAT GAS MIGHT DRIP OR SPLASH ON HOT COMPONENTS. DEALER INFORMED US THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL OTHER CARS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. I DO NOT HAVE THE INFORMATION ON THOSE OTHER CARS. HOWEVER, THIS APPEARS TO BE A TREND. (DEALER IN QUESTION IS CROWN VOLVO OF CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA 919-929-0242). *NM

I PURCHASED A 2001 V70 XC IN NOVEMBER 2004, WITH ABOUT 37K MILES. IT NOW HAS ABOUT 64K MILES AND YESTERDAY (MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006) IS WHEN SHE TOOK A DIVE. I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A 1200 MILE TRIP EARLY MONDAY MORNING. ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, I STARTED ON AN ERRAND; BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND DROVE ABOUT 100 YARDS TO THE ENTRANCE/EXIT OF OUR SUBDIVISION. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A BUSY INTERSECTION AND DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO GET OUT. I SAW A SMALL OPENING IN THE TRAFFIC AND I GAVE THE ACCELERATOR A PRETTY GOOD PUSH.......AND ALMOST NOTHING HAPPENED. I JUST STARTED CREEPING ALONG AT LESS THAN 20 MPH. ON INCLINES IT WAS EVEN WORSE. THE FIRST WARNING WAS "REDUCED PERFORMANCE." I TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS. AT THAT POINT I WAS WONDERING HOW TO GET OFF THIS BUSY ROAD AND TAKE A LESS TRAVELED ONE TO THE REPAIR SHOP. I GOT OFF THE BUSY ROAD AND DOWN THE NEXT HILL, BUT NOT UP. THE ENGINE WAS BARELY RUNNING AND PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. NEXT I BACKED/COASTED DOWN THE HILL AND ONTO A SIDE STREET, ENGINE STILL SORT OF RUNNING. I DECIDED TO TRY SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTART, BUT EVENTUALLY WOULD WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I DID THIS A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES - START/ SHUT DOWN AND AFTER A FEW MORE ATTEMPTS, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN FINE. I HEADED FOR MY USUAL REPAIR SHOP (FRANKLIN AUTOMOTIVE) AND THEY GOT ABOUT 12 THROTTLE BODY ERRORS AND SAID I NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER - ROYAL VOLVO. I AM IN BIRMINGHAM, AL. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT THERE. THE DIAGNOSTIC CLEARED ERROR MESSAGES. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AND A "SERVICE ENGINE URGENT" MESSAGE WAS PRESENT ALONG WITH ONE OTHER MESSAGE THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER. ROYAL VOLVO UPDATED THE ETM SOFTWARE, AND REPROGRAMMED THE ECM AS PART OF SERVICE CAMPAIGN 155. SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT THIS SHOULD FIX THE ETM PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD NOT REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICE OR NEED ADDITIONAL REPAIRS. ALL THIS WAS LISTED UNDER A VOLVO RECALL AND THERE WERE NO CHARGES. *NM

POWER STEERING INOPERABLE DUE TO PUMP FAILURE. DUE TO WEIGHT, THE VOLVO S80 IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WITHOUT POWER STEERING. *JB

I WAS DRIVING ON I95, I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND MY CAR STARTED LOSING POWER. I HAD TO GET ALL THE WAY TO THE BREAK DOWN LANE AND SHUT OFF MY CAR FOR A FEW MINUTES. I STARTED THE CAR UP AND IT SEEMED TO BE FINE BUT ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER IT DID IT TO ME AGAIN AND COMPLETELY LOST POWER. I CALLED MY MOM AND TOLD HER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE TOLD ME THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HER WHEN SHE WAS ON HER WAY HOME FROM WORK THE DAY BEFORE AND WHEN SHE WENT ON THE HIGHWAY AS WELL. LUCKILY I WASN'T IN HEAVY TRAFFIC SO IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO GET INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE IF NOT I WOULD HAVE BEEN STUCK IN THE MIDDLE LANE OR GOD FORBID GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT. I CALLED THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP NEXT TO MY HOUSE AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR TUESDAY MORNING I TOLD HIM MY PROBLEM AND HE TOLD ME THAT I HAVE TO BRING IN THE CAR FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK. I'M PRETTY SURE MY CAR WILL BE COVERED UNDER THAT NEW EXTENDED WARRANTY OF 10 YEARS/200,000 MILES BUT I'LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. *JB