VOLVO Complaints

RE: VOVLO S80 2000 MODEL YEAR; CAR INDEPENDENTLY ACCELLERATED WHILE BEING DRIVEN THE CAR SURGED WHEN IN IDLE, THEN WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED WITHOUT MY PRESSING THE GAS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR USING THE BRAKE. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR AGAIN ACCELLERATED. I STOPPED THE CAR AGAIN, AND WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE IT ACCELLERATED A THIRD TIME. I TURNED THE CAR OFF. AS I WAS IN AN OPEN PARKING LOT, I TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS REPEATABLE. THE CAR AGAIN SURGED IN IDE, THEN ACCELLERATED SOON AFTER MY PUTTING IT IN DRIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, AND THE PROBLEM REPEATED A THIRD TIME. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE CAR WAS STARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE VOLVO DEALER, WHERE THE MECHANICS REPEATEDLY TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT SUCCESS. WE LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR EIGHT WEEKS, BASICALLY REFUSING TO PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT. VOLVO HAD A SPECIALIST LOOK AT THE CAR, AND THE SPECIALIST WAS ULTIMATELY ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SPECIALIST NOTED THAT THE CAR WAS INCREASING, INSTEAD OF DECREASING, RPM'S AS IT CAME TO A STOP. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE MODULE AND UPDATED THE SOFTWARE FOR THE THROTTLE MECHANISM. WE LOOKED INTO VOLVO'S KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) HAS FREQUENTLY FAILED, CAUSING CARS TO STALL AND ACCELLERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. WE OBTAINED THE SERVICE RECORDS OF OUR (RECENTLY PURCHASED, USED) CAR AND FOUND THAT THE ETM HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO PROBLEMS REPORTED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN 2003. ONE WEEK AGO, WHEN THE CAR STALLED. THE INCIDENT DATE ENTERED BELOW IS APPROXIMATE, BUT I CAN FIND OUT THE EXACT DATE IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE OPERATING AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND REPLACED THE COMPUTER, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED THE BATTERY. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN SEEN BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW COMPUTER AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AWAITING THIS REPLACEMENT. THE CONSUMER STATED HE IS STILL EXPERIENCING STALLING PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ETS. THE DEALER STATED NO CODES WERE SHOWING UP. UPDATED 08/25/06. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE STALLED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED EACH TIME AND WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE 60,000 MILES CHECKUP. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO CODES ON THE COMPUTER, THE DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR THIS PROBLEM. UPDATED 4/19/2006 - 25 MILES AFTER THE 60000 MILE CHECK UP THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT STALLED AGAIN SINCE THE SOFTWARE UPDATED WAS PERFORMED. *NM

1999 VOLVO S80 T6 3/08/06 REPLACED TRANSMISSION ( 75,000 MILES) ( $4,800) 08/05 REPLACE RADIATOR 08/05 REPLACED ETM 04 - REPLACED FRONT SUSPENSION / SWAY BARS / STRUTS/ ETC.. VOLVO UNDER ENGINEERED THE FRONT END OF THIS CAR AND IF YOU GO TO WEB BLOGS IT IS IN ALMOST EVERY 1999 - 2000 S-80 VEHICLE... ITS DISGUSTING THAT THIS CAR IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE OR FORD/ VOLVO ISN'T HELD LIABLE...*JB

GOOD EVENING;THIS IS MORE OF A QUESTION ABOUT A POTENTIAL VEHICLE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE. I AM INTERESTED IN PURCHASING A 1993 VOLVO 850 4 DOOR. SEDAN ,AUTO/A/C,4 CYL,LOADED. I WENT TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR AND THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHTS STAYED ON WHILE I DROVE THE CAR. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE LOT THE CAR STALLED,BUT RESTARTED RIGHT AWAY. THE USED CAR DEALER SAID THE CAR WAS LOW ON FUEL THAT'S WHY THE LIGHTS STAYED ON? I DOUBT THIS VERY MUCH!!ARE THERE ANY RECALLS ON THESE CARS FOR THIS PROBLEM?IF SO I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION. THANK YOU! JM *JB

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2000 VOLVO S80 HESITATING AS IF IT'S NOT GETTING ANY GAS WHEN FIRST BEGINNING TO DRIVE IT EVERYDAY. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE BUT THE VOLVO REPAIR SHOP HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAY THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, STC LIGHT, AND ABS LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN THESE LIGHTS COME ON MY CAR BECOMES HARD TO STEER SOMETIMES. AFTER CHECKING INTO THIS PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OTHER VOLVO S80 'S BUILT AROUND THE SAME TIME AS MINE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT MY CAR SUSPENSION MAKING WEIRD NOISES SINCE HAVING THIS VEHICLE AND THE VOLVO REPAIR SHOP SAYS THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY THING WRONG BUT WHEN ENQUIRING WITH OTHERS WHO OWN VOLVO S80'S, BUILT AROUND THE SAME TIME AS MINE, MANY ARE SAYING THEY ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM ALSO. THE BELOW INFORMATION ASKS FOR AN INCIDENT DATE BUT THE PROBLEM WITH MY 2000 VOLVO S80 HESITATING AND BEING HARD TO STEER OCCUR OFTEN PROBABLY OVER 100 TIMES. *NM

OWNER OF MODEL YEAR 2000 S70 VOLVO WITH ETM PROBLEMS. WAS REPLACE AT EXACTLY OVER 100K MILES IN MARCH OF 2004 AND NOW THE PROBLEM IS HAPPENING AGAIN AT 165K MILES. *NM

I OPERATE A 2000 VOLVO S-80. IT HAS 70,000 MILES. RECENTLY IT HAS UNEVEN ENGINE IDLE PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WHEN A/C IS ON. FOR TWO OCCASIONS, THE CAR WAS STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL GARAGE, THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WAS CLEANED, BUT THE MECHANIC GAVE NO GUARANTEE BECAUSE HE SAID THE COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS THE THROTTLE MAY HAVE THE PROBLEM AND HE HAS NO REPLACEMENT PARTS. TWO WEEKS LATER, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE VOLVO STATING MY CAR MIGHT HAVE THE ETS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM) PROBLEM AND THEY OFFER THE REFUND OF REPAIR COST. I SUBMITTED MY REFUND REQUEST THREE WEEKS AGO BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. CURRENTLY THE CAR STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.*JB

1988 VOLVO S90 SUNROOF HAS BROKEN DOWN REPEATEDLY SINCE IT WAS NEW. IT WOULD TYPICALLY WORK APPROXIMATELY A FEW TIMES THEN MALFUNCTION UNEXPECTEDLY WITH BROKEN PIECES RAINING DOWN UPON THE HEADS OF THE FRONT OCCUPANTS, POSING A DANGER TO DRIVING. AFTER THE MALFUNCTION IT WOULD THEN NOT BE OPERABLE AT ALL, POSING A THREAT TO WEATHER DAMAGE, THEFT, ETC. AFTER REPAIRING IT SEVERAL TIMES, BOTH THE DEALER (DICK DYER VOLVO OF COLUMBIA, SC) AND VOLVO REFUSED TO FIX IT ANY MORE UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS EXACTLY AT 50,000 MILES AND LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD. BOTH THE DEALER AND VOLVO CLAIMED THE WARRANTY WAS GOOD UP TO, BUT NOT INCLUDING, 50,000 MILES. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING OVER A HILL AT 45 MPH, A DEER ENTERED THE PATH OF THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, BUT THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE DEER. THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT STRIKING TREES. THE FRONT END WAS DAMAGED IN THE COLLISION. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT TAKEN AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT A TECHNICIAN WHO DETERMINED, BASED ON THE SPEED AND ANGLE THE VEHICLE MADE CONTACT, THE AIRBAGS SHOULD NOT DEPLOY. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 03/28/06. *JB