VOLVO Complaints

I AM EXPERIENCING CONTINUING SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY VOLVO XC90. THIS VEHICLES ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING WITHOUT WARNING AND AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE AND ERRATIC VEHICLE HANDLING WHICH CREATES SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES TO THE VEHICLES DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR AND WAS CONFIRMED AND DOCUMENTED BY A VOLVO DEALER DURING THE SUMMER OF 2005. I MUST POINT OUT THIS SAFETY PROBLEM INVOLVES AN ACTIVE SYSTEM THAT CANNOT BE CONTROLLED, ADJUSTED OR DISABLED BY THE VEHICLES DRIVER. THIS SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DURING THE WINTER OF 2005. AT THAT TIME, THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FAILED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ON A SNOW COVERED ROAD. THIS CAUSED SUDDEN AND UNCONTROLLED FRONT WHEEL SPIN WHICH LED TO A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND WITH THE VEHICLE SLIDING OFF A ROAD. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE ROAD. THE VOLVO DEALER THAT CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM HAS MADE SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR IT. THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS WITHIN THE VEHICLES HIGH SPEED NETWORK AND RELOADED VEHICLE SOFTWARE. THEY HAVE ALSO REPLACED: 1) THE VEHICLES FRONT WHEEL SENSORS, 2) THE MFI MODULE USED FOR VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS, 3) THE BCM MODULE USED BY THE AWD SYSTEM, AND 4) THE AWD AOC UNIT WITH CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION. NONE OF THIS HAS RESOLVED THE SAFETY PROBLEMS I AM EXPERIENCING FROM THIS VEHICLE. THIS VOLVO DEALER HAS TOLD ME THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE: 1) THE VEHICLES DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM DOES NOT REPORT ANY DIAGNOSTIC CODES, 2) THEIR OWN TECHNICIANS CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, AND 3) VOLVO TECHNICIANS CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. MY REQUESTS TO VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA HAVE BEEN IGNORED OR REJECTED, EVEN BY VOLVO CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND VOLVO REGIONAL MANAGERS. I AM LEFT TO DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH OBVIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY ANYONE. *NM

CONSUMER 1998 S70 ENGINE HAS FAILED ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, TIMING BELT SERPENTINE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED. *TS ***NAR*** THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS WAS A PREMATURE FAILURE. THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING. THE FRONT SPRING SEAT WAS REPLACED. *JB

2000 S70 STALLS AFTER APPLYING BRAKES. *TS THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TOT HE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING. THE CONSUMER DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND SOME INFORMATION ON FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE IN VOLVOS WHICH CAUSE STALLING. *NM

THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED IN AUG. 2004, FORTUNATELY I DO NOT DRIVE VERY FAR, BECAUSE THE CAR SLOWED AS IF IT WAS STALLING AND THEN RAN SLUGGISH FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AT THE TIME I WAS ALONE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE 20 MONTHS AND 1 MONTH OLD AND THANK GOD IT WAS A SIDE STREET BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. AS I WAS ON THE WAY TO HOME, THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT IT BUT THE CODES HE CAME UP WITH HAD TO BE FIXED BY A VOLVO DEALERSHIP MECHANIC. THE PRICE TAG FOR THE FIRST FIX $1100. THE ETM WAS REPLACED SOFTWARE DOWNLOADED AND BRAKE PEDAL SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME 68574. TODAY LUCKILY I HAD NOT EVEN LEFT MY DRIVEWAY, I STARTED MY CAR THAT ALL TO FAMILIAR SPUTTER AND THE ETM LIGHT IS ON AGAIN NOT EVEN 10,000 MILES LATER. *JB

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT IN MY 1999 VOLVO S80 STOPPED WORKING. THE BELT FROZE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO USE. THIS RESULTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BEING UNUSABLE. MY OUT OF POCKET COST TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WAS $433.45. *JB

SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM. MY 2001 VOLVO S60 LOST POWER LAST NIGHT, WHILE I WAS IN THE FAST LANE DRIVING 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE 5! I RAPIDLY LOST SPEED AND BY SOME MIRACLE WAS ABLE TO WEAVE THROUGH TRAFFIC TO THE ROADSIDE. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT IT WAS AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT CONNECTED TO THE ENGINE. I MANAGED TO PROCEED AT FAST IDLE SPEED TO AN OFF RAMP AND FOUND A PARKING LOT, WHERE I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I CONTACTED THE COMPANY I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TRY TO RE-START THE ENGINE, WHICH I DID AND THE PROBLEM HAD CORRECTED ITSELF. I HAVE SCHEDULED MY VOLVO FOR SERVICE. THE IRONY IS THAT MY WIFE HAS A 2001 VOLVO XC STATION WAGON AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH HER VEHICLE LAST SEPTEMBER. THE VOLVO DEALER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING AN ECM AND RE-PROGRAMMING IT. THE PROBLEM WITH HER VOLVO XC HASN'T RE-OCCURRED. THE REAL CONCERN IS THAT IN BOTH INSTANCES, WE WERE TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEED WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AND ONLY BY PURE LUCK DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT!!*JB

CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. CAR HAS STALLED INTERMITTENTLY SEVERAL TIMES. *NM

ON 2/3/06 OUR VOLVO V70 YEAR 2000, 74000M SHOWED AN ETS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. CAR STALLED AT UPON STOPPING AND ALSO UPON STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. UPON TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON I WAS ABLE TO HAVE IT ACCELERATE. THE CAR WOULD RUN OK FOR ABOUT 20 MILES THEN LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. CONTACTED VOLVO BYERS IN COLS OH 614-864-0780 WHOM INFORMED ME THAT THE THROTTLE SYSTEM IS NEEDING REPLACED. HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED ON 2/6/06. BYERS PERFORM FAULT TESTS AND NOTED THAT THERE WAS LOW VOLTAGE AND STATED CABLES FROM BATTERY WERE NEEDING REPLACED. I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS CONFUSED WITH HOW THIS COULD CAUSE THE ETS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AND CAUSE MY CAR TO STALL AND AT TIMES NOT ACCELERATE WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. THEY INDICATED THAT PRIOR TO FIXING THE ETS THEY NEEDED TO FIX THIS ISSUE. THE COST $463.59. THEY THEN CLEARED ALL FAULT CODES AND NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO ETS CODE PRESENT. I INFORMED THEM THAT THIS IS PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY DID NOT DRIVE THE CAR ENOUGH AFTER IT HAD BEEN TURNED OFF AS THIS IS WHAT OCCURRED TO ME THE DAY THE ETS CAUSED PROBLEMS. THEY INSISTED THAT IT WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, ON FEBRUARY 15, 2006 THE ETS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND THE CAR STALLED UPON STOPPING AND THE LIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF UPON RESTARTING THEN DRIVING 10 MILES TURNED BACK ON. I CALLED THE DEALER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ISSUE AND FAILURE TO REMEDY THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I ADDRESSED MY FRUSTRATION THAT I SPENT OVER $450 TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT MAY NEVER HAVE HAD TO BE FIXED. RESEARCHED OTHER PROBLEMS WITH VOLVO ETS AND FOUND SIMILAR ISSUES AND EXPERIENCES WITH THIS MODULE. FURTHERMORE, I LEARN OF A WARRANTY EXTENSION BUT NEVER RECEIVED ANY DOCUMENTATION OF ANY POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. HAD I BEEN STOPPED IN AN INTERSECTION/RAILROAD TRACK I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCELERATE THE CAR TO AVOID POTENTIAL INJURY. VERY FRUSTRATED WITH VOLVO IN OHIO. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AND RAN INTO A CACTUS. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED BODY DAMAGE. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHICH REPLACED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND PANEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE. UPDATED 5/10/2006 - THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. *NM

LOUD NOISE FROM REAR WHEELS. FIRST THOUGHT TO BE WORN TIRES. TURNED OUT TO BE THE BEARINGS FAILED. CAUSED DAMAGE TO SPEED SENSOR, ROTOR, REAR AXLE DRIVE SHAFT. CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY AS SPEEDS WHERE REDUCED. DEALER WILL NOT FIX PROBLEM. ALL PARTS TO BE REPLACED AT OWNERS EXPENSE. *NM