VOLVO Complaints

CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH. DROVE CAR ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES TO GET HOME. FOLLOWED ON-DASH & OWNER'S MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS TO GET CHECKED AT EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. CAR BROKE DOWN NEXT DAY ON WAY TO MECHANIC. CAR BUCKED AND SURGED, DECELERATING AND ACCULTURATING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. CEL CAME ON. DISPLAY READ "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". COULD GO NO FASTER THAN 20-25 MPH. IN NO POSITION TO STOP VEHICLE. ON BUSY ROAD WITH NO USABLE SHOULDER. CAR REQUIRED TOWING. ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS (OBD) SAID THERMOSTAT WAS BAD, BUT MECHANIC SUSPECTED FAILED ETM. HE SAID THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CAR. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. CAR WAS DRIVABLE. USED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES MORE. CAR BROKE DOWN ON WAY HOME, STRANDING ME IN INTERSECTION. SAME ISSUE. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE. SHUT IT OFF. AFTER FIVE MINUTES, CAR RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK TO MECHANIC. THIS TIME OBD REPORTED TELL-TALE CODES FOR FAILED ETM. ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE WAS REPLACED AT TOTAL COST OF $1200. I PHONED STILLMAN VOLVO WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF ANY WIDESPREAD, WELL-KNOWN ISSUE REGARDING ETM ON 2001 VOLVOS. I CALLED VOLVO AMERICA CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED A NHTSA INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY AND THAT THEY HOPED TO HAVE A RESOLUTION IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE REPRESENTATIVE, HOWEVER, TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE UNLIKELY THAT I WOULD GET ANY COST ASSISTANCE FROM VOLVO OR MY VOLVO DEALERSHIP SINCE I HAD THE WORK DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON-LINE WITH OTHER VOLVO OWNERS. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT VOLVO AMERICA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR YEARS AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. I AM UPSET REGARDING THEIR STATEMENT REGARDING INDEPENDENT MECHANICS. BUT I AM FURIOUS THAT THIS CAR MANUFACTURER WOULD RISK THE LIVES OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR PASSENGERS BY FAILING TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE. *JB

IDLE TO SURGE DURING VEHICLE TESTING; SERVICE STATION CLEANED THROTTLE AND REPLACED GASKET. *JB

X REF 10131066, 2 ETMS, SMCH. 8-26-5 E-MAIL THAT IS THE UNIT THAT HAS CAUSED THE CAR TO TO BE TOWED TWICE. ONCE WHILE DRIVING, AND ONCE WHILE STARTING IN A PARKING LOT. THE ELECTRICAL THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) FAILED. *AK

1999 VOLVO V70 WAGON. VEHICLE STALLED/LOST POWER AND DIED WHILE DRIVING DUE TO ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) FAILURE. THE ETM WAS REPLACED. *AK

THE CONTACT OWNS 2000 VOLVO S80. PURCHASED IT UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY CERTIFIED USED CAR PROGRAM FROM CLAYTON VOLVO IN KNOXVILLE TENNESSEE IN APRIL 2001. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. AFTER TOWING IT TO THE DEALER IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE WASFILLED WITH CARBON. THAT UNIT WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. A COUPLE YEARS LATER, THE CAR AGAIN DIED. THIS TIME IT HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT. THANKFULLY, IN BOTH CASES IT HAPPENED IN A SAFE SITUATION. AGAIN, THE ETM WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE PROBLEM. BUT, THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS AN ONGOING ISSUE. THIS TIME THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO PAY NEARLY $1000 FOR REPAIRS. IT WAS THE CONTACT'S UNDERSTANDING THAT INFORMATION WAS BEING COLLECTED ON THIS PROBLEM, SO HE FELT COMPELLED TO ADD THIS COMPLAINT. ALTHOUGH HAD SPECIFIC DATES AVAILABLE , THE CONTACT COULD CHECK MY RECORDS AND PROVIDE THEM IF NECESSARY. *NM. X-REF 10131424, 2 ETMS INSTALLED, SMCH. *AK THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED TWICE AND THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB

DT: 2001 VOLVO S80. VEHICLE STALLED/DIED AND LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. *AK. THE THROTTLE BODY AND GASKET HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES TO ALLEVIATE THE STALLING PROBLEM. *NM X-REF 10132057, SECOND ETM, SMCH. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE VEHICLE WAS HAVING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED THE DEALER FOUND A BEND IN THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THIS BEND COULD CAUSE THE DRIVESHAFT TO CRACK. THE DEALER SAID THE CONTACT MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING TO CAUSE THE DAMAGE. BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE HE HIT ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALER WAITING FOR AN INVESTIGATION. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE ELECTRICAL THROTTLE MODULE ( ETM) FAILED. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ETM. THIS REPLACEMENT SEEMED TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE STALLED AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE ENGINE DID NOT DIE BUT OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE THROTTLE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED IT WAS A THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE. SINCE THE REPAIR THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. UPDATED 06/05/2006. *AK *TS

WELL, WELL - LET'S SEE, I BOUGHT A 2001 VOLVO S-80, T-6 IN FEBRUARY 2005 TO REPLACE MY 1996 740 IL BMW - I THOUGHT I WOULD GET A MORE ECONOMICAL AND SAFE CAR. BOY WAS I WRONG! TO MY DISGUST I PAID ALMOST $20,000 FOR THIS USED CAR AND WITHIN WEEKS IT STARTED ACTING UP. IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR AND THE THROTTLE BODY. I FINALLY - 9 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR - HAVE HAD TO GET IT FIXED - OVER $1200.00. I, LIKE ANOTHER PERSON WHO FILED A COMPLAINT, WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ON A VERY BUSY ROAD, AND THE CAR DIED WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TURN. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL QUICK ENOUGH AND RESTART IT BEFORE I GOT HIT. THE CAR ALSO SURGES DANGEROUSLY AT STOPS. IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE 110%, THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD AND HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT. I'M SO DISAPPOINTED IN THIS CAR I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER VOLVO. SO MUCH FOR LOOKING FORWARD TO "ONE DAY PURCHASING THIS SAFE CAR". NOW THAT I HAVE DUMPED LOTS OF MONEY INTO THIS CAR, TAKEN VACATION TIME TO PICK IT UP AND DROP IT OFF, IT WORKS OKAY. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, BUT THE CAR STILL FEELS LIKE ITS NOT GIVING ME 100% - BUT AT LEAST IT ISN'T STALLING OR SURGING. I STILL HAVE MY BMW - THANK GOODNESS. I'LL BE GETTING RID OF THIS VOLVO. FORD BOUGHT VOLVO AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THIS UNRELIABLE CAR. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST VOLVO (FORD) - IT'S TIME THEY DO THE RIGHT THING AND REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS DANGEROUS AND POORLY DESIGNED FUEL SYSTEM. *JB