VOLVO Complaints

FAILURE OF ENGINE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM) IN MY 2000 VOLVO C70 COUPE. FAILURE RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED AND STEERING ASSIST WHEN DRIVING, AS WELL AS, SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, 10/20/05 (ETS LIGHT DID NOT REMAIN ON AFTER SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN--SEE COMMENT BELOW) AND 10/22/05. CAR WAS TAKEN INTO VOLVO SPECIALIST REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR (REPAIR COST IS APPROXIMATELY $1000). REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS AS THIS WAS THE FIRST 2 YEARS THAT VOLVO HAD GONE TO AN ETM, AND IT "JUST WASN'T RIGHT". I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ETM, WHEN A CABLE WAS USED FROM THE GAS PEDAL TO THE THROTTLE, THE VOLVO SERVICE MANUAL ADVISED THAT THE THROTTLE SHOULD BE CLEANED AS PART OF REGULAR SERVICING OF A VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE VOLVO SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THE ETM BE CLEANED AS PART OF SERVICING. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY WHEN I HAD THE ETM FAILURES; OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DISCONCERTING ON THE SECOND FAILURE AS MY 15-YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VOLVO OWNER'S MANUAL ADVISES THAT IF THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON, "...THERE IS A FAULT IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND DRIVEABILITY WILL BE AFFECTED. SWITCH THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. IF THE LIGHT REMAINS ON, THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO RETAILER." WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THAT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN IN REGARDLESS (I.E., WHETHER OR NOT THE LIGHT REMAINS ON), AS IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IF A FAULT HAS OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ETM ARE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPENED, AND THE NHTSA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL OF THIS PART ON ALL 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS. ANY RELUCTANCE OF VOLVO TO AGREE TO THIS POST HASTE WOULD BE POOR CORPORATE STEWARDSHIP ON BEHALF OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE OWNER OF VOLVO CARS. *JB

MY 2001 VOLVO V70 XC WITH 44,000 MILES BEGAN RACING AND STALLING WHEN I CAME TO A STOP; DASHBOARD MESSAGE APPEARED INDICATING NEED FOR URGENT ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. SERVICE CENTER INDICATED THEY HAVE SEEN A RASH OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB

MY VOLVO 2000 V70XC STALLED IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE INTERSTATE LAST NIGHT DUE TO A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND MOVE OUT OF TRAFFIC BUT NOT AFTER SEVERAL "SCREECHING" CLOSE CALLS. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN DESIGN ROBUSTNESS ISSUE THAT VOLVO HAS CHOSEN NOT TO ADDRESS. I HAVE REPLACED THE FAULTY UNIT AT A COST OF $985.00 DOLLARS BUT THEIR IS NO GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT REOCCUR. NHTSA NEEDS TO DIRECT VOLVO/FORD TO REPLACE/REIMBURSE ALL EMT UNITS IN THE EFFECTED 1999 TO 2002 VOLVO'S TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE PERSONAL INJURIES OR DEATHS. IN ADDITION, VOLVO NEEDS TO REDESIGN A RETRO-FIT FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED MODEL YEARS TO ELIMINATE THIS PROBLEM. *JB

DT:THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MODULATOR. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SLOWED FROM 60 MPH TO 15 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE A LOT OF NOISES, VIBRATION, AND EXHAUST SMELLS COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CAR WAS PULLED OFF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT RUNNING INITIALLY. THE HOOD WAS OPENED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SHE COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM; THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TURNED OFF. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND DROVE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS AT HER EXPENSE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, EVEN AFTER REPAIRS. THE CONTACT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. HOWEVER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP. *AK UPDATED 1/25/2006 - *NM

I OWN A MY 2000 VOLVO S80 2.9. UPON DRIVING IN TOWN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION AND ENGINE STARTED SHAKING. THE MESSAGE READER PROMPTED ME TO STOP AND RESTART THE ENGINE. WELL I DID, IN THE TURNING LANE, BUT IT DID NOT HELP. I PULLED OUT OF THE CROSS SECTION "SHAKING". MY MECHANIC SAYS THE ONBOARD COMPUTER PROMPTS HIM TO A FAULTY ENGINE THROTTLE MODULE. WELL THIS CAR HAS ONLY 48000 MILES ON IT. ON THE SAME NOTE: ON MY 1999 S70 GLT AT AROUND 60000 MILES THE SAME PART HAD TO BE REPLACED, BECAUSE IT SHUT DOWN THE CRUISE CONTROL TIME-TO-TIME. *NM

NO ACCELERATION AT TIMES. FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN MERGING ON FREEWAYS OR TRAFFIC CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES IT WOULD SERGE. HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS. FIRST HAD THROTTLE BODY (ETM) CLEANED WHICH DIDN'T WORK THEN HAD THROTTLE BODY REPLACED TWO DAYS LATER AT COST OF $1,177.16. *JB

DT: CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING THE SPEED DROPPED AND THE CAR LOST POWER. HIS WIFE TOLD HIM THAT A LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD BEFORE THE CAR LOST POWER. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. THIS REPAIRED THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. BUT AFTER 30,000 MILES,THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALER AGAIN REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE.*AK

DT: THE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED AND LOST POWER DUE TO ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILURE. *AK *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S70. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED OF 25-40 MPH VEHICLE WOULD CUT OUT WHILE IDLING OR SLOWING DOWN. THEN IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD. THE CONTACT WOULD PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL TO TRY AND KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE AUGUST 2005 AND HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS FLUCTUATING IDLE DUE TO ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILURE. *AK *JB

I WAS TRAVELLING AT 75 ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER DOWN TO 10 MILES PER HOUR AND WOULDN'T EXCEED THAT SPEED. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE INTERSTATE. IT HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AGAIN AS I WAS RETURNING TO COLORADO SPRINGS. I HAVE A VOLVO V70XC 2001. I HAD TO HAVE THE COMPUTER REPLACED AT A COST OF ALMOST $1000.THE SITUATION WAS VERY DANGEROUS.