VOLVO Complaints

THIS CAR (2000 VOLVO S80 TURBO) HAS BEEN IN MY FAMILY SINCE IT WAS BRAND NEW. FIRST IT WAS MY MOTHER'S WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED IN 2000. THEN IN THE SUMMER OF 2005, IT BECAME MINE. BOTH WHILE MY MOTHER OWNED IT, AND NOW WHILE I'VE OWNED IT THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OF ANY SORT. STALLING IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. UNPREDICTABLY THE CAR WHEN DECREASING SPEED WILL JUST STALL AND THE CAR STOPS. EVERY TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IF THE CAR IS PUT INTO PARK, TURNED OFF, AND THEN TURNED BACK ON IT WORKS FINE, HOWEVER IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN. ALSO, TWICE SINCE I HAVE HAD IT THERE HAS BEEN NO OIL IN MY CAR. NO LIGHTS COME UP TO WARN ME AND THANKFULLY BOTH TIMES I GOT IT CHECKED OUT BEFORE MY CAR OVER HEATED. ANOTHER INSTANCE, THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE AUTOMATIC STEERING. TODAY I WENT TO START MY CAR AND A WARNING MESSAGE CAME UP SAYING "LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE" AND MY CAR DID NOT FEEL RIGHT WHEN I DROVE IT. I NEVER LEFT ANY LIGHTS ON OR ANYTHING OF THAT MATTER THAT WOULD CAUSE A DRAIN IN THE BATTERY AND THE BATTERY WAS JUST REPLACED NOT TOO LONG AGO. I THINK THAT WAS MY BREAKING POINT WITH THIS CAR. FOR A CAR THAT IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE THAT GREAT OF A CAR. ITS AWFUL. *JB

2001 VOLVO STALLED WITHOUT WARNING LEAVING MY WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. WHEN VEHICLE STALLED A "REDUCED POWER" MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED ON VEHICLE DISPLAY. AFTER LETTING VEHICLE SIT FOR 10 MINUTES, VEHICLE RESTARTED WITHOUT ERROR MESSAGE. DROVE FOR APPROX 15 MINUTES AND VEHICLE STALLED/CUT-OUT AGAIN; AGAIN STRANDING MY FAMILY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP; VOLVO DIAGNOSED A FAILED "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE". THE ETM WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $1016 TO ME. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROX 58,000 MILES. THANK GOD NOTHING HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY AS A RESULT OF THIS SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. *NM

CAR WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE POWER, CAUSING UNSAFE SITUATIONS IN TRAFFIC. WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON ALONG WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND MESSAGE SAYING "REDUCED PERFORMANCE". FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL. *NM

STOPPED TO DROP OFF PASSENGER, WHEN ATTEMPTED TO PULL AWAY, TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE. TURNED VEHICLE OFF TO CHECK IT. ON RESTART ENGAGED FINE. APPROX 1/2 MILE DOWN THE ROAD, TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED VEHICLE OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES, ON RESTART TRANSMISSION ONCE AGAIN ENGAGED FOR ME TO GO A FEW HUNDRED FEET TO SAFETY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHICH DIAGNOSED THE TRANSMISSION WITH 'INTERNAL FAULTS' WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAS NEVER HAD ANY WARNINGS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING, NOR HAD IT EVER HESITATED TO ENGAGE PRIOR TO IT'S COMPLETE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE IS 4 1/2 YEARS OLD WITH ONLY 32K MILES. *NM

MY CAR WAS JERKING AND STALLING WITHOUT ANY NOTICE. MY WIFE USE TO TELL ME ALL THE TIME THAT IT WAS DOING THAT. THIS WENT ON FOR A FEW MONTHS OR MAYBE EVEN LONGER. I DECIDED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IT NEVER HAPPENED WITH ME UNTIL I WAS DRIVING ON VACATION TO N.C. AND IT JUST CUT OFF WHILE I WAS WITH MY FAMILY. I HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OF THE ROAD. I CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT RESTARTED, AND I WENT TO THE NEAREST VOLVO DEALER AND HAD TO HAVE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) REPLACED. $1014 WORTH OF REPAIRS, FROM ONE OF THE BEST CARS KNOWN FOR SAFETY AND RELIABILITY IN THE WORLD AND I FELT HELPLESS. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A DEFECT AND RECALL ISSUE AND WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED OR GIVEN CREDIT AT A VOLVO DEALERSHIP TO MAKE UP FOR MY LOSS AND JUST MAKE THIS MATTER RIGHT. I STILL HAVE THE INVOICE SERVICE RECEIPT WITH ALL THE INFORMATION ON IT. THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP WHERE THE REPAIRS WERE MADE WAS CROWN VOLVO IN GREENSBORO N.C. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO MAKE A COMPLAINT. HOPEFULLY ENOUGH PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM CAN MAKE SOME KEY PERSONNEL THINK ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUES AND RELIABILITY CONCERNS OF THESE VEHICLES. *NM

DT:THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE SURGED AND LOST MOST OF THE POWER FOR ABOUT FOUR MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TURNED OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE THROTTLE BODY AND A CP VALVE WERE REPLACED AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THIS HAPPENED A FEW MONTHS BEFORE, AND THE DEALER MADE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, BUT DID NOT FIX THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

THE TIE ROD SYSTEM ON VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES DUE TO WEAR. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY PERIOD. UPON INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE DURING A SAFETY CHECK BY THE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIE ROD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN, ONLY 12,000 MILES AFTER THE PREVIOUS REPLACEMENT. THIS TIME IT IS NO LONGER IN WARRANTY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF IT IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM AND THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE THE INFORMATION TO ME. THEY REINSPECTED MY VEHICLE TO "WORK" WITH ME REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF THE TIE ROD FOR A REDUCED RATE AND DETERMINED THAT IT DID NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS BECAUSE I WAS FIGHTING FOR THEM TO REPLACE IT ENTIRELY SINCE THIS WOULD BE THE 5TH REPLACEMENT IN 52,000 MILES FOR A PART THAT SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER. *NM

SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED THERE HAVE BEEN ROUGH START AND ROUGH IDLE ISSUES AND ACCELERATION ISSUES. THE ISSUES WERE RAISED TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS ALL WITH NO RESOLUTION. THE DEALER HAS NOW IDENTIFIED THE ISSUE AS A FAILURE IN THE ETM AFTER THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED LIT. DEALER QUOTES REPAIR COSTS OF $1,100. *NM

FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE ON A 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY, BEVEL GEAR FAILURE IS LIKELY AS WELL, BOTH ARE FREQUENT FAILURES AMONG OWNERS. *NM

2002 VOLVO 75,000 MI HAS A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE WHICH CAUSES CAR TO SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WHILE IN DRIVE. I UNDERSTAND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED IN CALIFORNIA FOR MODEL YEARS 1999-2001. COST TO REPLACE IS $1200.00. *NM