VOLVO Complaints

CAR HAS ON NUMEROUS OCCASION LOST COMPLETE POWER AND WILL BASICALLY JUST IDLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED BOTH WILL STARTING FROM A DEAD STOP AS WELL AS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS HAS ALMOST RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS DUE TO HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT SHOP FOR REPAIR WITH ESTIMATE OVER $1000. *JB

DT: THE CALLER SAID ON JULY 19, 2005 AFTER DRIVING TWO HOURS THE REDUCED PERFORMANCE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AND HAD NO ACCELERATION. THE CALLER SAID THE REDUCED PERFORMANCE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME. SHE GOT VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND THE VEHICLE STARTED BACK UP. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE THROTTLE WAS REPLACED. THE CALLER JUST WANTED TO LET NHTSA KNOW ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE CALLER SAID DEALER WAS VERY NICE ABOUT THE REPAIR WORK. *AK *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT 2000 VOLVO S70 HAD TO HAVE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETCM ) REPLACED ON AUGUST 1, 2005 WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH. THE ETCM LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT. BEFORE THE CONSUMER COULD GET HELP THE CAR STALLED ABOUT 6 OR 7 TIMES. THEY HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A VOLVO DEALER. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS THE ETCM AND IT WAS DESTROYED. THE VOLVO DEALER REPLACED THE ETCM, AND UPDATED THE SOFTWARE FOR THE CONSUMER. THE CAR WAS RUNNING BETTER AFTER THE REPLACEMENT MODULE. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THAT THE CAR HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL NHTSA AND FILE A COMPLAINT. *AK

IN JULY 2005, I NOTICED THE CAR SURGING, PARTICULARLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT CUT OFF, GIVING A MESSAGE OF "REDUCED PERFORMANCE" BUT NO "CHECK ENGINE" MESSAGE. THE "REDUCED PERFORMANCE" MESSAGE IS NOT LISTED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AT ABOUT 5 MPH TO A TURNOFF POINT. I CUT THE CAR OFF TO CONSULT THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT RESTARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO PERHAPS FAULTY GASOLINE. ON OCT. 9, THE CAR ABRUPTLY CUT OFF ON THE INTERSTATE, GIVING THE SAME WARNING MESSAGE BUT THIS TIME ALSO DISPLAYING A "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COAST ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR DIAGNOSTICS (TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER), HE SAID THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS BAD AND DIRECTED ME TO SEVERAL WEB SITES THAT DISCUSSED THE PROBLEM AND THE CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT IN CALIFORNIA. ON OCT. 17, "JOHN" WITH VOLVO NORTH AMERICA'S CUSTOMER CARE HOTLINE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS PROBABLY NOT COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE OF THE CAR'S AGE. I POINTED OUT THAT IT HAS FEWER THAN 60,000 MILES. I ASKED HIM ABOUT A RECALL AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT THE PENDING INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA. I ALSO ASKED HIM FOR NHTSA'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, WHICH HE GAVE ME. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALER YET. I AM APPALLED THAT A COMPANY THAT PRIDES ITSELF ON SAFETY WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES KNOWING THAT THE CARS MIGHT CUT OFF AT ANY TIME. *JB

I WAS IN A 2001 VOLVO XC 70, MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY CUT OFF LEAVING ME WITH NO ACCELERATION AS I TRIED TO CROSS A BUSY INTERSECTION. I HAD TWO KIDS IN THE CAR AND THANK GOD NO ONE WAS COMING THE OTHER WAY. THE CAR THEN STARTED TO SHUDDER AND I TURNED IT OFF. *JB

ETS LIGHT IS ON AND THROTTLE IS ERRATIC. FOR A DAY OR SO TURNING THE KEY OFF AND ON FIXED THE PROBLEM BUT NOW IT SEEMS TO BE ON CONTINUOUSLY. *JB

MY VEHICLE STALLS WITH NO WARNING. 1. NO WARNING, SEEMINGLY NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. 2. FAILURE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN A COMPLETE SHUT-DOWN OF CAR. THE CAR BECOMES A HAZARD WHEREVER FAILURE OCCURS, ESPECIALLY ON THE FREEWAY. NO POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES. 3. THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM ON 6 OCCASIONS. DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE BODY TWICE, ABS CONTROL MODULE THREE TIMES, AND A WIRE HARNESS, WITH NO GUARANTEE THAT THE PROBLEM IS REMEDIED. *JB

DT: 2001 VOLVO V70 ALL WHEEL DRIVE CROSS-COUNTRY THE THROTTLE MODULE FAILED AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER DONE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT VOLVO MODELS 1999- 2001, AND BETWEEN 40,000-60000 MILES THE THROTTLE MODULE HAS TO BE REPLACED ON ALL THOSE VEHICLES. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE T WA SOWED OVER 100 MILES TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THE THROTTLE MODULE MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. ALSO, SAID THAT IF A RECALL EVER CAME OUT IN THE FUTURE ON THE 2001 VOLVOS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM THE CONSUMER WOULD BE REIMBURSED. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS. *AK

I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S 70 WHICH HAS FAILED DC INSPECTION BECAUSE THE OBD SCANNER USED BY THE DMV CANNOT GET A READOUT FOR CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR AND A COUPLE OF OTHER EMISSIONS RELATED ITEMS. THE CAR ECU SIGNALS "NOT READY". THE CAR RUNS FINE. WE HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR IN ACCORD WITH VOLVO'S RECOMMENDED "STRUCTURED DRIVE" WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO RESET THE COMPUTER. THIS DID NOT WORK. ONE VOLVO SHOP BELIEVES THE ECU IS FAULTY. ANOTHER SAYS THE ECU IS FINE AND ITS THE SCANNER'S INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ECU THAT IS AT FAULT. THIS SHOP ALSO REPORTS THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL SIMILAR MODEL VOLVOS OVER THE PAST MONTH OR TWO WITH THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. MEANWHILE DV DMV SAYS THEY CANNOT PASS THIS CAR UNLESS THEIR SCANNER GETS POSITIVE AND ACCEPTABLE READINGS. *NM

CAR HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED IT WOULD DRIVE A LITTLE BIT AND THEN STALL AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. WE WERE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AND I WAS WITH MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN. IT WAS SLOWLY DRIVEN TO THE VOLVO DEALER AND WAS IMMEDIATELY DIAGNOSED TO BE THE "THROTTLE". THE THROTTLE,GASKET AND HOSE CLAMP WAS REPLACED. *NM