VOLVO Complaints

ETS DASH LIGHT CAME ON, CAR BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. PER THE DIRECTIONS IN THE MANUAL, I STOPPED FOR A WHILE, RESTARTED. THE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON IMMEDIATELY, BUT AFTER SEVERAL MORE MINUTES ON THE ROAD, THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS ON A HIGHWAY IN ANOTHER STATE WITH MY ELDERLY MOTHER IN THE CAR. THIS WAS A WEEKEND AWAY TO ATTEND A FAMILY WEDDING. I SOUGHT THE ADVICE OF A LOCAL CAR REPAIR WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMPUTER-BASED AND HE COULD NOT HELP ME. EVENTUALLY, THE CAR STALLED AND HAD TO BE TOWED ABOUT 50 MILES BACK TO MY VOLVO REPAIR FACILITY. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $ $1131.60. PLUS THE COST OF A CAR RENTAL FOR 2 DAYS OF $80.43, PLUS A TOW OF ABOUT $ $255. IN ADDITION, THE TOWING PROCEDURE PIERCED THE OIL PAN FOR AN ADDITIONAL COST OF ABOUT $925.00. SO THE WHOLE EXPEDITION COST ME $2,393.!!! THE CAR HAS ONLY 62,000 MILES ON IT.*JB

ABS MODULE SHOWS INTERMITTENT ERRORS. WHEN ABS MODULE HAS ERRORS THE ABS SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK. DEALER SUGGESTS THAT IT BE REPLACED AT MY COST OF $915.*JB

MY 1999 VOLVO V70XC HAD BEEN PERFORMING SLUGGISHLY, WITH INCONSISTENT POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN UNDER MANUAL CONTROL OR CRUISE. I HAD AN INTERMITTENT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP ON 8/16/05 WHERE THEY REPLACED THE AIR MASS METER AND EVAP VALVE FOR THE CHARCOAL CANISTER. AFTER THIS SERVICE THE PERFORMANCE OF MY VEHICLE REMAINED THE SAME. ON OCTOBER 1, 2005 I HAD A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS INCIDENT. WHILE MERGING ONTO AN EXPRESSWAY MY VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. THE ENGINE ALL BUT DIED AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER TO THE SHOULDER. MY MERGING AND FAILURE TO ACCELERATE CAUSED A VERY CLOSE CALL WITH THE CARS BEHIND ME. I PULLED OVER, STOPPED MY ENGINE FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND RESTARTED AS PROSCRIBED IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL. THE VEHICLE DROVE AS IT DID PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT FOR ANOTHER HOUR. I DID NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER WEEK. TAKING IT FOR A DRIVE ON OCTOBER 9TH IT AGAIN DROVE FINE INITIALLY, BUT I HAD A SIMILAR FAILURE AFTER A FEW MILES. AGAIN THE ENGINE LOST NEARLY ALL POWER AND WOULD STALL AT IDLE. TURNING OFF THE ENGINE, WAITING, AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM THIS TIME. AFTER A FEW STOPS AND RESTARTS I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO MY HOUSE WITHOUT A TOW. I CALLED THE VOLVO DEALER WHERE I HAD THE WORK DONE IN AUGUST. AFTER HEARING OF THE SYMPTOMS AND THE PREVIOUS WORK THEY INFORMED ME QUITE QUICKLY THAT THE REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE THE ETM MODULE AND THE COST WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1000. THE SPEED AT WHICH THEY REPLIED MADE ME THINK IS WAS A COMMON, OR AT LEAST KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. I SPOKE WITH A NON-DEALER VOLVO SPECIALIST MECHANIC (SWEDISH CAR SPECIALISTS OF SCHAUMBURG, IL) WHO SAID THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH MY MODEL YEAR. ALSO A FEW INTERNET WEBSITES HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM, WITH ONE, HTTP://WWW.VEXEDVOLVO.ORG GOING INT GREAT DETAIL.*JB

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH) THE VOLVO V70 T5 LOST POWER AND BEGAN RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH. CAR HAD TO BE PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY TO THE BREAK DOWN LANE. ON THE DASH, THE INDICATOR PANEL STATED PERFORMANCE REDUCED. AFTER TURNING ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING, CAR BEGAN TO RUN FINE AGAIN ONLY TO HAPPEN AGAIN A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD. CAR HAD TO BE LIMPED TO THE DEALER. DEALER REPLACE THE ENGINE THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) AT COST OF $1032.00. *JB

1999 VOLVO V70 ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE) FAILURE - MY WIFE AND 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING THE CAR ON A MAJOR FOUR LANE AVENUE, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WHEN THE ETM FAILED. THE CAR STARTED IDLING ROUGH. WHEN SHE CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, SHE HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE EXTREMELY HARD TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM LUNGING INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. WHEN SHE ACCELERATED TO PROCEED, THE CAR WOULD ONLY GO A MAXIMUM OF 30 MPH, EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. LUCKILY, THE CROWN VOLVO DEALERSHIP (GREENSBORO, NC) WAS ON THE SAME STRETCH OF AVENUE. SHE MANAGED TO GET TO THE DEALERSHIP AND GET IT REPAIRED. WE WERE DEVASTATED WHEN THEY TOLD US THE REPAIR WOULD COST $934.00. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT REDUCED TO $836.24, BECAUSE WE JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE A $100 DISCOUNT COUPON IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. WE HAD JUST HAD A 60,000 MILE SERVICE PERFORMED ON THE CAR A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. THE ACTUAL MILEAGE WHEN THE ETM FAILED WAS 64,284. THE REPAIR INCLUDED REPLACING THE FAULTY ETM, A GASKET, AND A ETM PROGRAM RELOAD. *JB

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. COMPUTER CHECK AT SHOP SPECIALIZING IN VOLVOS SHOWED THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE. IT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. OUR SERVICE SHOP ESTIMATES THEY HAVE HAD TO REPLACE APPROXIMATELY 75 OF THESE.*JB

WHILE TEACHING MY SON TO DRIVE OUR 2000 VOLVO S70, OUR CAR STARTED JERKING AS HE WAS COMING TO A STOP. AT THE STOP LIGHT,THE CAR CONTINUED TO HAVE A JERKING MOTION. THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON SO I LOOKED THIS PROBLEM UP IN OUR MANUAL. IT SAYS, 'IF THE LIGHT REMAINS ON, THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO RETAILER'. THE LIGHT WENT OUT SO WE DIDN'T THINK THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM. WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR AND IT WORKED FINE. ON SOME OCCASIONS THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND WE WOULD SIMPLY BRING THE CAR TO A STOP AND TURN THE CAR OFF. THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ONLY AFTER THE LIGHT CAME ON AND I COULDN'T BRING THE CAR TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. I WAS GEARINGUP TO A MERGE WHERE CARS ARE WEAVING AND OUT OF EACH OTHER AT RUSH HOUR TO POSITION THEMSELVES TO GET ONTO OR OFF THE HIGHWAY,RESPECTIVELY. THE LIGHT CAME ON AND I COULDN'T STOP. THE CAR'S ACCELERATOR BEGAN TO BEHAVE ERRATICALLY LIKE IT WAS LOSING PRESSURE BUT I WASN'T IN A LOCATION WHERE I COULD STOP;I BARELY AVOIDED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A STOP AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF THE LIGHT WENT OFF AGAIN AS IF NOTHING WAS WRONG. I CAME STRAIGHT HOME AND GOT ONLINE TO GET INSIGHT. I READ THAT VOLVO OWNERS IN CAL HAD BROUGHT A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OVER THIS SAFETY ISSUE. IRONICALLY, WE HAD JUST HAD OUR 90K SERVICE PERFORMED 3 MOS BEFORE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE MAINTAINING OUR VEHICLE TO ITS HIGHEST SAFETY STANDARDS. NOW WE HAVE TO BRING THE CAR BACK IN FOR A $1K FIX. I AM ADDING MY VOICE TO OTHER VOLVO OWNERS WHO'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND BELIEVE THAT IT'S VOLVOS DUTY TO CORRECT IT BEFORE THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DEATHS ATTRIBUTED TO IT. IF NOTHING ELSE, THE MANUAL SHOULD SAY, 'BRING YOUR CAR IN IMMEDIATELY TO BE FIXED BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WILL WORSEN AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE AND POTENTIALLY YOUR DEATH AND THE DEATH OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IN THE CARS AROUND YOU WHO HIT YOU UNSUSPECTING BECAUSE YOUR CAR'S ENGINE FAILS'. *NM

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1993 VOLVO STATION WAGON 960. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY HEARD A LOUD NOISE, MOST OF THE LIGHTS ON DASHBOARD LIT UP. VEHICLE WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THE TEMPERATURE HAND DID NOT RISE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOME. THE THERMOSTAT BROKE. THIS CAUSED THE TEMPERATURE HAND NOT TO RISE. THE NEXT DAY WENT OUT TO CHECK UNDER HOOD AND BASICALLY FOUND THE SERPENTINE BELT OFF TRACK. THE CONTACT PUT THE SERPENTINE BELT BACK ON THE VEHICLE, THEN SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, AND FOUND THAT THE SPINNING BELT HAD IDLER PULLEY, BELT PULLEY, AND BELT TENSIONER. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE PARTS WERE ORDERED AND THEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT 2001 VOLVO V70 XC EXPERIENCED SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING. AT 70 MPH. IT LOST POWER AND DECELERATED TO 5 MPH IN FAST LANE DUE TO THROTTLE MODULE FAILURE. *AK

NEW VOLVO V70 WAGON. TESTED LAYING REAR SEATS DOWN TO INCREASE CARGO SPACE. RIGHT REAR BELT WOULD NOT EXTEND AND WAS LOCKED IN A RETRACTED POSITION AFTER THE SEAT WAS LAYED DOWN AND RESTORED TO IT'S ORIGINAL OPERATING POSITION. THIS SEAT AND BELT WERE NOT SUITABLE FOR OCCUPANCY AS THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT FUNCTION. CAR WAS RETURNED TO VOLVO FOR REPAIRS. UNKNOWN TYPE OF REPAIR AT THIS TIME. *JB PHONE INTERVIEW UPDATE (OCT 11, 2005): THE FAILURE IS INTERNAL TO THE RETRACTOR AND NOT CAUSE BY INTERFERENCE WITH THE SEAT. PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING OVERSEA IN SWEDEN. VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED AND IS SCHEDULED TO SHIP TO U.S. BY THIS WEEK. THE CONSUMER AGREE TO FAX THE TECHNICAL REPORT OR REPAIR INVOICE WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. HIS SON'S 2005 VW JETTA REAR SEAT BELT DOES THE SAME THING.