VOLVO Complaints

SURGING ENGINE RPM NOTED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE STOPPED. SEEMS TO BE WHEN USING AIR CONDITIONER OUR SAFETY CONCERN IS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ENGINE OVERPOWERING THE BRAKES. DEALER SAYS IT IS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AND NOTED IT IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR AS WELL AS A SAFETY AND RELIABILITY CONCERN. *NM

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO FAILURE, ENGINE TORQUE WOULD FLUCTUATE AT STEADY HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH OR WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL ON. ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT AFFECT THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE VISIBLY, I COULD FEEL IT IN THE SEAT OF MY PANTS. AFTER GETTING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY (IN A BAD DETROIT NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION), THE ENGINE FAILED TO ACCELERATE THE CAR AND THE INFORMATION DISPLAY INDICATED "PERFORMANCE REDUCED." I PROCEEDED FIVE MILES TO MY HOME AT NO MORE THAN 10-20 MPH WHICH WAS ALL THE CAR COULD MUSTER. THE CAR RESTARTED NORMALLY THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AND ASSOCIATED GASKETS ALONG WITH A SOFTWARE UPGRADE FOR APPROX. $1062 *JB

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) HAS FAILED TWICE ON MY 2000 VOLVO V70XC. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND WAS ABOUT 17K MILES AFTER THE FIRST. BOTH TIMES IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEED. BOTH TIMES ENGINE STALLED IN TRAFFIC. BOTH TIMES MANAGED TO GET TO SHOULDER, RESTART, AND GET HOME WITH CAR ALTERNATELY SURGING AND STALLING THE WHOLE WAY. BOTH TIMES HAD MY PRESCHOOL AGE TWINS IN THE CAR AND DIDN'T FEEL IT SAFE TO STOP ON THE SHOULDER TO WAIT FOR HELP. ALSO, WOULD HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THEM HOME SAFETY (IN THEIR CAR SEATS). THEN HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER FOR REPAIR. FIRST FAILURE - CAR MILEAGE WAS 41,222, REPAIR DATE WAS 6/25/03. QUOTE FROM ANNAPOLIS VOLVO SERVICE RECEIPT: "ETS LAMP COMES ON AND VEHICLE SURGES BADLY, ALMOST STALLED. INTERNAL FAULT INSPECTED AND FOUND CODES ECM903F/904D/9150/9160/904C. TESTED AND REPLACED ELEC. THROTTLE MODULE" THIS WORK WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND FAILURE - CAR MILEAGE WAS 58,611, REPAIR DATE WAS 3/15/05. QUOTE FROM ANNAPOLIS VOLVO SERVICE RECEIPT: "ETS LIGHT IS ON INTERNAL FAULT VOLVO GOODWILL WARRANTY-VOLVO TO PAY PARTS DEALER LABOR CHECKED AND RETRIEVE CODE-ECM 959F, 903F-TRACED AND FOUND INTERNAL FAULT IN ETM, REPLACED ETM, RELOAD SOFTWARE AND CLEAR CODES. *JB

2000 VOLVO S-80 T6 STARTED OUT BY CUTTING OFF AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS FOR NO REASON. DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED MULTIPLE FAULTS IN ETM. *JB

VOLVO 2000 S-80 2.9 105,000 MILES 1. STALLING, LACK OF ACCELERATION, HESITATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND AROUND TOWN 2. COMPLETE SHUT DOWN OF ENGINE AT SPEED ON ROUTE 95 DURING RUSH HOUR 3. THROTTLE MODULE REPLACED AT A COST $1200.00 TASCA VOLVO STATED I REPLACE DOZENS OF THESE. THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND DOES NOTHING. *JB

CAR WAS RACING AND STALLING ON HIGHWAY AND WHILE IDLING. TOOK IT IN AND DIAGNOSTIC CODES IDENTIFIED A FAULTY MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR AND ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE/RELOAD AND THROTTLE BODY. CAR HAS 48,800 MILES ON IT. THESE REPAIRS COST OVER $1400. PLEASE HAVE VOLVO LOOK INTO THIS AND A RECALL IS JUSTIFIED. *JB

ETS LIGHT COMING ON - IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER. VERY DANGEROUS AT 70 MPH IN 3-4 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC. I PUT MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS ON AND TRIED TO SAFELY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THE LIGHT WENT AWAY AND I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP. ENROUTE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN JUST AS I WAS PULLING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, IT DID NOT HELP THIS TIME - AN AMBULANCE CAME UP BEHIND ME. I WAS IN A PANIC TRYING TO GET THE AUTO OUT OF THE WAY. LUCKILY THE LEFT LANE WAS OPEN AND THEY WERE ABLE TO BLOW PAST ME, BUT THEY DID HONK AS THEY PASSED LETTING ME KNOW THEY WERE UPSET THAT I DID NOT MOVE. I AM PICKING UP THE CAR TOMORROW FROM THE DEALERSHIP WITH A NEW ETM. BUT I HAVE POKED AROUND ON VARIOUS VOLVO FORUMS AND FOUND THIS ISSUE TO BE PRETTY PREVALENT. THE REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE (AROUND $1000 TO THE CONSUMER) AND THE BREAK DOWN SITUATION POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. *JB

DT: THE CALLER SAID THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND STALLED. THE CALLER SAID THAT WHEN THE PROBLEM STARTED IT WOULD HAPPEN ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, AND IT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. IT WOULD STALL APPLYING THE BRAKES. HE SAID THIS PROBLEM MADE IT VERY HARD TO DRIVE IN DAILY TRAFFIC. THE CALLER WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THEN, IT STARTED BACK UP. HE HAD THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE REPLACED. DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS COMMON IN THIS VEHICLE, AND THEY FIXED IT. MANUFACTURER SAID TO CALL DEALER. THE CALLER HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. HE JUST WANTED TO LET NHTSA KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM.*AK

1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO FAILURE: PURCHASED NEW VOLVO S80 CAR ON 9/3/2005 WITH 813 MILES, DROVE IT HOME. NO INFORMATION WAS GIVEN ON THE 813 MILES ALREADY ON THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY THERE WERE OIL PUDDLES UNDERNEATH CAR AND OIL WAS ALL OVER THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE TUES 9/6 MORNING FOR OIL LEAKING. THE LEAKING OIL PUMP AND SEALS WERE REPLACED. CAR WAS READY AND PICKED UP ON FRI EVENING 9/9. FROM TALKING WITH THE SERVICE PEOPLE THE OIL PUMP HAD BEEN CRACKED. THEY SAID THE CAR HAD BEEN CLEANED OF THE OIL AND THAT THERE WAS NO MORE OIL LEAKING. ON SAT MORNING 9/10 THERE WAS A NEW OIL PUDDLE AND OIL UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR ON THE FRAME. SERVICE IS CLOSED ON THE WEEKEND. ON MON I WAS NOT ABLE TO CHANGE CARS DUE TO WORK COMMITMENTS AND AFTER DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THERE WAS THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL. THE CAR WAS SERVICED ON TUES 9/13 FOR OIL LEAKING. THE SERVICE PEOPLE REPORTED THAT THERE OIL COLLECTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CAR FROM THE FIRST OIL LEAK. THEY REPORTED CLEANING THE CAR AGAIN AND DOING A LOT OF TEST DRIVING TO VERIFY THAT THERE WAS NO MORE OIL LEAKING. I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK TUES AFTERNOON. 2) FAILURE: SAT 9/17/2005, I LEFT HOME WITH 2 CHILDREN IN THE NEW VOLVO S80 CAR TO GO SHOPPING. ONE CHILD WAS IN THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AND THE OTHER IN THE PASSENGER SIDE BACK SEAT. AFTER TURNING ON ANOTHER SIDE STREET, THE CAR WENT TO THE RIGHT AND HIT A MAILBOX. THE ARM (CONTROL ARM) ON THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WAS SPLIT BROKE OFF. THE CAR HAD DAMAGE FROM THE MAILBOX TO THE HEADLIGHTS, HOOD, AND SIDE PANEL. THE PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS NO LONGER IN THE CORRECT POSITION BUT PUSHED TOWARD THE REAR OF THE CAR. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND TOWED BY VOLVO SERVICE TO SAM SWOPE AUTO COLLISION CENTER. 3) MY INSURANCE COMPANY HAS INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. THE VOLVO FIELD TECH SPECIALIST (FTS) INSPECTED THE CAR ON THURS 9/22. NO INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM VOLVO. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER WANTED THE ETM REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT COMPLY WITH THE CONSUMERS REQUEST, BECAUSE THE PART HAD NOT FAILED. THE CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD A DRINK WAS SPILLED IN IT, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DISAGREED WITH THAT THEORY. THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AFTER SHOWING SIGNS OF BEING WEAK, HOWEVER THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON AGAIN. UPDATED 12/14/05. *JB