VOLVO Complaints

THREE ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE SO FAR TO CORRECT A BRAKE PROBLEM. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON HAVING THE CAR SERVICES A FOURTH TIME IN THE COURSE OF 6 MONTHS, MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP A TOTAL OF THREE WEEKS. *NM

2000 VOLVO S80 T6; FIVE TIMES NOW THE CAR HAS LOST ALL POWER WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 15 AND 25 MPH. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS WHEN I WAS TURNING LEFT AND THE CAR LOST POWER HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLVO V70 STATION WAGON. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH A LIGHT CAME ON , AND THE LIGHT READ REDUCED PERFORMANCE, AND VEHICLE STALLED. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO REDUCED PERFORMANCE , IT WAS A SUDDEN STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP ON AUGUST 31, 2005. THE DEALER PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING BUT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED, AND AS SOON AS IT STARTED, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. *AK

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILED AND REPLACED 3 TIMES; 11/03, 12/04, 8/05 ON A 1999 VOLVO V70XC. *NM

1999 VOLVO V70 WAGON. MASS REGISTRATION 9418PG MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING WITH HER MOTHER IN THE ABOVE DESCRIBED 1999 VOLVO ON RT 3 SOUTHBOUND BETWEEN MILTON & MARSHFIELD MASSACHUSETTS, WHEN THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND STALL. MY WIFE HAVING EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE INSTRUCTED MY DAUGHTER TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND RESTART THE CAR. MY WIFE & I PAID SOUTH SHORE VOLVO OF NORWELL MASSACHUSETTS $1100 TO REPLACE THIS ETS OR ETM SYSTEM JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. WE HAVE ALSO HAD SPENT $800. ON TWO OXYGEN SENSORS THAT SOUTH SHORE VOLVO INITIALLY DIAGNOSED AS THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE FURTHER SPENT AN ADDITIONAL $125. ON AN IGNITION SWITCH WHICH HAS BEEN CAUSING ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHT TO CONTINUOUSLY LIGHT AND GO OUT, NOW THE SPEEDOMETER AND MILEAGE METER HAVE BEGUN TO FAIL.. SOUTH SHORE VOLVO HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEMS, THEY WILL NOT EVEN RETURN OUR CALLS. CALIFORNIA HAS FILED A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET SOME RELIEF FOR IT'S CITIZENS. I AM GOING TO ATTEMPT TO JOIN THEIRS, WOULD PREFER SOME APPRECIATE SOME ASSISTANCE. THANK YOU VINCENT P STANCATO. PS, 20 YEAR VOLVO OWNER, I DRIVE A 1991 VOLVO 245, USED TO LIKE THESE CARS. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH 2000 VOLVO V70 XC LOSING POWER AND THEN SURGING WHILE DRIVING 20-25 MPH. THE CONSUMER DID NOT MAKE IT UP A HILL . THE LOSS OF POWER EVEN OCCURRED WHEN THE CAR WAS SLOWING TO STOP AND TURNING. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. THEN, IT WAS SURGING AND SMOKING, AND SURGING WITH NO SMOKING, THE CAR WAS WOBBLY AND SLUGGISH. DEALER REPLACED THE FOLLOWING PARTS; SPARK PLUGS, COILS, THERMOSTAT, AND THE FILTERS. OTHER PARTS HAVE BEEN FLUSHED, THIS INCLUDED FUEL INJECTORS AND IGNITION. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER ONCE, A CERTIFIED VOLVO SPECIALIST ONCE, AND AT PEP BOYS ONCE. THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY $1300.00 TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE CAR HAS HAD 2 DIAGNOSTIC TESTS DONE. NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY PRETENDED THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING. THE CONSUMER HAD ALL THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION. HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT, NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. *AK

MY 1999 VOLVO S80 SIMPLY DECIDED TO STALL WHILE I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. A MESSAGE CAME ON THE DASH THAT STATED THAT I NEEDED AN URGENT SERVICE VISIT FOR MY EMISSION SYSTEM. THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $1,000 TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. A SECOND DEFECT OF THIS CAR IS A LEAKING FUEL SENDER ASSEMBLY WHICH WAS A FIRE HAZARD. ABOUT $700 TO REPAIR. I EMAILED AND CALLED VOLVO REGARDING BOTH OF THESE ITEMS. THEY HAVE NEVER RESPONDED. *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, MY WIFE WOULD EXPERIENCE STALLS WITH OUR CHILDREN IN THE REAR SEATS. WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, OUR DEALER DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM OF A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ON OUR 1999 V70. *JB

MY DAUGHTER WAS KILLED WHILE DRIVING MY VOLVO WHEN IT MALFUNCTIONED AND SHE LOST CONTROL. PER THE ACCIDENT REPORT, SHE WAS CHANGING LANES FROM THE FAR RIGHT TO MIDDLE LANE WHEN SHE ACCELERATED INTO THE LEFT LANE, HIT AND BOUNDED OFF THE LEFT GUARDRAIL, COLLIDED WITH A CAR IN THE CENTER LANE, PROCEEDED OVER THE RIGHT GUARDRAIL OF A BRIDGE, THROUGH A TREETOP, DROPPED 30 FEET, LANDED UPSIDE DOWN, AND ROLLED REPEATEDLY, EVENTUALLY STOPPING IN A CONCRETE CREEK BANK. SHE WAS WEARING HER SEAT BELT BUT KILLED INSTANTLY UPON IMPACT. IT APPEARS SHE WAS NOT SPEEDING SIGNIFICANTLY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BUT UNEXPECTEDLY BEGAN ACCELERATING AS SHE WAS CHANGING LANES AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PREVIOUSLY BUT BELIEVED THEY HAD BEEN CORRECTED BY VOLVO WHEN THEY REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. THERE WERE NO OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT -- WEATHER WAS CLEAR, VISIBILITY WAS GOOD, ROADS WERE DRY, TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE AND FLOWING WELL, AND IT WAS EARLY AFTERNOON AND MY DAUGHTER WAS FINE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. I HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION EXPERT LOOK AT THE ACCIDENT REPORT AND AVAILABLE EVIDENCE AND HE BELIEVES IT WAS CAUSED BY MECHANICAL FAILURE. *JB

> MY FAMILY RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA, VIA US MAIL, DATED FEBRUARY 2005 > NOTICE EXPLAINS THAT: "IN CERTAIN CASES, AFTER PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO EXTREME HEAT, THE FUEL TANK IN MODEL YEAR 1994-1997 VOLVO 850 VEHICLES MAY DEVELOP SEEPAGE AT THE HEAT SHIELD ATTACHMENT. WHEN THIS OCCURS, A FUEL ODOR MAY BE PRESENT." >THIS IS A SERIOUS UNDERSTATEMENT AND, IN MY OPINION BASED ON MY FAMILY'S RECENT EXPERIENCE ON OUR VOLVO 850 LISTED ED IN THE RECALL, BORDERS ON CRIMINAL NEGLECT. > WE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH OUR OWN VOLVO 850 WITHIN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, AND IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN FUEL VAPOR. I WILL EXPLAIN: - A VERY STRONG INTERMITTENT FUEL ODOR BECAME NOTICEABLE, FOLLOWED SEVERAL DAYS LATER BY SEVER LEAKING FROM NEAR THE TOP OF THE GAS TANK DOWN ONTO THE CARS EXHAUST PIPE. I AM REALLY SURPRISED IT HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE WE WERE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. - GAS WAS DRIPPING FROM THE TANK AT A RATE OF ONE DROP EVERY TWO TO THREE SECONDS. MY WIFE AND I NOTICED THIS AFTER A QUICK TRIP TO THE GROCERY STORE WHERE WE HAD PARKED ON LEVEL GROUND, ALLOWING THE GAS TO POOL UNDER THE CAR. - WE HAD TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SECURE THE VEHICLE; THEY HAD EM MOVE THE CAR TO A SLOPED GRAVEL AREA TO KEEP THE GAS TO ONE SIDE OF THE TANK AND TO ABSORB THE DRIPPING GAS. > THE DEALER TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY. THE POINT THAT I AM TRYING TO MAKE WITH ALL THIS IS THAT IF THE NOTICE HAD BEEN WORDED MORE STRONGLY AND INDICATING THE POTENTIAL SEVERITY OF THIS PROBLEM, WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE CAR IN A LOT SOONER. I'M JUST GLAD WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CAR PARKED IN A GARAGE ATTACHED TO OUR RESIDENCE. FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME A CALL OR E-MAIL AND I WILL BE GLAD TO FORWARD A COPY OF THIS NOTICE TO YOUR OFFICE FOR REVIEW. JOHN DOMINSKI FAIRFAX, VA. *JB