VOLVO Complaints

DT: THE CONTACT S BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER 3 TIMES BECAUSE IT WILL NOT START AFTER SITTING FOR AWHILE. . SHE OWNS A 2003 VOLVO MODEL S60 2.4T. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON 8-12-05. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED ON 8-27-05. ONCE IT TOOK OVER AN HOUR FOR IT TO START UP. EVERY TIME SHE FIXED IT, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. SHE WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER. SHE DID NOT THINK SHE HAD THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) REPLACED. VEHICLE HAS NOT STALLED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING, BUT AT TIMES IT SURGED FORWARD. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 VOLVO XC70 CROSS COUNTRY STATION WAGON. THE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED AND LOST POWER. THIS OCCURRED ON AUGUST 27, 2005. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

WARNING LIGHTS HAD BEEN COMING ON, BUT WITHOUT SYMPTOMS. NOW "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" LIGHT COMES ON, CAR WILL ONLY GO ABOUT 20-25 MPH, NON-RESPONSIVE TO GAS PEDAL. DEALER DIAGNOSIS - ETM FAILURE. *JB

DT: 2003 VOLVO S60. VEHICLE STALLED AT LEAST 6 OR 7 TIMES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DUE TO STALLING. *AK

ENGINE IDLING IMPROPERLY, READ ABOUT ELECTRONIC THROTTLE FAILURES THROTTLE FAILED, REPLACEMENT REQUIRED. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING AT INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SPEED (65-75 MPH), THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE VIOLENTLY, FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WITHIN SECONDS, THE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYED, "STOP SAFELY AND RESTART ENGINE." AFTER PULLING ONTO THE SHOULDER, THE ENGINE RPM FLUCTUATED FROM 400-1000 RPM QUICKLY. SIMILAR OR MORE SEVERE EVENTS OCCURRED THREE MORE TIMES THAT DAY. FORTUNATELY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF STOPPING ON THE SHOULDER.*JB

ON WEDNESDAY AUGUST 24,2005 I WAS DRIVING ON THE INDIANA TOLL ROAD TOWARD CHICAGO WHEN MY 2001 VOLVO V70 WHICH HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON IT, STOPPED RESPONDING TO MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. A MESSAGE LIGHT THAT SAID "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" CAME ON AND I COASTED WITHOUT ANY CONTROL OVER THE SPEED OR POWER OF THE CAR. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE CLOSE TO A TOLL BOOTH AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SAFETY LANE PAST THE BOOTH. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE IN A SAFE PLACE ESPECIALLY AS I HAD MY 7 YEAR OLD SON AND DOG IN THE BACK OF THE CAR. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND SAT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO (EVEN THOUGH THE CAR HAS ONLY 39500 MILES ON IT, WHICH IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY). I STARTED THE CAR 10 MINUTES AFTER THIS EVENT, IT STARTED UP FINE, AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR MESSAGES. I DECIDED WE WOULD BE SAFER GETTING OFF THE TOLL ROAD EVEN THOUGH I WAS TAKING A RISK THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I DROVE THE REMAINING 15 MILES HOME WITHOUT A PROBLEM (NO MESSAGES OR WARNINGS). I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHO IS AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER, HE CALLED ME ONE HOUR LATER AND TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS THE THROTTLE MODULE AND HE WOULD WORK TO FIX IT. BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS SHOULD HAPPEN TO A 4 YEAR OLD CAR WITH VERY LITTLE MILEAGE, I DECIDED TO CHECK THE INTERNET TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY NEWS REGARDING VOLVO. I GOGGLED VOLVO THROTTLE AND FOUND TWO REFERENCES TO A NEWLY OPENED INVESTIGATION THAT DESCRIBED A SCENARIO VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE EXPERIENCED. I DECIDED TO CHECK THIS WEB SITE TO LEARN MORE. AS OF TODAY, AUGUST 29, 2005, MY CAR IS STILL NOT REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC IS WORKING WITH VOLVO. THE MECHANIC HAS BEEN TOLD SINCE AUG. 25, THAT THE VOLVO COMPUTER, WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THE THROTTLE REPLACEMENT DOWNLOAD, HAS BEEN DOWN FOR 4 BUSINESS DAYS. IN ADDITION TO BEING PUT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE TOLL ROAD WITH MY YOUNG SON, MY CAR WILL COST CLOSE TO $1000 TO FIX, AND I HAVE NOT HAD USE OF MY CAR FOR 5 DAYS!

THE ETS LIGHT ON MY 2000 VOLVO V-70 CAME ON THE AND THE CAR DROVE VERY ERRATICALLY. *JB

2000 S80 VOLVO 2.9 IS DANGEROUS! SUDDENLY WHEN DRIVING THROTTLE DIES, ACTED LIKE THROTTLE CABLE BROKE. THEN IT CAME BACK! THEN IT SURGED AT A RED LIGHT LAST WEEK, AND I HAD NO FOOT ON THE GAS! VOLVO SAID ETM(?) NEEDED CLEANING / REPLACING . IT WAS CLEANED , STILL SURGES, I AM AFRAID IT WILL DIE ON HIGHWAY WHILE GOING ON AN ON RAMP. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED 2000 VOLVO MODEL S80 CAUGHT ON FIRE ON 8-26-05. THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IT COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ENGINE. HE WAS NOT HAVING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS. HE WAS DRIVING AT 25-50 MPH WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT. HE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. HE WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER HE DID NOT KNOW IF ANYTHING WAS REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT OWNER DID NOT REPORT ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS, SUCH AS STALLINGOR SURGING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE POLICE DEPARTMENTINDICATED T THE FIRE WAS AN ELECTRICAL NATURE, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE.*AK