VOLVO Complaints

2001 VOLVO V70 ETM FAILURE. "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" WARNING MESSAGE ON DASH, CAUSING LOSS OF POWER AND SEVERE SURGING/BUCKING..VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE, RELUCTANT TO DRIVE CAR IN THIS COND. *NM

ON SATURDAY APRIL 2, 2005 ,AT ABOUT 3:00 P.M., I WAS RETURNING HOME WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER FROM A SPRING BREAK TRIP TO WASHINGTON D.C. WE HAD DRIVEN FOR A GOOD PART OF THE DAY THROUGH DIFFICULT CONDITIONS...CONSIDERABLE RAIN AND EVEN A SOME SNOW SHOWERS IN EASTERN OHIO. WHILE DRIVING ON THE OHIO TURNPIKE IN THE VICINITY OF TOLEDO, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER, THAT IS, THE CAR DECELERATED REGARDLESS OF FOOT-PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL. ALTHOUGH I WAS AT THE TIME IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A RATHER BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY, WHERE THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING ALTOGETHER. I LET THE CAR SIT FOR A MINUTE, AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN. ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE TURNED OVER IT WOULD NOT RUN. THROUGH INFORMATION PROVIDED BY GEICO INSURANCE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FACILITY WERE ABLE TO SUMMON A TOW TRUCK, WHICH DELIVERED THE CAR, AND MY FAMILY TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP SCHMIDT IN PERRYSBURG, OHIO AT ABOUT 5:00 P.M. ON THAT SATURDAY EVENING. THIS INCIDENT, APART FROM CONSIDERABLE INCONVENIENCE AND COST, PUT MY FAMILY AND ME IN A VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION. PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF A GUARDRAIL, THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST ONLY INCHES AWAY FROM THE LINE SEPARATING THE HIGHWAY SHOULDER FROM THE RIGHT LANE. BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY TRAFFIC MUCH OF IT CONSISTING OF MASSIVE TRAILER-TRUCKS TRAVELING WEST I THINK IT REASONABLE TO SAY THAT THE EXPOSURE TO RISK WAS HIGH. HAD THE WEATHER VERY CHILLY TEMPERATURES, A PIECING NORTH WIND, AND THE EVER-PRESENT THREAT OF RAIN BEEN ANY BETTER I WOULD HAVE GUIDED MY FAMILY TO THE SHELTER OF AN OVERPASS ABOUT ONE QUARTER-MILE TO THE WEST UNTIL THE TOW-TRUCK ARRIVED. FORTUNATELY, OFFICER MACK OF THE OHIO HIGHWAY PATROL ARRIVED AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES, AND ALERTED PASSING TRAFFIC TO THE ROADSIDE HAZARD WITH THE FLASHING LIGHTS OF HIS PATROL CAR. *NM

I FIRST NOTICED MY VEHICLE EXPERIENCING SHAKINESS AND SLIGHT STIFFNESS IN THE STEERING WHEEL. PAT PATTERSON VOLVO, TOLD ME I NEEDED SOME SORT OF AIR NIPPLE REPLACED. I REPLACED IT, PAYING BETTER THAN $100. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN IT SUDDENLY QUIT! IT RESTARTED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER IT SUDDENLY FAILED ON SEVERAL MORE OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS EITHER AN AIR INTAKE PROBLEM THEY COULD FIX FOR $300 OR THE ETM (EXPLAINED THIS WAS A THROTTLE AND COSTS $800 NEEDS REPLACING) OR MIGHT NEED BOTH REPLACED COSTING $1100. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PARTS AND WOULD CALL ME WHEN THEY ARRIVED. THE NEXT MORNING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I DROVE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING I WAS TOLD THE DAY BEFORE. WHILE WAITING FOR THE PARTS TO ARRIVE, MY NEPHEW WAS SHOT TO DEATH. WITH THE SUDDEN TRAGIC LOSS OF MY 18 YEAR OLD NEPHEW, I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND SETTLED FOR THE $300 JOB; MY FINANCIAL RESOURCES AFTER THE UNEXPECTED TRAVEL EXPENSES TO THE FUNERAL, ARE JUST DEPLETED; THIS CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THAT WAS ONLY A FEW WEEKS AGO IN JULY. YESTERDAY (8/14/05) THE CAR SUDDENLY QUIT TWICE, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN! I HAVE NOT FINANCIALLY RECOVERED FROM THE FUNERAL AND REPAIR EXPENSES OF LAST MONTH! WHILE I WAS IN THE WAITING ROOM, AN OLDER WOMAN WHO WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM, SAID HERS QUIT SEVERAL TIMES WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH WITHOUT WARNING! I HEARD ON THE NEWS ABOUT 131 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY PAT PATTERSON VOLVO ON AT LEAST 4 VISITS RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM THAT THE CAR HAS AN AIR INTAKE PROBLEM AND NEEDS THE ETM REPLACED. THEY NEVER MENTIONED THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. I MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN THEY WERE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM WITH MORE THAN JUST MINE HAD I NOT TALKED WITH THE LADY IN THE WAITING ROOM WHILE OUR CARS WERE BEING REPAIRED. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS TWO VOLVOS, A 1999 CROSS-COUNTRY AND A 1998 CROSS-COUNTRY. VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER DUE TO THE FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM (ETS). *AK

1. WIFE AND CHILD DRIVING VEHICLE ON STRAIGHT SECTION OF FREEWAY AT APPROX 60 MPH. 2. VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED ABRUPTLY CAUSING WIFE TO QUICKLY CHANGE LANES AND EVENTUALLY EXIT FREEWAY VIA OFF RAMP. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN AT "LIMP HOME"MODE (APPROX. 20 MPH) OFF OFF RAMP, ONTO FREEWAY FEEDER, AT IDLE, AND THEN FOR ANOTHER APPROX 20 MILES ON FREEWAY FEEDER ROADS AND CITY ROADS TO RESIDENCE. 3. VEHICLE TOWED TO VOLVO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. OLD PART IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. *NM *AK 11/02/05 *JB

I WAS ON THE RAMP GETTING ON TO THE HIGHWAY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STALLED. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE, AND A SEMI WAS GOING TO HIT THE BACK OF MY CAR BECAUSE I GOT OUT THERE IN FRONT OF HIM AND THEN I CAN'T MOVE. SO TO AVOID THE ACCIDENT, I DARTED OF THE HIGHWAY UNTO THE SHOULDER WITH THE DISMAY OF THE TRUCK DRIVER. THE INFORMATION IN THE LEFT CORNER GAVE "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. SO I HAD IT TOWED, AND WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING THE FIRST DAY, THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. SO I HAD TO PAY OVER $1000 TO GET THIS FIXED. THIS WAS BACK IN MARCH, AND NOW I AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM NOT GOING TO PAY ANOTHER $1000 FOR THE SAME THING. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT AND I ALREADY PAID OVER $1000 TO GET IT FIXED, AND NOW I HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET AGAIN ONLY 4 MONTHS LATER. THIS IS HORRIBLE, AND VOLVO SHOULD RECALL ALL THE CARS WITH THIS ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. I HAVE ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT SEVERAL TIME BECAUSE OF THE RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. I REFUSE TO GET IT FIXED, BECAUSE VOLVO WILL NOT PAY FOR IT. I HAVE HAD IT REPLACED ONCE BEFORE, AND IT IS STILL DOING THE SAME THING. VOLVO NEEDS TO TAKE CARE OF THIS, BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT ON THEIR END. PLEASE HELP TO GET THIS FIXED. I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER $1000 TO GET THIS FIXED EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS!!! *NM

VERY LOW FUEL EFFICIENCY APPROXIMATELY 13 MPG. DEALER ADVISED ETC CLEANED. THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED IN WINTER 2004. THE CLEANING INCREASED FUEL EFFICIENCY TO 15 MPG. TOTAL COST TO ME. *JB

CAR BEGAN RUNNING POORLY, STALLING ON OCCASION AND HESITATING TO ACCELERATE. UPON SERVICING THE CAR, THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT, THEY CLEANED IT INSTEAD. I SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO HAVE IT REPLACED. THE DEALER DISCOUNTED THE REPLACEMENT COST BY THE AMOUNT I HAD PAID FOR THE EARLIER CLEANING. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER OWENS A 2000 VOLVO V70 XC AND AT 30,000 MILES HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE. WOULD TRY TO ACCELERATE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO, AND THEN STALLED. HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WHILE ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE THROTTLE WAS REPLACED, AND THE REPAIRMAN TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. SINCE THE CAR WAS FIXED THERE WAS SOME HESITATION . THE CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO A VOLVO SPECIALIST TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS VOLVO S80 2004, SUDDENLY THE TIRE BECAME PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE RIM ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE CAR CRASHED, THEN ROLLED AND FLIPPED OVER INTO A DITCH UPSIDE DOWN. THE PASSENGER IN THE REAR BEHIND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES, INCLUDING HEAD TRAUMA. THE CONSUMER CALLED VOLVO AND REQUESTED THAT AN INVESTIGATOR COME AND CHECK THE CAR. AN INVESTIGATOR CAME, AND INVESTIGATED THE VEHICLE BUT VOLVO WOULD NOT RELEASE ANY INFORMATION TO THE CONSUMER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE GM REPAIR SHOP. A POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES WERE TAKEN. THE CONSUMER TALKED TO VOLVO, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING AND IT WAS OKAY. THEY KEPT SAYING THAT THEY HAVE NO LIABILITY. THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 60 MPH WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. *AK