VOLVO Complaints

I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S70 WITH ABOUT 88K MILES ON IT. I HAD A LOT OF WORK DONE ON IT DEC 20, 2006 INCLUDING REPLACING THE TIMING BELT. ON 2/15, WE WERE DRIVING AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED - WE LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKING, ETC. WE MANAGED TO SLOW THE CAR AND GET INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, JORDAN VOLVO IN MISHAWAKA, IN. WE FOUND THAT THE TENSIONER HAD FAILED CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SLIP OFF AND CAUSE WHAT APPEARS TO BE VERY MATERIAL (RETAIL AROUND $4K) WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. VOLVO RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE TENSIONER AT 105K MILES I BELIEVE, BUT I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS CASES ON MESSAGE BOARDS OF PEOPLE HAVING THEIR TIMING BELT BUT NOT TENSIONER REPLACED AND THEN HAVING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE NOT ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, OR ALONG SIDE THE ROAD (IT WAS PROBABLY 5 DEGREES OUT). THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO REPAIR THE CAR AT 1/2 PRICE, BUT MAINTAIN THAT THEY FOLLOWED VOLVO'S PROCEDURES. I CALLED MY OLD MECHANIC IN CHICAGO AND HE SAID THAT 90% OF THE TIME HE REPLACES THE TENSIONER TO AVOID JUST WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. WE WERE NOT EVEN WARNED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING NOR GIVEN THE OPTION TO DECLINE THE SERVICE. *NM

1999 S70 VOLVO. DEC. 2002 REPLACED ETM WITH SOFTWARE UPGRADE DUE TO CAR GOING INTO LIMP MODES TWICE. JAN. 2007 RECALL NOTICE TO UPGRADE SOFTWARE ON 2ND ETM. ETM WARRANTY BY VOLVO WILL EXPIRE ON MY CAR NOV. 2008. I FEEL WARRANTY SHOULD BE LIFETIME SINCE ETM WILL CERTAINLY FAIL AGAIN AS PART WAS NOT REDESIGNED FROM ORIGINAL 1999 PART. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 2006 VOLVO C-70 CONVERTIBLE HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY STAYING ON. HE HAS TAKEN HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 2 OCCASIONS FOR THE AIRBAG LIGHT BEING ON CONSTANTLY. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED HIM THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON DUE TO SOME TYPE OF PINS IN THE DOOR THAT NEEDED CHANGING. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW WHICH DOOR NEEDED NEW PINS OR WHAT TYPE OF PINS. SINCE THE PINS WERE PLACED IN THE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE THE AIRBAG LIGHT NO LONGER CAME ON. AFTER THE REPAIR OF THE AIRBAG LIGHT THE ABS LIGHT FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND INFORMED THE DEALERSHIP OF THE ABS LIGHTS. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE LIGHTS TURNED ON BECAUSE OF THE ICE AND SNOW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS COULDNOT BE THE CAUSE OF THE LIGHTS TURNING ON. THE CONTACT STATED CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY DID NOT TO WANT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FELT HE PURCHASED A LEMON FROM THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP. THE CONTACT HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 8 MONTHS AND WOULD LIKE FOR NHTSA TO BE INFORMED OF THESE SAFETY PROBLEMS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6000, AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5500.*AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED ANIT-SKID FAILURE. UPDATED 03/07/07. *JB

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE 2002 VOLVO S40 HE TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND A THICK BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR PANEL AND FILLED THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A VOLVO DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 30,000.*AK

TL* - THE CONTACT CALLED REGARDING THE 2000 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE EMISSION SERVICE LIGHT KEPT TURNING ON, THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER REFUSED TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF PAST PROBLEMS REGARDING THE BILL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER VOLVO DEALERS IN HIS AREA. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55000. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. *AK UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S40. WHILE DRIVING UNDER WET CONDITIONS AT 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. WITHOUT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REDLINE AND THE DRIVER TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. *AK

THE CAR STALLED REPEATEDLY WHILE THE ENGINE WAS IDLING. ALL POWER WAS LOST MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND BRAKE. I NEARLY GOT INTO SEVERAL ACCIDENTS THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE: 1) STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT 2) WHILE SHIFTING GEARS ON THE HIGHWAY 3) WHILE SHIFTING GEARS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES BEFORE THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY FIXED. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE REPLACED BUT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM: 1) FUEL PUMP 2) MAP SENSOR (REPLACED 2 TIMES) NEITHER OF THESE FIXES WORKED. THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED AFTER MODIFYING THE SOFTWARE ON THE COMPUTER BOARD. *JB

AT 110K I NOTICED COOLANT LEVEL DROPPING FASTER THAN USUAL, AND COOLANT ON GARAGE FLOOR. DEALER REMOVED SIDE ENGINE COVER AND SHOWED ME A LINE OF PINHOLE LEAKS IN THE ALUMINUM BLOCK. TECHNICIAN SAID THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT HE HAD SEEN BEFORE, AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. VOLVO OFFERED NO HELP, "OUT OF WARRANTY." I PURCHASED A USED 1998 960 ENGINE FOR $1900 AND DEALER INSTALLED FOR $1800, INCLUDING INCIDENTAL PARTS. SOON THEREAFTER, RADIATOR BLEW AND RUINED CYLINDER HEAD. THE 1 YEAR USED ENGINE WARRANTY COVERED CYLINDER HEAD AND I PAID ABOUT $800 FOR NEW RADIATOR. TOTAL OUTLAY $4500! I FOLDED MY CARDS AND GOT $3500 FOR VOLVO TOWARD A NEW TOYOTA COROLLA. NO MORE VOLVOS FOR ME! *NM

I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AN INCIDENT REGARDING A CAR FIRE, AND RESULTING TOTAL LOSS OF MY LEASED 2006 VOLVO V70. I LEASED THE CAR ON JANUARY 20, 2006. ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, JANUARY 13, 2007, I WAS DRIVING WITH MY TWO YOUNG GRANDSONS. WE WERE JUST STARTING TO HEAD SOUTH ON THE CHARTER OAK BRIDGE WHEN I LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE CAR TO A STOP ON THE EAST HARTFORD, CT SIDE OF THE BRIDGE. ONE OF MY GRANDSONS SHOUTED "I SEE SMOKE" AND SURE ENOUGH SMOKE WAS BILLOWING OUT FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. I TOLD THE BOYS, WHO WERE BOTH IN THE BACK SEAT, THAT WE HAD TO GET OUT NOW. I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ROLLING BACKWARDS AND I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE CAR STOPPED. WE ALL GOT OUT AND STARTED WALKING AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH NOW HAD HEAVY BLACK SMOKE COMING OUT OF IT AND FLAMES SHOOTING UP FROM THE FRONT END. A MAN STOPPED AND TOLD US TO GET FURTHER AWAY FROM THE CAR, WHICH WE DID. 911 WAS CALLED AND IN A VERY SHORT TIME THE CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE AND EAST HARTFORD FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE ON THE SCENE. THE CAR WAS LEASED NEW AND IT HAD UNDER 14,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH IT. THE ONLY SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE WAS THE REGULAR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT 7,500 MILES PERFORMED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE NEXT SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT 15,000 MILES. MY INSURANCE COMPANY ADVISED IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS, AND ALSO ADVISED THAT THEIR "CAUSE AND ORIGIN SPECIALIST" ADVISED THEM THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A SHORT-OUT IN THE POWER MODULATOR. I WOULDN'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE, AND I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THAT FIRE BUT OTHERS MIGHT NOT. *NM

ABS / TRAC LIGHTS INTERMITTENT FAILURE, CAUSING OCCASIONAL LOSS OF BRAKING FOR 1-2 SECONDS. *JB