VOLVO Complaints

BOTH FRONT SPRINGS HAVE BROKEN DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THIS CREATED A TRAFFIC HAZARD WHEN THE CAR BECAME SUDDENLY DIFFICULT TO STEER AND IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. THE PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT SPRING BROKE 2 YEARS AGO WHILE DRIVING ON A WELL-PAVED, MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. THE DRIVER-SIDE FRONT SPRING BROKE 9 DAYS AGO WHILE DRIVING ON A WELL-PAVED SIDE STREET. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE CAR WAS TRANSPORTED BY FLAT BED TRUCK TO A REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE PART WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. *JB

FAILURE OF "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM)". LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING WITH NO ADVANCED WARNING OR OTHER INDICATION IMMANENT FAILURE. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP HOME MODE" WHICH PROVIDES ENOUGH POWER FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE DRIVEN, BUT BECAUSE THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT COMPUTER ATTEMPTS TO KEEP A FIXED, SOMEWHAT ABOVE IDLE, THROTTLE SETTING, RELEASING THE THROTTLE DOES NOT RESULT IN ENGINE BRAKING AS NORMAL FOR A MANUAL TRANSMISSION VEHICLE. NEITHER SITUATION, LOSS OF POWER OR LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL, IS ACCEPTABLE AND COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER NEARLY RESULTED IN MY BEING REAR ENDED, LUCKILY THE DRIVER BEHIND ME REACTED QUICKLY ENOUGH TO AVOID HITTING ME. THE DEALER INSTALLED NEW SOFTWARE IN THE ETM IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *JB

2001 S80 VOLVO ETM FAILURE. IT STARTED AS VEHICLE HESITATION, THEN PROCEEDED TO SURGING FORWARD WITH NO THROTTLE INPUT, THEN PROGRESSED TO NO ACCELERATOR RESPONSE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THEN TO STALLING WHEN COASTING LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES AT SPEEDS UP TO 55 MPH, THEN TO ROUGH IDLE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ALL SYMPTOMS WERE PRESENT UPON TAKING TO THE DEALER BASED ON SOME WEB RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY TO PROBLEM. THE DEALER RETURNED WITH AN ANALYSIS FOR TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT, ENGINE TUNE UP, ENGINE COOLANT FLUSH, CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM CLEANING, BRAKE SYSTEM FLUSHING, AND MASS AIR FLOW REPLACEMENT AMOUNTING TO AN INITIAL COST OF $1980.00 US. I REQUESTED A CONFERENCE WITH THE TECHNICIAN, AND A REVIEW OF THE DIAGNOSTICS REPORT. THE END RESULT WAS A MAF REPLACEMENT PAID FOR BY ME (CUSTOMER) AND AMAZINGLY THE TECH NOTES RECOMMENDED CLEANING OF THE CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM AND THE ETM CLEANING WHICH WAS COVERED BY THE DEALER. TOTAL COST WAS $328.21 TO CONSUMER AND BALANCE COVERED BY DEALER. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE ON 3/07/06, REPLACED MAF UNAVAILABLE. I FEEL THAT I HAVE BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF AND ESSENTIALLY PAID $328 UNNECESSARILY DUE TO FURTHER WEB RESEARCH IDENTIFYING CLEANING OF THE ETM AND CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM WOULD IN FACT CAUSE TROUBLE CODES LEADING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MAF. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR HOSE CONNECTING CLAMP LEAKED FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY A DEALER AND CONNECTING CLAMP WAS REPLACED. AFTERWARDS, THE POWER STEERING FLUID CONTINUED TO LEAK AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THE CLAMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTERMARKET RIMS AND TIRES WERE INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE. WHILE MAKING LEFT TURNS THE TIRES RUBBED AGAINST THE FENDER WALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE AN AFTERMARKET SPACER BAR WAS INSTALLED WHICH TEMPORARILY REMEDIED THE PROBLEM. AFTERWARDS, THE DEALERSHIP PUT THE ORIGINAL TIRES AND RIMS BACK ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THE AFTERMARKET SPACER BAR HAS INTERFERED WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE.

I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 VOLVO V70 ON THE HIGHWAY, AND IT CONSTANTLY ACCELERATES AND DECELERATES ON ITS OWN WITH NO ACTION DONE BY ME. IN ONE CASE IT ACCELERATED TO THE POINT IN WHICH I LOST CONTROL AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE ETM REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP AT A COST OF 1000.00 TO ME BECAUSE IT IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY COVERAGE. *NM

WHILE RUNNING SLOWLY MY VOLVO 98 XC JUST SLOWED UP AND STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AFTER ABOUT A HALF MINUTE AND 3 TRIES. WHEN IT DID NOT START, THERE WAS NO SOUND OF "TURNOVER" OCCURRING. NO DAMAGE HAPPENED, SINCE I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY WITHIN A PARKING GARAGE. THE FIRST FAILURE (THAT MIRRORED THE MOST RECENT) WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY DOWN A RESIDENTIAL STREET. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND A DEFECT FOLLOWING THE FIRST FAILURE, SO I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR SINCE THEN. THE DEALER DID NO REPAIRS AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN COOL (30-50F) AND DRY. *NM

I RECENTLY BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2001 VOLVO V70 STATION WAGON. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE PCV SYSTEM HAD BECOME CLOGGED AS A RESULT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE ETM. WHEN THEY TESTED THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY DID NOT FIND ANY COMPUTER CODES RELATED TO THE ETM SO THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE PCV BY THE FAULTY ETM UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN THEY CLEAN OR REPLACE THE ETM THEY SERVICE THE PCV AS PART OF THE REPAIR THEY HAVE INDICATED TO ME THAT UNTIL THE ETM FAILS COMPLETELY THEY ARE UNWILLING TO COVER THE PCV PROBLEM UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. *JB

RE: VOVLO S80 2000 MODEL YEAR; CAR INDEPENDENTLY ACCELLERATED WHILE BEING DRIVEN THE CAR SURGED WHEN IN IDLE, THEN WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED WITHOUT MY PRESSING THE GAS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR USING THE BRAKE. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR AGAIN ACCELLERATED. I STOPPED THE CAR AGAIN, AND WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE IT ACCELLERATED A THIRD TIME. I TURNED THE CAR OFF. AS I WAS IN AN OPEN PARKING LOT, I TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS REPEATABLE. THE CAR AGAIN SURGED IN IDE, THEN ACCELLERATED SOON AFTER MY PUTTING IT IN DRIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, AND THE PROBLEM REPEATED A THIRD TIME. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE CAR WAS STARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE VOLVO DEALER, WHERE THE MECHANICS REPEATEDLY TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT SUCCESS. WE LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR EIGHT WEEKS, BASICALLY REFUSING TO PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT. VOLVO HAD A SPECIALIST LOOK AT THE CAR, AND THE SPECIALIST WAS ULTIMATELY ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SPECIALIST NOTED THAT THE CAR WAS INCREASING, INSTEAD OF DECREASING, RPM'S AS IT CAME TO A STOP. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE MODULE AND UPDATED THE SOFTWARE FOR THE THROTTLE MECHANISM. WE LOOKED INTO VOLVO'S KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) HAS FREQUENTLY FAILED, CAUSING CARS TO STALL AND ACCELLERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. WE OBTAINED THE SERVICE RECORDS OF OUR (RECENTLY PURCHASED, USED) CAR AND FOUND THAT THE ETM HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO PROBLEMS REPORTED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN 2003. ONE WEEK AGO, WHEN THE CAR STALLED. THE INCIDENT DATE ENTERED BELOW IS APPROXIMATE, BUT I CAN FIND OUT THE EXACT DATE IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE OPERATING AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AND REPLACED THE COMPUTER, BUT THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPLACED THE BATTERY. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN SEEN BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW COMPUTER AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AWAITING THIS REPLACEMENT. THE CONSUMER STATED HE IS STILL EXPERIENCING STALLING PROBLEMS. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ETS. THE DEALER STATED NO CODES WERE SHOWING UP. UPDATED 08/25/06. *JB