VOLVO Complaints

ETM FAILED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC LAST YEAR. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED VOLVO IS NOT RECALLING BUT WILL COMPENSATE OWNERS FOR THE ETM REPAIRS. GO TO THE VOLVO WEBSITE AND E-MAIL THEM WITH REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT AND THEY WILL INSTRUCT WHERE TO SEND RECEIPTS FOR REPAIRS. THEY ARE SUPPOSEDLY SENDING LETTERS BUT I DID NOT GET ONE NOR WAS I CONTACTED BY THE DEALER WHERE THE REPAIRS WERE MADE. I HAVE HAD MANY EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS WITH MY V70 2001 XC BEFORE AND AFTER IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY SHOULD RECALL AS ETM IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. WHY NOT?? CLASS ACTION SUIT ANYONE? I WILL NEVER BUY A VOLVO AGAIN. *JB

WHILE BACKING UP AND STOPPING, I HEARD A "THUNK" FROM UNDER THE CAR. PROCEEDING, THERE WAS A NEW NOISE, WHICH I CHECKED OUT. THE RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE NO LONGER POWERED THE REAR WHEELS, AND I WAS ADVISED TO REPLACE IT, AT A COST OF ABOUT $1,300. WHEN THE GARAGE TOOK THE OLD DRIVE OFF, THEY FOUND THAT THE SPLINED SHAFT BETWEEN THE RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS STRIPPED OF ITS SPLINES, AND THE MATING PART ON THE TRANSMISSION WAS LIKEWISE STRIPPED. VERDICT: NEEDS NEW TRANSMISSION, TOO. I GOT A VOLVO REBUILT TRANSMISSION AND RIGHT ANGLE DRIVE, TOTAL COST $6,100. THE VOLVO DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. BECAUSE THE CAR HAD 90,000 MILES, IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. VOLVO AND THE DEALER REFUSED TO HELP AT ALL-TOUGH LUCK! IT IS DEFINITELY A DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. VOLVO ACTED AS IF ANY PROBLEM OUT OF WARRANTY WAS MINE. I FEEL THAT A RECURRING PROBLEM LIKE THIS, WITH SUCH A HUGE COST, SHOULD BE COVERED, OUT OF CONCERN FOR VOLVO'S AND FORD'S REPUTATION, AND THE RESALE MARKET FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING BUYING NEW VOLVOS. *JB

ON TWO FAMILY-OWNED VOLVO S60 T5'S, ALL THE WHEEL BOLTS HAVE RUSTED (20 PER CAR, 40 TOTAL) TO THE POINT WHERE ON ONE CAR THE WHEEL BOLTS COULD NOT BE REMOVED TO CHANGE THE TIRE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. ALL 2001 S60/V70/V70XC MODELS SEEM TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH WHEEL BOLTS RUSTING. *NM

MY CAR STARTED ACCELERATING BY ITSELF. IT WOULD START TO CHUG LIKE IT WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. THERE WAS LITTLE ACCELERATION WHEN I DID GIVE IT THE GAS. I TOOK IT TO THE VOLVO DEALER IN MILWAUKEE AND HAD IT FIXED. THE COST WAS JUST UNDER $979.73. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NO PARTICULAR SPEED, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED METAL SHAVINGS WERE PRESENT IN THE OIL PAN RESULTING IN THE ENGINE NEEDING REPLACED AND NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT INTERMITTENTLY SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ETS LIGHT ILLUMINATED THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS OCCURRED AT ANY SPEED AND MAINLY WHILE TURNING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, AND HAPPENED 50-60 TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE A PROBLEM.

THE TIMING BELT HOLDER BROKE ON MY 1998 VOLVO WHILE ON DRIVING ON US ROUTE 40 IN CHAPEL HILL NORTH CAROLINA. THIS CAUSED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ACCELERATION. FORTUNATELY WE WERE IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. *JB

I HAVE A 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY WAGON. THE PROBLEM BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2005. CAR STARTS BUT IMMEDIATELY DIES, STARTS BUT DIES, STARTS BUT DIES AND THEN, FINALLY, CATCHES. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON ABOUT 15 OCCASIONS SINCE DEC 10, 2005 AND TAKES ABOUT 3 TO 6 TRIES BEFORE ENGINE CATCHES. CAR SURGED ONCE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAD THE COMPUTER REPLACED IN JAN 2005 (BEFORE THIS PROBLEM EMERGED), THE STARTER MOTOR REPLACED (JUNE), THE THERMOSTAT REPLACED (JANUARY 2006) AND RECENTLY THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACED (LATTER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY). I HAVE ONLY 75,000 MILES ON THIS CAR AND IT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL LIKE A LEMON. THE SERVICE DEALER PUT ME OFF WHEN I STATED THAT IT MUST HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. I DON'T HAVE ALL THE OLD PARTS BUT MAYBE EITHER THE THERMOSTAT OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I CAN'T TAKE THE CAR ANY DISTANCE FOR FEAR THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO START IT. THE DEALER SAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS TO COME ON AND INDICATE ETM FAILURE BEFORE THEY ARE OBLIGATED TO REPLACE THE ETM. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID COME ON FOR THE 2 PROBLEMS, THERMOSTAT AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I DON'T WANT TO BLAME THE DEALER FOR FAILING TO RESPOND BECAUSE THEY DID REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS AN UNDER-WARRANTY ITEM AND THEY DID SEEM TO HONESTLY LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM. BUT WE ALL KNOW THE ETM IS WAITING TO FAIL AND MIGHT EVEN BE IN THE PROCESS OF FAILING. WHY WASN'T VOLVO FORCED INTO A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM? I'D APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE. THANKS. *JB

I AM EXPERIENCING CONTINUING SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY VOLVO XC90. THIS VEHICLES ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) SYSTEM IS MALFUNCTIONING WITHOUT WARNING AND AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS RESULTS IN UNPREDICTABLE AND ERRATIC VEHICLE HANDLING WHICH CREATES SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES TO THE VEHICLES DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR AND WAS CONFIRMED AND DOCUMENTED BY A VOLVO DEALER DURING THE SUMMER OF 2005. I MUST POINT OUT THIS SAFETY PROBLEM INVOLVES AN ACTIVE SYSTEM THAT CANNOT BE CONTROLLED, ADJUSTED OR DISABLED BY THE VEHICLES DRIVER. THIS SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DURING THE WINTER OF 2005. AT THAT TIME, THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FAILED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ON A SNOW COVERED ROAD. THIS CAUSED SUDDEN AND UNCONTROLLED FRONT WHEEL SPIN WHICH LED TO A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AND WITH THE VEHICLE SLIDING OFF A ROAD. A TOW TRUCK WAS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE ROAD. THE VOLVO DEALER THAT CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM HAS MADE SEVERAL FAILED ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR IT. THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS WITHIN THE VEHICLES HIGH SPEED NETWORK AND RELOADED VEHICLE SOFTWARE. THEY HAVE ALSO REPLACED: 1) THE VEHICLES FRONT WHEEL SENSORS, 2) THE MFI MODULE USED FOR VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS, 3) THE BCM MODULE USED BY THE AWD SYSTEM, AND 4) THE AWD AOC UNIT WITH CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION. NONE OF THIS HAS RESOLVED THE SAFETY PROBLEMS I AM EXPERIENCING FROM THIS VEHICLE. THIS VOLVO DEALER HAS TOLD ME THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE: 1) THE VEHICLES DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM DOES NOT REPORT ANY DIAGNOSTIC CODES, 2) THEIR OWN TECHNICIANS CANNOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, AND 3) VOLVO TECHNICIANS CANNOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. MY REQUESTS TO VOLVO CARS OF NORTH AMERICA HAVE BEEN IGNORED OR REJECTED, EVEN BY VOLVO CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND VOLVO REGIONAL MANAGERS. I AM LEFT TO DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH OBVIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT CANNOT BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY ANYONE. *NM

CONSUMER 1998 S70 ENGINE HAS FAILED ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, TIMING BELT SERPENTINE BELT HAS BEEN REPLACED. *TS ***NAR*** THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THIS WAS A PREMATURE FAILURE. THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING. THE FRONT SPRING SEAT WAS REPLACED. *JB