VOLVO Complaints

ENGINE ROLLING W/VARYING RPM. ETS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, CONTINUES TO DO SO INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER (TASCA VOLVO, SEEKONK, MA) STATED ON 01-09-06 THAT, BASED ON ORDERS FROM VOLVO NA,VEHICLE NEEDED A "SYSTEM UPGRADE" AND OTHER REPAIRS & DIAGNOSTICS BEFORE PART REPLACEMENT COULD BE PERFORMED. SAID UPGRADE DONE & PAID FOR. AFTER 6 MILES OF DRIVING, ETS LIGHT ON AGAIN. CAR SURGES, ACCELERATES FOR NO REASON AND AT OTHER TIMES HAS NO PEP. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALER. I AM WAITING FOR RESULTS. *NM

WHEN MERGING ONTO HWY. CAR LOST POWER WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO ENTER LANE. CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST HIT ME AND SWERVED INTO THE OTHER LANE WHERE HE WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM OF MY CAR FAILED. VOLVO IS REPLACING THESE PER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED BEFORE THERE WAS A PROBLEM. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED AND WAS THEN TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO RECALL. I AM THE ONLY PRIVATE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, HAVING PURCHASED IT FROM A DEALERSHIP. YET WHEN I CALLED VOLVO ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY FOUND MY NEIGHBOR'S CAR IN THEIR DATABASE, BUT NOT MINE. I FEEL THERE ARE OTHERS BEING PUT AT RISK DUE TO THE AUTOS THROTTLE SYSTEM FAILURE. I HAVE SEEN A LETTER SENT TO A TELEVISION STATION STATING THAT THESE CARS HAVE A PROBLEM THEY CALL, "LIMP HOME MODE" . WELL, MINE WAS ALMOST "DEAD IN THE ROAD MODE" I HOPE THERE ARE NO DEATHS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FIXED, BECAUSE I COULD NOT DRIVE IT UNLESS I DID. I WILL NOT PURCHASE ANY MORE VOLVOS, DUE TO THE OMISSION OF THE TRUTH CONCERNING THIS VEHICLE. THANK YOU. BRENDA TILLEY. *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN MY VOLVO S60 THIS PAST WEEK I HAD THE SEAT HEATER ON. I NOTICED IT GOT EXTREMELY HOT, THE SEAT SEEMED MUCH HOTTER THAN IT USUALLY GOT WHEN I DO PUT IT ON, AT FIRST I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT SINCE IT HAS BEEN SO COLD I JUST FIGURED "WOW THIS IS WORKING GREAT!" BUT THE NEXT MORNING WHEN GOING OUT TO WORK I NOTICED A BURNT MARK CIRCLE IN SHAPE ON THE SIDE OF THE SEAT WHEN GETTING INTO MY VOLVO. I WAS UPSET SINCE I DON'T SMOKE AND I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO DRIVES MY CAR. WHEN I WENT TO PUT ON THE HEATER FOR THE SEAT THE SEAT NEVER GOT HOT. I WAS WONDERING IF THEIR IS ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND IF THIS CAR HAS A RECALL DUE TO A SAFETY ISSUE. TO ME IT IS OBVIOUS THAT SOMETHING WAS BURNING IN THE HEATING ELEMENT AND BURNT OUT THE SEAT HEATER. IF THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS I NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION ABOUT IT. WHAT MADE ME WONDER IF THERE WAS RECALL ON THIS I REMEMBER READING IN THE PAPER ABOUT A WOMEN WHO HAD A FIRE IN HEATED SEAT THIS PAST YEAR. PLEASE GET BACK TO ME REGARDING THIS INFORMATION. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REPEATED FAILURE AND REPLACEMENT OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. SINCE THE MOST RECENT REPLACEMENT 3 MONTHS AGO, THE CAR HAS STUTTERED WHEN ROUNDING TIGHTER CORNERS. NOW, THE CAR STALLS ON TIGHT CORNERS, CAUSING A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES LEADING TO A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. A CRASH WAS AVOIDED BY NEARBY VEHICLES WHEN THE CAR STALLED MID CORNER, SENDING THE CAR AND DRIVER INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE. THE DEALER/MANUFACTURER CONTINUES TO OFFER REPLACEMENT, BUT THE REPLACEMENTS QUICKLY WEAR CAUSING SIMILAR RESULTS. *NM

MY CAR IS A 1998 VOLVO V70 T5 WITH 75,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. AT ABOUT 7PM ON DECEMBER 28TH, 2005, I MOVED THE CAR FROM MY DRIVEWAY OUT ONTO THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, IN ORDER TO ALLOW A SECOND TANDEM-PARKED CAR OUT. THE VOLVO REMAINED PARKED ON THE STREET, DOORS LOCKED AND WINDOWS UP, UNTIL ABOUT 10PM. AT 10PM I WENT TO MOVE IT BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY, ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT THE INTERIOR HAD CAUGHT FIRE - THE FIRE WAS NO LONGER BURNING. THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS BURNT DOWN TO THE FRAME, AND SOME OF THE SURROUNDING TRIM ON THE DOOR, DASH AND CENTER CONSOLE WAS BURNED AND MELTED. THE REST OF THE INTERIOR WAS NOT BURNED BUT WAS COVERED WITH SOOT. MY INSURANCE COMPANY - COMMERCE INSURANCE OF MASSACHUSETTS - APPRAISED THE CAR AND DECLARED IT TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. I CAN'T SAY CONCLUSIVELY, BUT, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT HEATER WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. I NOTE THAT FOR MODEL YEARS 1996 AND 1997 THERE WAS A RECALL AGAINST VOLVO 850 SEAT HEATERS RELATED TO A FIRE HAZARD, BUT THIS RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO 1998 MODELS. PERHAPS THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO LATER MODELS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGES ARE OUT OF SYNC AND LOCK TOGETHER WHICH CAUSES A LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE ARMS. AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY INSTRUCTED THE CONTACT TO OPEN THE HOUSING ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE ARM AND TIGHTEN THE BOLT. THE CONTACT DID AS INSTRUCTED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. AFTERWARDS, THE PROBLEM RETURNED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE LINKAGE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, AND THEY PERFORMED THE SAME REPAIR THAT WAS INSTRUCTED BY MANUFACTURER'S CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK THE ENGINE WOULD HESITATE WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR. UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB

UPON ENTERING MY VEHICLE I NOTICED A LARGE BUBBLE IN THE SIDE WALL OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE. THE DECISION TO ATTEMPT TO DRIVE HOME WAS MADE AND WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON A PAVED ROAD THE FULDA ASSURO TIRE BLEW OUT IN THE SIDEWALL. THERE HAS BEEN NO EXPLANATION FOR THE BUBBLE IN THE TIRE ALTHOUGH THE TIRES WERE OBSERVED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION TWO DAYS PRIOR. *NM

AN S80, 2003 NEW, LOST THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WHEN THE BALL JOINT FAILED AT 27,000 MILES. VOVLVO REPLACED THE RIGHT AND LEFT FRONT BALL JOINTS UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID THIS HAPPENS SOMETIMES. HAD WE NOT BEEN ON A LOCAL ROAD TRAVELLING 20 MPH THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS INJURY. THE STEERING PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE 3/05. THE VOVLO DEALERSHIP SAID, IN MARCH OF 2005 THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS DO TO A LOOSE HOSE CONNECTION WHICH THEY CORRECTED. THE CAR CONTINUED TO STEER, FROM TIME TO TIME, LIKE IT WAS PLANING. CROWN VOLVO OF CHAPEL HILL NC IS THE DEALER. THEY HAVE OFFERED TO TAKE OVER THE LAST TWO LEASE PAYMENTS IF I BUY A NEW VOLVO. *NM

DT*:THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY LOST POWER AND LURCHED FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THEN, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITH FORCE. THE PROBLEM BECAME CURRENT AND HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. *AK

VEHICLE SURGING FORWARD WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT ROADS WET, BUT NOT FROZEN (LUCKILY). ON MAKING TURN IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, VOLVO S70 SURGED WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT REQUIRING DRIVER TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION AND BRAKE HARD. IN 2005, THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE STALL, VEHICLE HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION. VEHICLE HESITATION WAS CONSISTENT AT APPROXIMATELY 2100 RPM AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. ON TAKING IT TO THE DEALER THEY REPROGRAMMED THE ETM. AFTER THIS REPAIR, WITHIN DAYS, THE VEEHICLE EXPERIENCED AND SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED TRANSITION INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE OPERATION (LIMP MODE) WHILE DRIVING ON THE PA TURNPIKE. DEALER INSTRUCTED US TO BRING CAR IN WHERE THEY INSTALLED A NEW ETM AND REPROGRAMMED IT WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE UPGRADE. AFTER FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE DEALER, THE COST OF THESE REPAIRS WERE REIMBURSED BY THE DEALER IN AN AGREEMENT WITH VOLVO (SO-CALLED SECRET WARRANTY). NOTE THAT THIS OCCURED PRIOR TO THE SETTLEMENT IN CALIFORNIA. VOLVO WOULD REFER ME ONLY TO THE DEALER, AND WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE PROBLEMN WITH ME. I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY HAD THE ETM CLEANED WHEN WE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. THE CURRENT SURGING AND HESITATION AT FREEWAY SPEEDS (2000-2200 RPM) AND THE SURGING WITH ACCELERATOR INPUTS ARE HAPPENING WITH THE NEW ETM THAT IS ONLY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS OLD IN THE VEHICLE. *NM