VOLVO Complaints

I HAVE INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE DIPPED BEAMS IN MY 2001 VOLVO V70 T5. I SEE AN ERROR REPORT ON THE DASH: BULB FAILURE. DIPPED BEAMS. BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY BULBS. THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT IS TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE LEADING TO LOSS OF LOW BEAMS. VOLVO SERVICE MANAGERS SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEM. AM I THE ONLY PERSON TO REPORT THIS DEFECT? IT STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO IN THE WINTER OF 2003 BUT IS NOW MORE REGULAR BUT NOT ALWAYS. *NM

WARMED UP CAR FOR 2 MINUTES; DROVE 2 MILES TO DRUG STORE--LET ENGINE IDLE WHILE WIFE IN THE STORE; DROVE .1 MILE AND ENGINE BEGAN ACTING VERY ERRATIC! SPUTTERING AND STALLING AND NO ENGINE POWER CAR DIED INTO PARKING LOT; VERY LIGHT TRAFFIC IN MIDTOWN ALLOWED ME LIMP CAR TO DROP FAMILY AT TRANSIT STATION AND LEFT VOLVO AT OFFICE .3 MILES AWAY; AFTER RETURNING FROM VACATION CAR RAN OK--CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS STILL ON + TWO URGENT ERROR MESSAGES. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE ETM DESPITE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEING ON. *NM

VEHICLE DEFECT MAKE: VOLVO YEAR: 1999 MODEL: S80 NATURE OF PROBLEM: CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND VOLVO TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSES THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE WHICH I FOUND LATER TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLVOS. THE DEALERSHIP ESTIMATED THE REPAIR TO BE $850 PLUS THE COST OF THE DIAGNOSIS ($82.00). I REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE THE REPAIR AND SOUGHT ALTERNATIVES. PRESENTLY, THE CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON AND THE CAR IDLES ROUGHLY AND SUFFERS FROM POOR GAS MILEAGE BUT CONTINUES TO START AND RUN. AS THIS IS AN APPARENT PROBLEM WITH VOLVOS AS I WAS TOLD BY OTHER MECHANICS, I FELT THAT THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF VOLVO RATHER THAN MYSELF. *JB

FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE RESIULTED IN ERRATIC THROTTLE RESPONSE. SURGING ON IDLE WAS CAUSING PROBLEMS IF BRAKE WAS NOT APPLIED STRONGLY ENOUGH. CRUISE CONTROL WAS ALSO ERRATIC IN FUNCTION. TOOK TO THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT @ $1200.00. THEY GAVE NO INDICATION THAT THIS WAS A CHRONIC PROBLEM. I ONLY DISCOVERED THE CHRONIC NATURE OF THE PROBLEM ON A BULLETIN BOARD WEB SITE FOR VOLVO'S. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES TO HAVE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED AFTER REPAIRS MADE. THE VEHICLE SURGES AND STUTTERS VIOLENTLY THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.*AK THE DOOR LATCH WAS BROKEN. A LOOSE BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED. THE DRIVERS WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP. UPDATED 01/25/06. *JB

VEHICLE REQUIRED A NEW ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY DESPITE BEING ONLY SIX YEARS OLD AND HAVING ONLY 56,410 MILES. VEHICLE WAS INITIALLY MILDLY HESITATING AND JERKING, THEN WORSENED TO THE POINT WHERE WE WERE CONCERNED FOR OUR SAFETY. WE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO TO THE DEALER AND SPEND $1,078.93 TO REPLACE THE PART. (KBB VALUES VEHICLE AT $14,365, SO THIS REPAIR COST APPROX. 7.5% OF THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE!) WORSE YET, THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH THE EXACT SAME PART, NOT A NEWER/RE-ENGINEERED ONE LESS LIKELY TO FAIL. WE HAVE SAVED THE PART IF ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK AT IT. THIS IS NOT WHY WE BOUGHT A VOLVO. *NM

I AM SUBMITTING ETM FAILURE IN MY 2000 VOLVO V70 SE WAGON IN OCTOBER OF 2005. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY DRIVING THIS CAR BECAUSE THE CAR HESITATES UPON ACCELERATION, THERE'S SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED TRANSITION INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE OPERATION (LIMP MODE) AND SOMETIMES WHEN THE ETS INDICATOR HAS ENGAGED WHILE MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE THE CAR SURGES FORWARD AS IF I WERE GIVING IT A LOT OF GAS. I WENT TO THE DEALER IN CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA, TODAY, DECEMBER 28, 2005, AND THE MODULE WAS NOT REPLACED BUT, THE SERVICE REPS DID SAY THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE - WHATEVER THAT IS - AND UPGRADED THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM ON THE COMPUTER. FIVE MINUTES AFTER LEAVING THE VOLVO SERVICES DEPARTMENT THE ETM FAILED AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY DID ALL THAT THEY COULD DO. *JB

CONSISTENT ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH 2001 VOLVO S40 RESULTING IN ENGINE DELAYS, IDLING, PAUSING, OVER HEATING AND BURNING WHILE ON THE FREEWAY AND AT BOTH ACCELERATED (65 MPH) AND RESIDENTIAL (35 MPH) SPEEDS. *NM

I OWN A 99 VOLVO S70. THE ETS LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON REGULARLY. THE INFO IN THE OWNERS MANUAL JUST SAYS TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND THEN TURN IT ON AGAIN AND SEE IF THE LIGHT GOES AWAY. IT HAS IN THE PAST BUT IT'S COMING ON ALL THE TIME NOW. I LOOKED ON" EDMUNDS" TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL.. AND THERE WAS NOTHING THERE.. BUT THEN I SAW A VOLVO OWNERS FORUM AND THERE WERE LOTS OF EMAILS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WAS PRETTY DANGEROUS BECAUSE YOUR THROTTLE JUST STOPS WORKING. WE COMMUTE TO BOSTON EVERYDAY ( MY HUSBAND DOES NOT GET OUT OF WORK UNTIL AFTER 10:00PM ).. AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS AS IT IS.. BUT TO THINK ABOUT LOSING THE THROTTLE SCARES THE HECK OUT OF ME. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING AT MIDNIGHT ON ROUTE 128. IT WOULD BE SUICIDE. I WAS UNABLE TO FIND RECALL.. BUT A MECHANIC AROUND HERE TOLD ME THE COST TO REPAIR IS ABOUT 850.00!L I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT A DEALER ON FRIDAY.. BUT IT WOULD SURE HELP TO KNOW IF THERE WAS RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE LOST SPEED. WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN OR AT A RED LIGHT THE ENGINE STALLED. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THE THROTTLE MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THEY STATED THIS PROBLEM WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE.*AK