VOLVO Complaints

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE. THIS WOULD ALSO HAPPEN WHEN STOPPING OR WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE MESSAGE READ CHECK EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SERVICE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE MASS AIRFLOW. THE REPLACEMENTS APPEARED TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. *AK (12/07/05) THERE WERE ALSO TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NEARLY STALL AND HAVE TO BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL. *SC

SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND FAULT CODES FOR THE ENGINE HAVE BEEN ENTERED. I EVEN HAD THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED DURING ONE OF THESE EPISODES. BUT DURING THE PAST 7 MONTHS I'VE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE AFFECTED THE DRIVEABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. PERIODICALLY, AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 30+ MINUTES, THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS IDLING (FEELS LIKE IT WILL STALL) AND THEN BLACK SMOKE WILL START EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON DURING THIS PROCESS BUT ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS ONCE AGAIN RUNNING NORMAL. THIS PROBLEM IS AN INTERMITTENT ONE. THE VEHICLE WILL RUN FINE FOR 2 WEEKS AND THEN SUDDENLY THE PROBLEM WILL REAPPEAR. SINCE THIS PROBLEM BEGAN, I'VE HAD THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED (TWICE--THREE TIMES IN TOTAL SINCE OWING THIS CAR), O2 SENSOR REPLACED (TWICE), CLEANING OF INTAKE AND THROTTLE PLATE, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, UPGRADED SOFTWARE FOR THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) AND SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT. NONE OF THESE HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD MY CAR FOR DAYS AT A TIME. THEY HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM BUT THE COMPUTER READINGS ARE NOT SHOWING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE COMPONENTS. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. *JB

FOR THE PAST YEAR (10/04-10/05), MY 2001 VOLVO S80 SEDAN HAS HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH STALLING AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. IT HAS OCCURRED AT SLOW SPEEDS AND UP TO 40 MPH IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER TWICE. THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY FAULT CODES DURING THE COMPUTER TROUBLESHOOTING, SO MY WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER ANY REPAIR. THEY SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE "BAD GAS" AND HAVE SENT ME HOME TWICE HAVING DONE NOTHING. THE STALLING PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FIVE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH. THE CAR HAS 66,500 MILES ON IT. *JB

I OWN A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. ON OCTOBER 27, 2005, WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING BEGAN TO STALL. I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR TO NO AVAIL. I WAS ABLE TO COAST OUT OF TRAFFIC. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, WAITED A FEW MINUTES, STARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE HOME. ALTHOUGH IT APPEARED TO DRIVE A LITTLE BETTER, IT CONTINUED TO JERK AND SPUTTER. *JB

THE ETS WARNING LIGHT WENT ON TWO DIFFERENT DAYS LEADING TO MY CALLING MY VOLVO DEALER. I WAS TOLD I MUST REPLACE MY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE BECAUSE NOT REPLACING IT COULD LEAD TO FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE AND COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. I HAD TO PAY $971 ON OCTOBER 22 TO HAVE MY DEALER REPLACE THE MODULE AS THE CAR WAS JUST PAST ITS WARRANTY. *JB

THE THROTTLE SURGES AT IDLE AND WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES NO POWER AND SOMETIMES IT JUST TAKES OFF. DEALER SAYS ITS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. STATED THEY HAVE REPLACED A NUMBER OF THESE. *NM

ETS LIGHT COMES ON. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM HAS FAILED AT 71,000 MILES. MY CAR IS A 2000 VOLVO XC70. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY LINKAGE MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE HAD A VERY POOR IDLE, AND THE ENGINE STALLED. THE ENGINE HAS NEVER COMPLETELY DIED. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER, WHO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY 6-8 MONTHS. THIS PROBLEM RECURRED. THE REPAIRS HAS NOT BEEN MADE DUE TO THE EXPENSE. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - *NM

FAILURE OF ENGINE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM) IN MY 2000 VOLVO C70 COUPE. FAILURE RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED AND STEERING ASSIST WHEN DRIVING, AS WELL AS, SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, 10/20/05 (ETS LIGHT DID NOT REMAIN ON AFTER SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN--SEE COMMENT BELOW) AND 10/22/05. CAR WAS TAKEN INTO VOLVO SPECIALIST REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR (REPAIR COST IS APPROXIMATELY $1000). REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS AS THIS WAS THE FIRST 2 YEARS THAT VOLVO HAD GONE TO AN ETM, AND IT "JUST WASN'T RIGHT". I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ETM, WHEN A CABLE WAS USED FROM THE GAS PEDAL TO THE THROTTLE, THE VOLVO SERVICE MANUAL ADVISED THAT THE THROTTLE SHOULD BE CLEANED AS PART OF REGULAR SERVICING OF A VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE VOLVO SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THE ETM BE CLEANED AS PART OF SERVICING. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY WHEN I HAD THE ETM FAILURES; OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DISCONCERTING ON THE SECOND FAILURE AS MY 15-YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VOLVO OWNER'S MANUAL ADVISES THAT IF THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON, "...THERE IS A FAULT IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND DRIVEABILITY WILL BE AFFECTED. SWITCH THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. IF THE LIGHT REMAINS ON, THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO RETAILER." WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THAT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN IN REGARDLESS (I.E., WHETHER OR NOT THE LIGHT REMAINS ON), AS IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IF A FAULT HAS OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ETM ARE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPENED, AND THE NHTSA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL OF THIS PART ON ALL 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS. ANY RELUCTANCE OF VOLVO TO AGREE TO THIS POST HASTE WOULD BE POOR CORPORATE STEWARDSHIP ON BEHALF OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE OWNER OF VOLVO CARS. *JB

MY 2001 VOLVO V70 XC WITH 44,000 MILES BEGAN RACING AND STALLING WHEN I CAME TO A STOP; DASHBOARD MESSAGE APPEARED INDICATING NEED FOR URGENT ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO SERVICE CENTER WHERE THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY. SERVICE CENTER INDICATED THEY HAVE SEEN A RASH OF THIS PROBLEM. *JB