VOLVO Complaints

DT: CONSUMER OWNS A 1999 VOLVO V70. VEHICLE STALLED/ DIED AND LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE VALVE FAILURE. *AK

DRIVING SOUTH ON I95 NEAR CLINTON,CONNECTICUT WITH TWO OTHER SUV'S FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS - MEDIUM TO HEAVY FLOW TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. DRIVING NORMAL SPEEDS IN THE LEFT LANE WHEN THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS STARVED FOR FUEL AND WOULDN'T REACT TO THE THROTTLE CONTROL. TOP SPEED WAS ONLY ABOUT 35-40 MPH AND AN INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED "PERFORMANCE DEGRAGATION" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE CAR WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE RIGHT LANE, BUT THEN DIED AND WOULD NOT START FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. A STATE TROOPER DID PULL UP BEHIND ALL THREE CARS AND LENDED SOME TRAFFIC ASSISTANCE. AFTER A WHILE THE CAR DID START AGAIN AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE NEAREST EXIT. SINCE WE WERE STILL 2 HOURS FROM HOME AND AAA COULDN'T GET US PHYSICALLY HOME, WE WAITED 1 HOUR AND TRIED OUR LUCK. THE CAR DID GET US HOME, BUT THERE WAS A VERY SLIGHT MISFIRE PRESENT MOST OF THE WAY HOME THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE UNNOTICED IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. THE NEXT DAY VOLVO OF WESTPORT FIXED THE CAR AND SAID IT WAS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM - THEY REPLACED IT, BUT SAID THEY COULDN'T GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. WE LOVE OUR VOLVO XC90 AND PURCHASED IT FOR SAFETY ONLY, BUT THIS PROBLEM IS A SERIOUS CONCERN FOR US, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAD 7 ADULTS AND THREE KIDS RANGING FROM 16 MONTHS TO 6 YEARS OF AGE STRANDED ON I95 DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC!!!!! THE CAR IS A VOLVO XC90 2001 - I WAS ASSURED BY THE WESTPORT DEALER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED IN THE 2003+ MODELS AND WE ARE CONSIDERING AN UPGRADE - IF WE CAN TRUST VOLVO AGAIN. *NM

OUR 2001 VOLVO S-80 STALLED TWICE, SO WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALER WHERE THEY CHARGED US $1,044 TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. I FULLY SUPPORT A PRODUCT RECALL AS THIS CAUSED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ON I-75 INTERSTATE AND WHEN I WENT TO PASS A VEHICLE IN THE LEFT LANE I FELT A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IN MY ENGINE. I THEN HAD TO CUT ACROSS 4 LANES OF EXPRESSWAY TRAFFIC TO GET MY CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER. THEN MY CAR STALLED OUT. WHENEVER I RESTARTED IT, IT WOULD STALL BACK OUT AGAIN. THE AUTO SHOP TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR, AND GAS PEDAL SENSOR COSTING ME WELL OVER $2000. (THE OLD PARTS ARE AT MY HOUSE, I'VE KEPT THEM). *NM

IN JANUARY OF 2005 I NOTICED SURGING WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. BROUGHT VEHICLE TO VOLVO OF PLEASANTON DEALER TO HAVE THIS INVESTIGATING. NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. NO OBDII ERRORS. IN APRIL, 2005 I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AGAIN AND ASKED FOR A MECHANIC TO DRIVE WITH ME SO THAT I COULD ENSURE HE WAS DETECTING THE SURGING. HE DID. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE WAS FAILING AND THAT IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD NOT HAVE THE PART AS IT WAS A WARRANTY ITEM. ON-LINE, I FOUND HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THESE PARTS FAILING. I AM NOW CONCERNED THAT WHILE VOLVO REPLACED MY ETM, THEY DID SO WITH THE EXACT SAME DESIGN... HENCE I MUST ASSUME THAT IN ANOTHER 45,000 MILES THE PART WILL FAIL AGAIN. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED AND A NEW DESIGN MUST BE INSTITUTED. *NM

DT: THE OWNER NOTICED AFTER DELIVERY OF VEHICLE THAT THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE MILEAGE. THE GAUGE WOULD READ HOW FAST THE OWNER WAS TRAVELING, BUT NOT HOW FAR THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING. THE OWNER NOTICED THIS WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MILES OF DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON THE PHONE AFTER VIEWING A WEBSITE. THE DEALERSHIP WHO SOLD THE VEHICLE DID NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY. ALSO, CERTAIN FIELDS IN THE VEHICLE INFORMATION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN CHECKED TO INDICATE AN ODOMETER PROBLEM, AND THESE FIELDS WERE NOT CHECKED. WHEN THE OWNER ASKED ABOUT THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE THE OWNER WAS TOLD BY SALESMAN THAT THERE WERE 131,889 MILES. THIS WAS THE SAME MILEAGE THAT WAS ON THE TITLE AND ON THE WEB SITE. THIS WAS THE MILEAGE THAT THE ODOMETER SHOWED BECAUSE THE ODOMETER WILL NOT ADVANCE AS THE MILEAGE INCREASED. THE OWNER GOT THE TITLE ON AUGUST 9 2005, AND THE TITLE STATED AS OF MARCH 2003 THERE WERE 122,042 MILES. ON VEHICLE. THE MILEAGE ADVANCED ABOUT 10,000 MILES SINCE 2003. THE OWNER CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP ON AUGUST 5 2005 ABOUT THE ODOMETER PROBLEM, AS WELL AS A ENGINE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE MILEAGE PROBLEM, AND WAS UNCONCERNED ABOUT IT. THE OWNER TOOK THE CAR TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS, BUT VOVLO HAS NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SPEEDOMETER WORKING BUT NOT THE ODOMETER. *AK

I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 20 FROM ATLANTA, GA HEADED TO CHARLESTON, SC. BETWEEN AUGUSTA, GA AND COLUMBIA, SC, THE CAR LOST POWER AS IF SOMEONE WERE APPLYING THE BRAKES WHILE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. SUDDENLY, I HAD A WARNING LIGHT COME ON THAT SAID "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". I WOUND UP HAVING TO LOCATE THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER IN COLUMBIA WHERE I LEFT MY CAR FOR REPAIR AND HAD TO PROCEED TO CHARLESTON IN A RENTED VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED LATE IN THE DAY ON FRIDAY AND I HAD TO BE IN CHARLESTON FOR A MEETING ON SATURDAY MORNING. THE "THROTTLE BODY CONTROL" WAS DEEMED TO BE THE PROBLEM AND THE DEALER REPLACED IT AT A COST OF CLOSE TO $1,000. WHEN I ASKED WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD CONTINUED TO DRIVE I WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR EVENTUALLY WOULD HAVE LOST TOTAL POWER AND DIED. UNFORTUNATELY, I DO NOT HAVE THE PART THAT WAS REPLACED. WHEN I READ ABOUT YOUR INVESTIGATION, I WAS OUTRAGED THAT THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DANGEROUS AND FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. *NM

DASHBOARD GIVES OFF EXCESSIVE GLARE IN WINDSHIELD ESPECIALLY WHERE THE PART ABOVE THE STEERING COLUMN JOINS WITH THE REST OF THE DASHBOARD. *NM

DT: ON JULY 23 WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH THE OWNER NOTICED THE PERFORMANCE REDUCED LIGHT"CAME ON . THE CRUISE CONTROL SHUT OFF BY ITSELF. THEN OWNER PUSHED THE GAS, THERE WAS A FEELING OF LOSS OF POWER. THEN, THE OWNER GOT OFF ON THE NEAREST EXIT. STOPPED FOR A SECOND, AN D THE CAR SEEMED SLUUGISH.THE OWNER CONTINUED ON THE TRIP AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED BACK ON THE OWNER NOTICED THE PERFORMANCE REDUCED LIGHT WENT OFF. THE OWNER TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT SINCE THE LIGHT WASN'T ON THE COMPUTER WOULD NOT FIND THE CODE. THE MECHANIC SAID GO AHEAD AND DRIVE IT SINCE NO WARNING LIGHTS WERE SHOWING RIGHT NOW. THEN ON AUGUST 9 WHILE GOING 75 MPH. THE "PERFORMANCE REDUCED LIGHT" CAME ON AND AT THE SAME THE TIME CRUISE CONTROL WENT OFF AND WOULD NOT COME BACK ON.THERE WAS A FEELING OF LOSS OF POWER. THE OWNER TOOK IT DIRECLTY TO THE MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THE CAR WAS SHOWING A CODE INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. SO THE OWNER WILL TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. THE OWNER CALLED THE DEALERHSIP WHO ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE OWNER SHOULD JUST BRING IN THE CAR FOR INSPECTION. THE OWNER CALLED VOLVO AND THEY HAVE ADVISED THAT THEY ARE NOT HELPING WITH THE COST OF REPAIR BECUASE THERE IS NO RECALL.DID THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALL OUT AND DIE OR DID IT LOSE POWER AND OPERATE AT A REDUCED SPEED? REDUCED SPEEDIF NO CRASHES OR INJURIES WERE THERE ANY NEAR-MISSES CAUSED BY THE PROBLEM? THE OWNER SAYS NO NEAR MISSES YET.THE OWNER WILL TAKE IT TO DEALER TOMORROW. VOLVO HAS ADVISED THEY WILL NOT HELP PAY FOR REPAIR.HAS THE ETM HAS NEVER BEEN REPLACED. *AK

FOR ABOUT A WEEK THE CAR WAS RUNNING ROUGH WITH HESITATION AND A JERKING FEELING OF LOSS OF POWER. THEN AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME WITH OUR CHILDREN THE NIGHT OF THE 27TH OF JULY THE CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER COMPLETELY TO THE POINT WHERE SHE WAS FORCED TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD. THE INFORMATION CENTER ON THE CAR INDICATED "PERFORMANCE REDUCED" BUT OFFERED NO OTHER INFORMATION AND THE MANUAL OFFERED NO OTHER NARRATIVE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO TOM WOOD VOLVO IN INDIANAPOLIS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN HAD A HUNCH RIGHT AWAY THAT IT WAS A FAULTY ETM. ITEM WAS REPLACED WITH NEW WHICH RESULTED IN A BILL OF $1100. SINCE THE PROBLEM I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *NM