VOLVO Complaints

THERE WAS NOTHING LEADING UP TO THE ENGINE STALLING OUT, IT JUST HAPPENED ALL OF A SUDDEN. I HAVE HAD A SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED/ POWER TO VEHICLE IN THE PAST AND ALSO JUST RECENTLY...ALONG WITH NO ABILITY TO STEER WHILE DRIVING IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND THEN THE VEHICLE WILL JUST STALL OUT COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, UNABLE TO RESTART UNTIL THE CAR FEELS LIKE CRANKING UP AGAIN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A VOLVO REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC COULD FIND A PROBLEM BUT A WEEK LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THE STALLING HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, SO YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. *NM

I OWNED A 2000 VOLVO S-80 SEDAN THAT HAD A THROTTLE BODY FAILURE ON 08/13/03 WHILE TRAVELING ON I-35 IN IOWA. THE ENGINE STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE. THE CAR HAD 53,487 MILES ON IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT VOLVO THROTTLE BODY FAILURES AND THOUGHT YOU SHOULD BE INFORMED. I CONSIDERED THE CAR TO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND SOLD IT WITHIN A MONTH OF THE INCIDENT. THE CAR WAS REPAIRED WITH A NEW THROTTLE BODY AND ACCESSORIES AT BETTS AUTO CAMPUS IN DES MOINES, IOWA AT A COST OF $895.50. *NM

MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I CURRENTLY OWN A 1999 VOLVO V70. ON AUGUST 1, I HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING A POTENTIAL ENGINE PROBLEM WITH VOLVOS. THIS WAS THE SAME DAY I WAS TAKING MY CAR TO A LOCAL VOLVO DEALER FOR ITS 150,000 MILES SERVICE AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I WAS PLANNING TO REPORT WAS THAT THE CAR STALLS OCCASIONALLY WHEN I AM DRIVING OR JUST LOOSES SPEED. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST TWO YEARS TO AT LEAST THREE VOLVO DEALERS IN THE NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY METROPOLITAN AREA AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD IN ALL OCCASIONS THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED WHEN CONDUCTING THE SERVICE. THE STALLING PROBLEM BEGAN IN 2003 AND HAS HAPPENED 12 TIMES TO DATE. IN ONE OCCASION I WAS DRIVING AT 50 MILES AN HOUR IN A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPEN. MY WIFE AND MY CHILD WERE IN THE CAR THEN. WE WERE ALL UNHARMED. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THE VOLVO DEALER ON AUGUST 1, I GOT A CALL FOR THE SERVICE PERSON AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE OF THE CAR HAD AN INTERNAL FAULT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR ALMOST $1,000. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE REASON WHY MY CAR WAS STALLING OR LOOSING SPEED. HOWEVER, KNOWING THAT THE CAR MODEL IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM, I DECIDED NOT TO FIX IT UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF THE INVESTIGATION IS KNOWN. IN MY OPINION, THIS PROBLEM EXISTS WITH THE VOLVO MODELS -- INCLUDING MINE - AND ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO PURSUE THE INVESTIGATION . THANK YOU. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON I 75, I SUDDENLY FELT AS IF I HAD NO CONTROL OF MY CAR. I SAID SOMETHING TO THE GIRL RIDING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. WE WATCHED AS WE DRIFTED SLOWLY INTO THE RIGHT LANE INTO A HUGE SEMI!! AFTER HITTING HIS CAB (THANK GOODNESS WE DIDN'T HIT FURTHER BACK AND GO UNDER THE TRUCK), THE CAR WENT TO THE LEFT AND I STOPPED ON THE LEFT SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. IT FELT A LITTLE LIKE WHEN YOU HYDRO-PLANE (IT WAS NOT RAINING), BUT I COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. I THOUGHT MAYBE MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT, BUT THE ENTIRE RIGHT FRONT HAD BEEN SHREDDED BY THE TRUCK. I WAS CHARGED WITH THE ACCIDENT FOR FAILING TO KEEP MY CAR UNDER CONTROL. I HAVE BEEN SUED FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE ($100,000) TO THE TRUCK AND NOW I AM BEING SUED FOR HIS PERSONAL INJURIES. I SENT YOUR INFO ABOUT THE VOLVO INVESTIGATION TO THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER. I WAS WITHOUT MY CAR FOR WEEKS. I BOUGHT THE VOLVO BECAUSE I WANTED THE SAFEST CAR AND NOW REALIZE THAT MY SON'S GIRLFRIEND AND I EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED THAT DAY. *NM

(1) AIR CONDITIONER DOES NOT WORK IN HOT WEATHER (OVER 100 DEGREE). THE CAR WILL STALL AFTER A FEW MINUTES AFTER THE AIR CONDITIONING QUITS. (2) THE CAR WILL STALL AFTER THE AIR CONDITIONING QUITE. MOVE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE CAR. THANK GOD IT HAS WORKED SO FAR. (3) TAKE THE CAR TO WALNUT CREEK, CA VOLVO AND THEY CANNOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING. *NM

NO EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE. ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE FAILED WHILED DRIVING ON FREEWAY. FORCED TO MAKE EMERGENCY STOP AND HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY TO HAVE THE MODULE REPLACED. *JB

MULTIPLE FAILURES OF THE ECM CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL, LOSE POWER, OPERATE ERRATICALLY AND CREATE UNSAFE OPERATING CONDITIONS WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE "ETS" AND "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHTS CAME ON WITH THIS PROBLEM. STOPPING AND RESTARTING MULTIPLE TIMES WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE CAR TO OPERATE AND IT WAS A HIT OR MISS SOLUTION. *JB

VOLVO 1999 S70 GLT - I HAD A PROBLEM WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY CAR WOULD LOOSE ALL THE POWER. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY SEVERAL TIMES AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE HIT BY ANOTHER CAR WHEN I HAD TO PULL OVER. IT COST $1200.00 FOR VOLVO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *JB

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER - HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF A 65 MPH HIGHWAY. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ON THE SAME DAY. IMMEDIATELY TOOK TO MY AUTO REPAIR SHOP (KOTLAR) WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A BAD THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED BY KOTLAR AUTO REPAIR AND THEN MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO BIG DEE VOLVO DEALER IN WHITE PLAINS WHO DOWNLOADED THE APPROPRIATE SOFTWARE. TOTAL CHARGES WERE $929.40. LUCKILY I WAS IN THR RIGHT HAND LANE WITH LIMITED TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY OR ELSE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL REPLACED. PROBLEM IS STARTING TO RECUR. DAMAGE EFFECTS OTHER CAR SYSTEMS WHICH MAY HAVE TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO DEALER. *JB