VOLVO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING MY 2000 VOLVO V70XC ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR TOOK ITSELF OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND BEGAN TO FLUCUATE +/- 3 MPH IN SPEED. THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON TOO. AFTER PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNING THE ENGINE OFF, I RE-STARTED THE CAR AND DROVE HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY LOCAL MECHANIC (HOSHI MOTORS OF BOULDER, CO) DOWNLOADED THE ENGINE CODES (904D, 91AC) WHICH HE SAID INDICATED THAT THE ETM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE ETM WAS REPLACED ON 7/27/05 AT A COST OF $908.60. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT OCCURRED AGAIN. THE ETM WAS RETURNED TO ME AND IS AVAILABLE. THIS COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE05041. *JB

STALLING AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. STALLING AT NORMAL OPERATING SPEED WITH RESULTING LOSS OF POWER, STEERING AND BRAKES. THE MASS AIR SENSOR AND INTAKE HOSE WERE REPLACED. *JB

BEGINNING IN APRIL OF 2005, THE ENGINE ON MY 1999 VOLVO S70 HAD STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. IN EACH INSTANCE, IT HAS RESTARTED AND OPERATED, HOWEVER, THE STALLS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. I HAVE READ OR THE NHTSA'S INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROBLEM, AND AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY VEHICLE'S OPERATION AND REPAIR COSTS.*JB

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD MY CONCERN TO THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPERIENCED STALLING CONDITION WITH THE VOLVO. WE OWN A 2000 VOLVO MODEL S-80 T-6. IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR WE WERE EXPERIENCING STALLING CONDITIONS WITH OUR CAR AT SLOW SPEEDS MAINLY AFTER A FEW MILES OF DRIVING AFTER THE FIRST START OF THE DAY. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR TROUBLESHOOTING AND POSSIBLE REPAIR. AFTER A WEEK IN THE SHOP THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO US AND WE WERE ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE ANY STALLING. SINCE THEN WE HAVE EXPERIENCED A STALL CONDITION TWICE AND AGAIN IT WAS WITHIN THE FIRST FEW MILES AFTER THE INITIAL START OF THE DAY. THE CAR ALWAYS STARTS AND PERFORMS SATISFACTORY AFTERWARDS. IT WAS NOT AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE, BUT DOES MAKE ONE UNCERTAIN ABOUT RELIABILITY. *JB

REPEATED SKIPPING AND HESITATION OF OUR V70 T5 SW ALONG WITH A "REDUCED PERFORMANCE ERROR" MESSAGE RESULTED IN OUR GOING TO THE DANBURY CT DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY TOLD US THE THROTTLE AND SOFTWARE NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE COST WAS $899.17. WE SERVICE OUR CAR REGULARLY AND HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE IT. WE HAVE HAD NO ACCIDENTS WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS ENGINE PROBLEM. BECAUSE OF WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING ON OTHER VOLVO V70 STATION WAGONS, WE BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE SKIPPING TO BE AN INHERENT STRUCTURAL FLAW AND WE REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT OF OUR EXPENSES. THE DEALER WHO MADE THE $899.17 REPAIR WAS VOLVO OF DANBURY, 203-743-4667.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 40 MPH, I HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND A MESSAGE CAME ON IN THE DASH STATING "REDUCED EMISSION SERVICE". I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AT A MAXIMUM OF 10 MPH FOR 5 MILES TO MY NEAREST VOLVO DEALERSHIP. MY MILEAGE WAS JUST ABOUT 69,000 MILES. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED IT AS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILURE AND REPLACED THE ETM. THE CAR HANDLED PROPERLY AFTER THE REPAIR, WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER THE 7 YEAR/70,000 MILE EXTENDED EMISSIONS WARRANTY. THE OLD PART WAS RETURNED TO VOLVO CARS NORTH AMERICA. *JB

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE IN MY 1999 VOLVO V70 AS BEGUN TO FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. OFTEN THE PROBLEM WILL FIX ITSELF UPON RESTARTING. HOWEVER, WHEN THE MODULE FAILS (AND THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON IN THE DASH), AN EXTREMELY SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IS EXPERIENCED---ENOUGH THAT IT COULD EASILY LEAD TO A LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 15 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 DAYS, AND IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. VOLVO, IN THE OWNERS MANUAL FOR THE CAR, INDICATES THAT THIS FAILURE MAY SOMETIMES OCCUR (IN THE SECTION DESCRIBING THE ETS LIGHT) AND SUGGEST TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR. WHILE RESTARTING THE CAR DOES OFTEN WORK, I FIND THIS TO BE AN UNACCEPTABLE AND VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. VOLVO'S SOLUTION FOR ME IS TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE MODULE AT $1000 OR MORE. MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM, THOUGH, AND THE DEFECT SEEMS TO BE CLEARLY SYSTEMIC. WHAT'S MORE, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT VOLVO'S REPLACEMENTS WON'T EXHIBIT PRECISELY THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB

1994 850 GLT VOLVO WAS TOTAL DESTROYED BY FIRE. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SEAT FELT HOT, THEN IT BEGUN TO SMOKE AND SMELLED BURNING. THE DEALER DISCONNECTED THE SEAT HEATER CIRCUITS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND BEGUN TO SMOKE AGAIN. FLAMES WERE SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. *SC

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. SHE EXPERIENCED THREE MONTH OF IMPEDED PERFORMANCE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE WAS PRUDENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. MANUFACTURER SHOULD DO A RECALL AND PAY THE ASSOCIATED EXPENSES. THE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED/ LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTIONING. *AK

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ETM CAUSING HESITATION WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. VOLVO DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED BRINGING THE CAR BACK WHILE THE ETS WARNING LIGHT WAS STILL ON. STATED THAT THE ETM SHOULD BE CLEANED EVERY 30K MILES OR REPLACED. NOTHING IN THE SERVICE MANUAL MENTIONS THIS TYPE OF SERVICE. THE HESITATION WAS INTERMITTENT BUT VERY UNCOMFORTABLE DRIVING WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. *NM