VOLVO Complaints

LOSS OF POWER ON HIGHWAY CAR SLOWED TO 20 MPH ON HIGHWAY, REPLACED ETM MODULE ALSO HAPPENED IN JAN 2005 HAD ETM CLEANED AS PER SERVICE BULLETIN. *NM

AS OF JULY 29, 2005, MY 1996 VOLVO 960 STARTED LOSING SPEED AND THE ENGINE STALLS WITHOUT WARNING! THUS FAR, NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF THE ROAD. ON AUGUST 1, 2005, WBAL-TV REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH 1999-2001 VOLVOS. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN MAINTAINED AND UP TO NOW HAS BEEN IN EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITION. PLEASE ADVISE. *NM

THE CAR COULD BE RUNNING JUST FINE AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT WOULD START LURCHING AND THE RPMS WOULD VARY BY AS MUCH AS 500 - 600 RPMS. WHEN YOU STOPPED THE CAR IT HAD TO BE PLACED IN NEUTRAL TO KEEP IT FROM STALLING-OUT. AFTER YOU GOT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SWITCHED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT, IT WOULD BE FINE FOR SHORT DISTANCES. I CHECKED AT AN AFTER MARKET REPAIR SHOP FOR VOLVO'S TO GET AN ESTIMATE OF NECESSARY REPAIRS. THE MECHANIC KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR AS SOON AS I EXPLAINED THE SYMPTOMS TO HIM. HE SAID WAS THE "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MODULE." I ASKED IF WE COULD FIND A USED MODULE. HE LAUGHED AND STATED THAT THE MODULE HAD TO BE PROGRAM FOR THAT SPECIFIC CAR. HE STATED IT WAS GENERAL KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM OCCURRING ON NUMEROUS 2000 MODELS AND NEWER V70'S AND S70'S. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND HAD THE MODULE REPLACED FOR A TOTAL COST OF $1036. ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN MY CASE, IT COULD HAVE!

LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT MY CAR WOULD STALL OR LOSE POWER. WHILE DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY RTE 202 MY CAR LOST POWER IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. IT THE COMPLETELY DIED AND WOULD NOT START. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST MECHANIC (FRANCIS AUTOMOTIVE IN WEST CHESTER, PA). IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A BAD VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL WHICH COST IN EXCESS OF $1000 TO FIX. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER VOLVO OWNERS ABOUT THIS I FOUND THAT IT VERY COMMON. IN ADDITION TO THIS I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR CONDITION WHICH STOPS WORKING AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES. AI HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THIS COMMON WITH 2000 S70'S. I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON VOLVO'S PAST QUALITY REPUTATION. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE BIG MISTAKE I SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH A NISSAN OR TOYOTA! *NM

I HAVE A 1993 VOLVO 850. IT HAS BEEN STALLING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS, LOW SPEEDS, FOR OVER 10 YEARS. NO ONE HAS EVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. SINCE YOU ARE INVESTIGATING CURRENT VOLVO MODELS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER INVESTIGATING THE OLDER MODELS. *NM

HELLO, I HAVE A 2001 VOLVO V70XC W/ APPROX 67,000 MILES. THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED BY A FULLY LOADED DUMP TRUCK THAT DID NOT HAVE THE DISTANCE TO STOP. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE FAILURE REPAIRED AND IT WAS THE ETM - "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE". THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE COMPONENT BY VOLVO AS THEY ARE REPLACING THEM IN SWEDEN - BUT HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED ANYTHING HERE IN NORTH AMERICA. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MAKE ENOUGH PHONE CALLS TO VOLVO TO GET THEM TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ETM AT NO COST; HOWEVER THE NEW REPLACEMENT WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL DUE TO THE CURRENT / EXISTING DESIGN. THE ETM NEEDS TO BE RE-ENGINEERED AND REPLACED IN EVERY 1999- 2001 VOLVO. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL ME. THANKS. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 VOLVO V70. THE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER WAS PE05041. VEHICLE STALLED/LOST POWER DUE TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. *AK

VOLVO S80... STALLS WHEN IDLING. I ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. *NM

CAR CUTS OFF UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. LOSES ALL POWER AND SHUTS DOWN. I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND START ENGINE AGAIN. CAR WILL ALSO CUT OFF WHEN PULLING INTO PARKING LOTS WHILE TRYING TO PARK. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE CAR WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH OF 2005. *NM

11/12/04 MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED 12/16/04 MAP SENSOR & SHUT OFF VALVE REPLACED 3/15/05 SHUT OFF VALVE REPLACED AGAIN! 1/18 05 MASTER WINDOW SWITCH PACK REPLACED - 5/31/05 MASTER WINDOW SWITCH PACK REPLACED AGAIN!! 3/17/05 ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE REPLACED!!! 5/9/05 OXYGEN SENSOR AND ABS CONTROL UNIT REPLACED. WHEN THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE FAILED IN MARCH 2005, MY 1999 VOLVO V70 HAD ONLY 55,000 MILES ON IT! I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN MY CAR LOST POWER AND HAD NO WAY TO GET BACK ONTO THE ROAD SAFELY.....I HAVE SPENT OVER $4000 IN THE PAST YEAR REPLACING ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNITS IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS CAR SAFE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR FEAR OF SOMETHING ELSE GOING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I HAVE FOUR SMALL GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE WITH ME AT LEAST THREE DAYS A WEEK. *NM