VOLVO Complaints

DRIVING HOME FROM NORTHERN WISCONSIN AT 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. SUDDENLY THE ETS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM) LIGHT OF MY 2000 VOLVO C70 WENT ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL WENT OFF AND THE CAR WOULD INTERMITTENTLY LOSE POWER. I MANAGED TO GET HOME AND HAVE A LOCAL MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. HE COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING AND ONLY REPLACED THE GAS FILTER. THE FOLLOWING (LAST) WEEKEND, MAKING THE SAME TRIP, THE ETS LIGHT WENT ON AND STAYED ON MOST OF THE TRIP. THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK AND THE CAR PERFORMANCE DECLINED DRAMATICALLY. THE DAY AFTER I GOT HOME (MON, AUG1) I TOOK IT TO A VOLVO DEALER WHO CHARGED ME $975 (!!) FOR A NEW ETS. THE CAR HAS ONLY 55,000 MILES ON IT. *NM

I OWN A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED AND STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT AND DRIVE IT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM) HAS FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I AM TOLD THAT IF I DO NOT REPLACE THIS PART, $1000+ REPAIR, THAT THE CAR CAN EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN STALL AGAIN. DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO THE MECHANIC IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN VOLVO'S. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY OF FAILURE AND SERIOUSNESS OF POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES VOLVO WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ETM PROBLEM A LONG TIME AGO. THANK YOU. *NM

I SHOULD HAVE KNOW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY USED 2000 VOLVO S80 T6 TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASED IT WHEN THE ENGINE CUT OFF ON ME WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. I JUST THOUGHT THAT MY CAR WAS STILL WARMING UP AND THAT IS WHY THE ENGINE CUT OFF. THEN A COUPLE WEEKS LATER MY AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WOULD WORK INTERMITTENTLY SO MUCH SO THAT I HAD TO USE MY REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY JUST TO UNLOCK MY DOORS WHILE I AM SITTING INSIDE MY CAR! BUT THIS ISN'T THE WORST OF IT. WHILE I AM ON MY WAY TO A HAIR APPT IN HEAVY LOS ANGELES TRAFFIC, MY CAR STARTING STALLING. I WAS DOING 30 - 50 MILES PER HOUR GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR WOULD JUST CUT OFF. IMAGINE IF MY 3 YEAR DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR AT THE TIME. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT I WAS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VOLVO. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I HAD TO LITERALLY DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY JUST TO KEEP GIVING MY CAR POWER. I HAD NEVER BEEN SO AFRAID WHILE DRIVING. I WAS UPSET AND PISSED OFF THAT MY CAR WAS STILL CONSIDERED SAFE TO DRIVE. ALL OF THESE MODELS SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS. I EVENTUALLY HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALER AND LUCKILY I STILL HAD THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AND THEY REPLACED IT. MY CAR WAS WORKING FINE UNTIL TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN THE SAME ISSUE HAS STARTED TO OCCUR WITH THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS. I CAN'T UNLOCK THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS FROM INSIDE OF MY CAR, I HAVE TO USE THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY. I HAVE TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CAR THAT I AM DRIVING IN IS A DEATH TRAP AND THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED FOR ALL THE HEADACHES THAT THIS CAR HAS GIVEN ME. VOLVO'S MOTTO IS "FOR LIFE", I AM STARTING TO TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE, THEN DON'T PURCHASE A VOLVO.*JB

FAILED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MECHANISM; FAILED FOR MY WIFE IN TRAFFIC. SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND GET HOME. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR OUT TO CHECK ON THE SYMPTOMS IS COMPLETELY DIED(STALLED) WHILE I WAS STARTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN(ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE) INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND GET OUT OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. THIS FAILURE CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. THANK YOU. *JB

DT: VOLVO WAS STALLING AT IDLING AT LOW SPEEDS AS IT WERE ABOUT TO DIE . ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON/OFF. CONSUME RTOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, WHO REPLACED ELECTRICAL THROTTLE BODY. *AK

DT: VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED/LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENT. THE MASS AIR FLOW WAS REPLACED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING FROM CLEVELAND TO ROSWELL, GA, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE FAILED IN MY 2000 VOLVO S70. THIS CAUSED THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER AND THE POWER-STEERING FAILED. I HAD TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT BESIDE THE ROAD. THE ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT. THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE MODULE AT A COST OF OVER $1000. OLD PART WAS NOT RETURNED.*JB

DT:VEHICLE STALLED/ LOST POWER AND DIED. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *AK

FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ON 2000 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY. HESITATION WAS NOTICED AND VOLVO CLEANED THE THROTTLE MODULE, I WAS NOT CHARGED. AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 THE CAR WOULD HESITATE AT LOW RPM AND THE ETM WAS REPLACED AT MY CHARGE. *JB

VOLVO S80 NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE05041 SAW THAT NHTSA RECENTLY OPENED AN INQUIRY INTO ISSUE OF ETM IN VOLVOS AND WANTED TO ADD MY CAR TO LIST OF COMPLAINTS RECEIVED. I HAD MANY INCIDENTS OF CAR SUDDENLY KILLING IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS. FORTUNATELY I DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT, BUT ONLY DUE TO EXTREME DEFENSIVE DRIVING: AVOIDED RUSH HOUR, STAYED TO OUTSIDE LANES, WAS ABLE TO COAST TO SHOULDER, ETC. DEALER WAS AWARE THAT ETM WAS ISSUE, BUT EXTENDED WARRANTY REFUSED TO COVER BECAUSE ERROR CODES DID NOT STAY IN CAR COMPUTER. ONCE ETM WAS REPLACE EARLIER THIS YEAR, CAR HAS BEEN WORKING FINE. *JB