VOLVO Complaints

1996 VOLVO 960 SEDAN - FUEL RAIL LEAKAGE PROBLEM, FRONT OF FUEL RAIL DEVELOPED A LEAK AT A FACTORY PLUG (METAL). FUEL WAS POURING OUT BETWEEN METAL PLUG AND FUEL RAIL ONTO THE (HOT) ENGINE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THERMOSTAT HOUSING. INQUIRED ABOUT PARTS TO REPLACE FUEL RAIL ASS'Y FOR A 1996 VOLVO 960, FUEL RAIL ASS'Y HAS BEEN SUPERCEDED BY A 1998 UP DESIGN. THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD WHICH COULD RESULT IN A FIRE AND POSSIBLE DEATH.

SINCE I PURCHASED MY 2001 VOLVO XC70 WITH 16,535 MILES IN AUGUST 2004, I HAVE HAD IT INTO THE DEALER (BORTON VOLVO) FOUR TIMES TO FIX THE SAME ISSUE: GASOLINE SHOOTING OUT OF THE TANK UPON COMPLETION OF FILLING. THIS OCCURS AT ANY AND ALL GAS STATIONS, EVEN AFTER THE FOLLOWING REMEDIES HAVE BEEN TAKEN: VENT CLEANING, FUEL CONTROL REPLACEMENT, FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT, SENDING UNIT REPLACEMENT, EVAPORATION CANNISTER REPLACEMENT, AND FILLER NECK REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. EVEN FOLLOWING REPLACEMENT OF THE AFORMENTIONED PARTS, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

2000 VOLVO S70 ELECTRONIC THROTTLE FAILURE.*MR THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE LEAVES THE DRIVER WITH UNEXPECTED LOSS OF THROTTLE CONTROL. *JB

VEHICLE EXHIBITS "HESITATION AND STUTTERING" DURING BOTH ACCELERATION AND MAINTAINING STEADY SPEED. ETS WARNING LIGHT HAS APPEARED AND THEN RESET TWICE. TUNE-UP AND FUEL CHANGES WERE TESTED WITH NO CHANGE IN ISSUE. ETS WARNING LIGHT AND ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILURE AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. I HAVE THE OLD PART AND THE DIAGNOSTIC PRINTOUTS. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND PREMATURE FAILURE ITEM ON VOLVO CARS FROM 1999 THRU 2001 MODEL YEARS. SINCE THIS IS A CRITICAL SFAETY COMPONENT THAT CAN FAIL WITHOUT NOTICE (AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME), IT SHOULD BE AS RELIABLE AS OTHER CRITICAL COMPONEENTS SUCH AS THE ABS OR SRS/AIRBAG SYSTEMS. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE CASE.

DT: CONSUMER STATES WHEN THERE IS A SUN GLARE ON THE DASHBOARD THERE ISN'T ENOUGH ILLUMINATION. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED A FLASH LIGHT MUST BE USED TO SEE THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE PANEL. *JB

AT 49,706 MILES THE DEALER REPLACED THE AIR CONDITIONER EVAPORATOR UNDER WARRENTY. APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES LATER IT HAD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN AT A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $800. APPROXIMATELY 36,000 MILES LATER IT NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE DEALER ESTIMATED THE WORK WOULD COST $800. WE LIVE IN A CLIMATE WHERE THE A.C. IS USED ONLY IN SUMMERS. THE CAR IS SERVICED REGULARLY AT A VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND THE CAR IS GARAGED. BOTH THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS SITING THE CURRENT MILEAGE AND THE FACT THAT THE PARTS ARE NO LONGER UNDER WARRENTY. I FEEL THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO BE DEFECTIVE, WAS NEVER FIXED PROPERLY AND VOLVO SHOULD ACCEPT SOME MONETARY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE IT RIGHT. AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPLACED THREE TIMES IN 125,000 MILES.

MY 2000 VOLVO S70 IS EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A REPAIR SHOP THAT IT IS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. AFTER NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS TO SEVERAL OTHER SHOPS AND DEALERS, AS WELL AS INVESTIGATIONS OVER THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE MODULE THAT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO GO INTO A "CRIPPLE MODE" AT ANY GIVEN POINT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. VOLVO APPARENTLY DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS A PRODUCT DEFECT, BUT RATHER IT IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I HAVE HAD THE MODULE CLEANED BUT IT HAS NOT HELPED THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A SITUATION SUCH AS THIS, WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $1,000 TO FIX, CAN BE CONSIDERED A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES.

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE IN THE MORNING THE FIRST TRY RESULTS IN LOUD SHAKING AND SHUTTERING. SOUNDS LIKE CAR IS NOT RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS, OR HAS BAD TIMING. INITAL PROBLEM IS THAT HOOD INSULATOR FASTENERS ARE COMMING OFF WHICH COULD COME IN CONTACT WITH ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT AND CASUE ENGINE FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO DEALER TWO TIMES. DEALER SAID THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. PROBLEM OCCURS AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TWO DAYS.

WE LEASED OUR VOLVO XC90-T ALMOST EXACTLY 1 YEAR AGO TO DATE FROM SOUTH COUNTY VOLVO. LESS THAN 3 MONTHS LATER, THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THEY SAID THAT MY WIFE MUST HAVE LEFT A LIGHT ON; THE BATTERY WAS RECHARGED AND WE TOOK THE CAR BACK. 2 MONTHS LATER, THE CAR AGAIN WOULD NOT START; AGAIN IT WAS TOWED-BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME, THEY SAID THE BATTERY WAS BAD. THE THIRD TIME THEY SAID THERE WAS BAD SWITCH WHICH CONTROLS THE LIGHTS AND THAT WAS CHANGED. ON THE FOURTH OCCASION, WHICH INCIDENTALLY OCCURRED EXCATLY ONE YEAR LATER ON JULY 7TH, 2005, THEY (AGAIN) SAID WE MUST HAVE LEFT A LIGHT ON...NO ONE CAN BE THAT DUMB, NOT EVEN ME!. I AM FAST LOSING MY CONFIDENCE IN VOLVO!

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 2001 VOLVO S80. THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN TRAFFIC WHEN IT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO RESTART BUT WHEN SHE PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE IT WENT BACKWARDS. WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT THERE HE TRIED TO GET IT TO GO FORWARD AND IT WENT BACKWARDS. THEY CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER. WHEN THE CONSUMER TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY- ETM THAT FAILED. THIS WAS BECAUSE THE BANJO FITTING HAD CARBON BUILD UP. THE THROTTLE BODY IS COVERED BY WARRANTY. AND THE CLEANING OF THE BANJO FITTING IS NOT. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE MANUFACTURES PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE THEY TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD NOT SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE THERE THAT DECIDE WHAT IS COVERED AS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET, ALTHOUGH HE DOES INTEND TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. *NM