VOLVO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES ARM, CHEST, AND FACE INJURIES. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED. I BLOCKED TRAFFIC ON SC 278 FOR ~ 30 SEC. THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. I COULD RUN THE ENGINE BUT NO POWER MADE IT TO THE WHEELS. IT FINALLY LIMPED TO A PARKING LOT. THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAROLINA VOLVO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION WITH A REMANUFACTURED ONE FROM VOLVO.*AK

MESSAGE IN VEHICLE DISPLAYED "NO OIL PRESSURE PULL OVER ASAP." WHILE PULLING OVER "ASAP" A BLUE PLUME OF SMOKE AND SHARDS OF METAL EJECTED FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR. VOLVO DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THE CAR HAD THROWN A ROD AND THAT IT WILL COST $9,000 TO FIX THE CAR. *AK

1. SEATS FELT VERY HOT TO THE POINT OF BURNING. HAD TO TURN HEATER OFF. . BURNED HOLES IN BOTH SEATS AND IN COAT OF PASSENGER. 3. SEAT HEATERS REPLACED. ONE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO BY VOLVO DEALER. PART WAS NOT RETURNED. OTHER HEATER REPLACED LAST MONTH BY LOCAL GARAGE. I HAVE OLD HEATER, WHICH HAS A BARE WIRE STICKING OUT FROM BURNED HOLE IN HEATER PAD.*AK

ON JUNE 1, 2004, MY 1994 VOLVO 850 WAS LEAKING GAS ON MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO VOLVO VILLAGE IN CLEARWATER FOR REPAIR AND THEY REPLACED THE GAS TANK. I PAID $790. I LEARNED ON 2/1/05 THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR VOLVO 850 FOR THE GAS TANK, RECALL R139, INVOLVING 226,000 VOLVO 850S INCLUDING MY 1994 YEAR. RECALL NUMBER: 04V368000. MAKE : VOLVO MODEL : 850 YEAR : 1994 MANUFACTURER : VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 04V368000 RECALL DATE : JUL 23, 2004 COMPONENT: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE POTENTIAL NUMBER OF UNITS AFFECTED : 226000 I CALLED VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE 1-800-458-1552 AND THEY SAID THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VIN # AND REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THIS REPAIR. I WANT TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS REPAIR AS PER THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. PLEASE HELP ME GET MY REIMBURSEMENT. THE MANUFACTURER HAS PROVIDED REIMBURSEMENT. *AK *NM

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE GOES INTO "LIMP" MODE AND A ERROR MESSAGE SAYING "SAFELY PULL OVER AND RESTART VEHICLE" GOES ON. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T EXCEED 5 MPH WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. IT IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHICH HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. BUT I'VE FINALLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND APPARENTLY THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MODULE, AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE MODULE BOTH HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEN AFTER CHECKING SEVERAL FORUMS THIS SEEMS TO BE AN EPIDEMIC FOR THE VOLVO S80.

ON 12/31/2004 WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE ETM DASH LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE. I BARELY MADE IT HOME, AND SINCE IT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT, I COULD NOT CALL MY LOCAL GARAGE. ON MONDAY I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL GARAGE, WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THAT I HAD THE "ERROR CODE OF DEATH", THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST BIG CITY VOLVO GARAGE. THEY HAD SEEN MANY OF THESE TB PROBLEMS. I HAD IT TOWED TO SMC, INC. WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE ETM UNIT FAILED AND IT WAS MY FAULT FOR "USING CHEAP GAS" AND "FAILING TO SERVICE THE AIR CLEANERS". SINCE I ALWAYS BURN THE BEST FUEL AVAILABLE, AND ALWAYS GO TO THE DEALER GARAGE FOR ALL MY MAINTENANCE, I KNEW THAT WAS BOGUS. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED AS WAS A GASKET. I WAS OUTRAGED, AND EXPRESSED THIS TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, AND CHALLENGED HIS ACCUSATION. I EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THE REPLACEMENT PART. THE MAGNETI MORELLI ETM MODULES WHICH IS COMMON IN ALL 1999-2001 70-SERIES ENGINES ARE ALL STARTING TO FAIL. DOES THIS MEAN THAT WE ARE ALL USING "CHEAP GAS AND FAILING REGULAR MAINTENANCE"? NO, IT MEANS THAT THEIR LOUSY DESIGN USES METAL WIPERS AGAINST A THIN-FILM POLY RHEOSTAT, GUARANTEED TO RUB THRU WITHIN 30-60K MILES. IF THIS HAPPENS IN THE FAST LANE ON THE FREEWAY, SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE. IF THIS HAPPENS ON A REMOTE WINTER HIGHWAY, SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE. I WAS TOLD THAT VOLVO'S "LEGENDARY SAFETY" ONLY APPLIES TO CRASH TESTS, AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEFECTIVE DESIGNS AND OTHER SAFETY ISSUES. JUST THIS WEEKEND A STRANDED MOTORIST WAS PLOWED DOWN BY A SEMI-TRUCK ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY. *JB

1) ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) SHUTS DOWN THE GAS PEDAL WHERE YOU HAVE NO CONTROL ON ACCELERATION 2) ETM SHUTDOWN COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT 3) REPLACE THE ETM AT $1100 THE OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED UNDER WARRANTY TO CLEAN THE ETM. *JB

AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING SUN ROOF BAR WHICH IS A METAL BAR THAT GOES AROUND THE GLASS IN THE SUNROOF CAVED IN ON THE CONSUMER. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SUN ROOFS IN VOLVO VEHICLES.*AK