VOLVO Complaints

REAR SEAT BELT BUCKLES FAILED. AS A RESULT, THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS NOT RESTRAINED PROPERLY.*AK

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND TURNING RIGHT CAR OMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER, PLACEED CAR IN PARK AND RESTARTED. *AK

A SLIGHT SQUEAKING OR SQUEALING NOISE COULD BE HEARD FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR, NO VISIBLE DEFECTS APON INSPECTION. THE SOUND WAS THE WATER PUMP FAILING. AS I WAS TAKING THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC THE WATER PUMP FAILED (CEASED) AND CAUSED THE BELT DRIVING THE WATER PUMP TO SNAP. THE WATER PUMP WAS DRIVEN BY THE TIMING BELT. I AM TOLD THAT WHEN THE TIMING BELT SNAPS THAT SERIOUS DAMAGE OCCURS TO THE ENGINE. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY A FAILURE OF SUCH AN ORDINARY PART CAN CAUSE SUCH DAMAGE. VOLVO STATED THAT THE REPAIRS CAN RUN FROM 3-6 THOUSAND DOLLARS. I HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED, FERRIED AND TOWED AGAIN TO GET TO THE CLOSET DEALER. *AK

APPROACHING A RED LIGHT ON SLIGHT INCLINE, CAR STALLED AND ETS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. ADVISED MY SERVICE STATION THAT THROTTLE SYSTEM FAILED. CAR MAYBE DRIVEN BUT THERE CAN BE SAFETY ISSUES, AS THE CAR LOSES POWER WITHOUT WARNING, WHICH IS CLEARLY A HAZARD IN CROSSING INTERSECTIONS OR MERGERING INTO TRAFFIC AND THERE ARE ALSO EMISSION RELATED ISSUES WITH GAS MILEAGE AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. TO DATE, CAR HAS BEEN LOOKED AT BY TWO SERVICE STATIONS, DOUGHTERY'S AUTOMATIVE NAD STILLMAN VOLVO. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE SYSTEM IN VOLVO MODEL YEARS 1998 TO 2001 HAS BECOME A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED VOLVO VIA TELEPHONE AND AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER TO SEE IF VOLVO HAS A PROGRAM IN PLACE TO CORRECT A CLEARLY DEFECTIVE PART ON CARS OUT OF WARRANTY. VOLVO WAS UNWILLING TO WORK WITH ME. THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE DEFECTIVE THROTTLE SYSTEM IS TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW SYSTEM. THEREFORE, I WILL BE PAYING OUT OF POCKET APPROXIMATELY $900.00 FOR A NEW THROTTLE SYSTEM, A PART THAT SHOULD CERTAINLY LAST THE LIFE OF A CAR. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICE THE ETS INDICATOR LIGHT STAY ON THROUGH OUT TRAVEL, RESULTING VEHICLE HESITATING . CONSUMER WOULD SHUT ENGINE OFF AND RESTART TO TURN ETS INDICATOR LIGHTS OFF. *AK

DROVE 2001 VOLVO S 80 ON 6/6/04, WHEN PARKED IN GARAGE: COOLANT LEAKED OUT, ALL AT ONCE. REFILLED COOLANT AND DROVE TO DEALER ON MONDAY (6/7/04). CAR WAS JUST IN FOR 60,000 MILE SERVICE AT SAME DEALER A FEW WEEKS AGO. *AK DEALER STATED (QUOTE FROM RECEIPT): "ECM 6110, AND FAULT TRACED TO FAILED ENGINE COOLING FAN MODULE. REPLACED ENGINE COOLING FAN MODULE AS DIAGNOSED TO REPAIR". (OLD PART LEFT AT DEALER) COST TO REPLACE: $505

I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY WHEN THE SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAG ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE CAR SPONTANEOUSLY DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS A LEASE THAT I HAD JUST AGREED TO BUY THAT MORNING, SO I CALLED VOLVO CONSUMER AFFAIRS THE NEXT DAY (4/16/04) AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT TO THE SMYTHE DEALERSHIP SO THAT THEY COULD SEND AN INSPECTOR TO INVESTIGATE. I ALSO TOLD VOLVO THAT I HAD NO INTENTION OF BUYING THE CAR ANYMORE SINCE THE CAR WAS DEFECTIVE. I LEFT THE CAR AT THE SMYTHE DEALERSHIP ON 4/17/04 AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THE SITUATION AND THAT VOLVO WOULD BE SENDING AN INSPECTOR. I CALLED VOLVO ON 4/19/04 TO LET THEM KNOW THE CAR WAS THERE AND AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE 10 DAYS TO INVESTIGATE. IT TOOK VOLVO UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE TO GET BACK TO ME WITH RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION. I FOLLOWED UP WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY GAVE ME SEVERAL DIFFERENT EXCUSES LIKE THEY DID NOT KNOW THE CAR WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THAT THE DEALER MISTAKENLY SENT THE CAR TO MILWAUKEE. IN THE END ONCE THEY FOUND THE CAR AND INVESTIGATED, VOLVO TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THAT IT WAS PRODUCT FAILURE BECAUSE THE CAR HAD PASSED THROUGH TOO MANY HANDS. I SAID THAT IT WAS THEIR FAULT IT PASSED THROUGH TOO MANY HANDS. I ALSO SAID AN AIRBAG SHOULD NOT DEPLOY UNLESS THEIR IS IMPACT. THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS UNTRUE AND SOMETIMES THEY DEPLOY DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSORS. I THEN SAID THAT SENSORS ARE ALSO PART OF THE PRODUCT AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH A SENSOR IT IS PRODUCT FAILURE. THEY SAID THAT EXTERNAL FORCES COULD AFFECT THE SENSORS, SO IT IS NOT PRODUCT FAILURE. THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE FAILURE EXCEPT TELL ME THEY WOULD PAY FOR MY DISPOSITION FEE AND OVERAGE MILES IF I LEASE ANOTHER VOLVO. WHEN I HAD DECIDED TO BUY THE CAR IN APRIL, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO PAY EITHER OF THOSE, SO BASICALLY VOVLO IS DOING NOTHING FOR ME BECAUSE IN THEIR OPINION THE INCIDENT WAS NOT PRODUCT FAILURE. *AK

SEAT BELTS ARE DEFECTIVE. WHEN PULLING ON THE SEAT BELTS THEY WILL NOT REACH THE BUCKLE. THUS, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTACH AND RIDE. CONSUMER INDICATES THAT THIS DEFECT WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALERSHIP IN MAY 2004. CURRENTLY, THEY LOCKED UP AGAIN. *AK

I HAVE A 200 VOLVO S70. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, MY SON WAS DRIVING IT AND, SUDDENLY, THE ETS INDICATORLIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR STARTED SHAKING, AND LOST POWER (MY SON SAID IT COULDN'T GO FASTER THAN ABOUT 10 MPH). MY OWNER'S MANUAL INFORMS ME THAT THIS LIGHT INDICATES A FAULT IN THE ETC (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM). IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD. THIS IS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. IN FACT, ONE PERSON GAVE A HARROWING ACCOUNT (ON THE INTERNET) OF ALMOST BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM CAUSED HIS CAR'S SPEED TO DIMINISH TO A CRAWL EVEN AS HE FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR IN A SITUATION WHERE OTHER DRIVERS RIGHTLY EXPECTED HIM TO BE MOVING MUCH MORE QUICKLY. APPARENTLY, THE USUAL REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM IS REPLACEMENT OF THE ECM(ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE), A JOB WHICH COSTS ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS. CONSIDERING THE SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE OF THIS JOB, MANY VOLVO DRIVERS MIGHT BE UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO PART WITH THAT MUCH MONEY; THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AT VOLVO DEALERSHIPS AND WILL SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALER TOMORROW. I SHOULD ADD THAT, AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT WITH THE IGNITION OFF FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR, IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND HAS BEEN PERFORMING ABSOLUTELY NORMALLY SO FAR. SOME SAY THE PROBLEM WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN, AND ONE VOLVO TECHNICIAN SAID THAT MAYBE IT WAS JUST A "HICCUP" THAT WON'T EVER RETURN. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A THOUSAND DOLLARS IF THE LATTER POSSIBILITY IS CORRECT; ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T FEEL SECURE ABOUT TAKING MY DAILY COMMUTE OVER A HIGH-TRAFFIC BRIDGE OR CONTEMPLATING A LONG VACATION TRIP IN THIS CAR. I BOUGHT A VOLVO BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY. IRONICALLY, NOW I FEEL ANYTHING BUT SAFE.*AK

ETS LIGHT CAME ON AND CAR THROTTLE SYSTEM WAS AFFECTED. CAR LOST POWER TWICE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN TRAVELLING AT APPROX 60 MPH. HAD TO PULL OVER TO AVOID POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. REPEATEDLY EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WHEN IDLING AT TRAFFIC LIGHT. THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED AT DEALER FOR OVER $900.00 AND VEHICLE WAS 7,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY. COMPLAINED TO VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE. NO HELP WAS GIVEN. LOSING A CUSTOMER!!!*AK