VOLVO Complaints

WHILE MY WIFE PAULA WAS DRIVING ON THE NE EXTENSION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE, THE DRIVER'S POWER SEAT UNIT MOVED FORWARD ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING! SHE HAD TO PULL OVER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THIS CYCLE REPEATED ITSELF 3 MORE TIMES THAT DAY! AT THE TIME OUR DEAF 9-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS RIDING IN THE BACK SEAT. THE DEALER FROM WHICH WE BOUGHT THE CAR (WAS USED) 2 WEEKS PRIOR FOUND THE POWER SEAT UNIT TO BE DEFECTIVE AFTER WE BROUGHT IT BACK, AND THEY REFUSED TO HONOR PAYMENT OF A REPLACEMENT. IN ORDER TO HAVE A SAFE CAR WE HAD TO PAY FOR IT OURSELVES. *LA

FAILURE OF ABS CONTROLLER MODULE. MY RESEARCH OVER THE INTERNET AND NUMEROUS VOLVO CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS INDICATE THIS FAILURE IS PROBLEMATIC WITH THE TEVES 20 ABS MODULE. AN INTERNET FORUM PAGE DEALING WITH THE VOLVO 850/S70 MODELS IS LITTERED WITH INQUIRIES INTO THIS PROBLEM. ONE VOLVO TECHNICIAN I CORRESPONDED WITH INDICATED HE HAD REPLACED "HUNDREDS" OF THESE MODULES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. *LA

CROSS COUNTRY; AS VEHICLE WAS COMING TO A STOP AT ABOUT 5 MPH, APPLIED BRAKES, AND ENGINE STARTED RACING. THE CONSUMER KEPT APPLYING THE BRAKES, BUT VEHICLE ACCELERATED, AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ENGINE REMAINED RACING. THE VEHICLE THAT WAS REAR ENDED HAD BEEN PUSHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE CONSUMER THEN TRIED TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL BUT ENDED UP IN REVERSE INSTEAD. THE VEHICLE SPUN 180 DEGREES IN REVERSE, THEN HIT A GROVE OF TREES AND COME TO A STOP. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE ENTIRE TIME. DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. *AK *SCC *NLM

MY '96 VOLVO 855 HAS INTERMITTENT ABS FAILURE. THE ABS LIGHT GOES OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE CAR HAS 123,000 MILES. AFTER A BRIEF SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS WAS TOO COMMON PROBLEM WITH ABS CONTROL MODULE. IT SEEMS THAT VOLVO DOES NOT ADMIT IT AS A SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM AND THERE IS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN (THAT I KNOW OF). JUST VOLVO DEALERS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND INSTALLING THE NEW ABS CONTROL MODULES. IT IS IRRESPONSIBLE TO LET MANY VOLVO CARS WITH EITHER FAILING ABS SYSTEM OR CHARGE HUNDREDS FOR THE REPAIR OF A BADLY DESIGNED SYSTEM. *LA

WE BOUGHT A 2003 VOLVO XC 90 IN JANUARY 2003, THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND HAS ABOUT 12,600 MILES. IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS, WE HAVE HAD FOUR SYSTEM PROBLEMS, BRAKES, CRUISE CONTROL, AC/ DEFROSTER AND MOST RECENTLY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEM SINCE IT FAILED TO OPERATE WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE STATING THAT A CORRUPT SOFTWARE WAS THE CAUSE. VOLVO USA STATED THAT THE "NEW " SOFTWARE WAS A MODIFICATION/UPGRADE WHICH IS BEING PUT IN THE 2004 VEHICLES. MY QUESTION TO VOLVO USA AS TO WHETHER THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 CAUSED THE DESIGN OF THE MODIFICATION WAS NOT AN ADEQUATELY RESPONDED TO. VOLVO USA CLAIMED THAT THERE WERE NO FIGURES AVAILABLE TO ADVISE MYSELF ON HOW MANY 2003 XC 90 HAVE HAD THIS OR OTHER PROBLEMS. I ADVISED VOVLO USA THAT WE ARE VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY AND SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. *LA

MY ABS/TRAC DASH LIGHTS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY COMING ON, INDICATING THAT THE ABS IS NO LONGER WORKING. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NEWER (LATE 1990'S AND ON) VOLVOS DUE TO A FAULTY ABS COMPUTER MODULE AND VOLVO ISN'T COVERING THE REPAIRS UNDER A RECALL. THE COST OF THE MODULE IS $500 (NOT INCLUDING LABOR COSTS). I'M REQUESTING NHTSA CONTACT VOLVO HEADQUARTERS TO DEMAND A RECALL ON THIS HINDERING ABS SAFETY PROBLEM. *JB

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE STORAGE SMELL OF FUEL FUMES PRESENT AT ALL TIMES WHILE OPERATING VEHICLE WHEN FILLING TANK, FUEL LEAKS FROM TOP OF FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY JUST AS TANK BECOMES COMPLETELY FULL. *JB

SIMILAR TO A NHTSA COMPLAINT NUMBER 873996, THIS VEHICLE (2000 VOLVO S-80 T6) SHUT DOWN DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING AT 70 MPH. CONSOLE MESSAGE STATUS INDICATED "ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT" AFTER COASTING TO SAFE LOCATION, ENGINE WOULD NOT RE-START UNTIL COOLED. AFTER STARTING, THE MESSAGE STATUS REMAINED THE SAME, BUT CRUISE CONTROL WAS INOPERABLE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT OPERATE ABOVE 2000 RPM IN BOTH AUTOMATIC -OR- MANUAL MODE. EARLY SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM MAY HAVE BEEN FALSELY MANIFESTED AS POOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PERFORMANCE IN 3RD, 4TH, AND OVERDRIVE GEARS. THE SYMPTOMS HAVE PERSISTED UNTIL FAILURE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. AS OF 10/4/03, DEALER HAD REPLACED THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (CARBURETOR) AT CONSUMER COST OF $926.70 AND RECOMMENDED CRUISE CONTROL MODULE REPLACEMENT ESTIMATED AT $860.00 ORIGINAL VEHICLE HISTORY INCLUDING COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT AT 9000 MILES IS AVAILABLE FROM OWNER OR DEALER. ADDITIONALLY, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (CARBURETOR) IS AVAILABLE FOR FAILURE ANALYSIS. *LA COMPLAINT IS AN ADDTO EMAIL CONSUMER LETTER REGARDING AN INTERNET VOQ REQUEST THAT WAS FILED IN REFERENCE TO 2000 VOLVO S80. VOLVO EXPERIENCING ENGINE SURGES. 10041220 IS THE COMPLAINT IN WHICH THIS EMAIL CONSUMER LETTER IS BEING ADDED TO.*MR

THE CONSUMER WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL VEHICLE OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER SUFFERED TEMPORARY HEARING LOSS AND WILL BE SEEKING A PHYSICIANS CARE. *NLM

VEHICLE WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT RESULTS IN A SERIOUS DELAY WHEN DECELERATING RAPIDLY. THE DELAY MAKES IT SEEM AS THOUGH THE THROTTLE HAS "STUCK" FOR 2-3 TENTHS OF A SECOND. THE "R" IS TOUTED AS A PERFORMANCE VEHICLE AND THIS DELAY IN THROTTLE RESPONSE IS DOWN RIGHT DANGEROUS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN HARD. THIS DELAY OCCURS EVERY TIME ONE DECELERATES QUICKLY FROM FULL THROTTLE. VOLVO SAYS IT IS "NORMAL". *JB. *AK