VOLVO Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY AND WAS DRIVEN HOME AND PARKED. ON A LATER TRIP THE SAME DAY THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY WENT FROM 30 MPH TO 50 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN WITH BRAKING AND PULLED OFF THE ROAD. WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL THE ENGINE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TO APPROX. 4000RPM, IN PARK IT SLOWED CLOSER TO IDLE. ONCE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AGAIN UNTIL IT COOLED DOWN, IT THEN ONCE AGAIN BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS REMAINED ILLUMINATED SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT.*AK

AFTER FIRST YEAR CONSUMER'S VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. WHILE DRIVING HOME ALL POWER WAS LOST. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED FOR PROBLEM, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. VEHICLE CURRENTLY NOT BEING DRIVEN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

BRAKE PADS ARE BURNING OUT. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP 13 TIMES FOR REPLACEMENT OF BRAKES AND PADS.*AK *JB

CONSUMER WAS BACKING VEHICLE OUT THE DRIVEWAY AND STEERING GOT VERY TIGHT. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY. DEALER FOUND BOTH SEALS ON STEERING RACK HAD BEEN BLOWN. MECHANIC AT DELAER BELEIVES IT'S A FACTORY DEFECT. *AK

ABS ANF TRACKING SYSTEM OFF WARNING LIGHTS COME ON. SOMETIMES AT STARTUP, WHILE DRIVING OR BRAKING. DEALER HAS SERVICED SYSTEM WITH NEW SENSORS AND RESETTING COMPUTER WITH NO SUCCESS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THEY SAY IT ISN'T IMPORTANT.*AK

ENGINE AND CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ON 2 OCCASIONS (4/13/01 AND 7/27/01). MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED INITIAL INSTANCE AND SOFTWARE UPDAED. IGNITION ND FUEL INJECTION FAULT TRACING. UNABLE TO ISOLATE CAUSE SECOND INSTANCE. INTERMITTENT COMMUNICATION FAULT AT ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. REFUSE PICK-UP OF THE CAR AT ROYAL VOLVO SINCE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES. HAVE NOTIFIED VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICES TWICE, VOLVO DEALERSHIP, NHTSA, OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL. THOROUGH LETTER BEING SENT TO NHTSA, CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY, AND OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ON 8/6/01. PLEASE THOROUGHLY REVIEW THE CONTENT. MAJOR CONCERNS----HAVE FOUND AT LEAST 6 OTHER INSTANCES OF THE SAME PROBLEM. WILL SEND ALL DOCUMENTATION IN THE EXPRESS LETTER BEING SENT. CALL IF ANY QUESTIONS AND LEAVE AN 800 NUMBER FOR RESPONSES. URGE YOU TO PLEASE TAKE NOTE....THIS ISSUE IS BROADER THAN MY OWN.*AK

5/14 - VEHICLE STALLS AS CROSSING INTERSECTION, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NOW ON. ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE AND HAD 2 MORE STALLS BEFORE ARRIVING AT DEALER FOR SERVICING. 6/13 - WHILE TRAVELLING UPHILL, APPLIED GAS AND VEHICLE DIED WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. AGAIN RETURNED VEHICLE FOR SERVICING. 7/6 - WHILE TRAVELLING ON FLAT ROAD, CAR STALLS WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. NUMEROUS STALLS WHILE DRIVING FROM FRIEND'S HOME TO DEALER FOR SERVICING. 7/17 - PICKED CAR UP AT DEALERSHIP, 3 STALLS WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON BEFORE MAKING IT TO THE MAIN. CAR RETURNED TO DEALER FOR SERVICING. *AK

WE PURCHASED THIS VOLVO S 40 ON JUNE 22, 2000 AND HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS ALTHOUGH THE VEHICHLE HAS LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT. THE REAR ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL DUE TO THE REAR PADS WEARING OUT COMPLETELY IN APPROXIMATELY 22,000 MILES. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BRAKE PADS ON MOST VEHICLES LAST APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES OR MORE. WHEN WE COMPLAINED, WE WERE TOLD BY UNION PARK MAINTENANCE AND SALES THAT THE BRAKE PADS ON THE VOLVO S 40 ARE NOT EXPECTED TO LAST MORE THAN 15,000 TO 20,000 MILES. MY HUSBAND AND I CONSIDER THIS PREMATURE BRAKE PAD DEGREDATION TO BE BUILT-IN OBSOLENCE AND EXPECT BETTER FROM VOLVO. WHEN WE ADDRESSED OUR COMPLAINT TO A SALES MANAGER AT UNION PARK WE WERE TOLD TO "GET IN LINE" WITH OTHER S 40 OWNERS, LEADING US TO BELIEVE THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. TO DATE, VOLVO HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM OR OUR COMPLAINT.*AK

AT TIME OF FIRE, DASH BOARD INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON FOR LIGHT OUT AND THAT CAR WAS IN LOW GEAR, BUT CAR WAS NOT BEING DRIVEN IN LOW GEAR. ADDITIONALLY, AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON. NO IINDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON TO INDICATE ANY OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS ENGINE WAS OVERHEATED OR LOW IN ANY FLUIDS. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THROUGH LOW GEARS TO REMOVE LOW GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT, BUT THAT DID NOT DO ANYTHING. I PUT CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. WHEN I TURNED ENGINE BACK ON, AT FIRST THE LOW GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT DID NOT COME BACK ON, BUT WITHIN ASHORT DISTANCE THE LOW GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT CAME BACK ON EVEN THOUGH CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN IN NORMAL DRIVE GEAR AND NO FEELING THAT CAR WAS ACTUALLY IN A LOW GEAR. *AK

VOLVO DEALER REPRESENTED STATED SRS CRASH SENSOR WAS NOT UNDER ANY WARRANTY. *AK