1998 Volvo S70

I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S70 WHICH HAS ABS/TRAC LIGHT PROBLEMS. I'VE BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THIS WHERE THE INDICATOR LIGHTS COME ON AND THE ABS WILL SOMETIMES PULSATE AND IT MAKES A TERRIBLE NOISE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHEN THE ABS INDICATOR IS ON, I DON'T HAVE ABS BRAKES. IT APPEARS FROM THE VOLVO BRICKBOARD THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY (BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT IS SCARY WHEN THE BRAKES START GOING) AND THINK VOLVO SHOULD MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. IT APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE ONLY ON THIS YEAR/MAKE. *TR

REPLACED TIMING BELT AT 76,000 MI. PER VOLVO MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. AT 107,000 MI. TIMING BELT TENSIONER AND PULLEY FAILURE RESULTING IN TIMING BELT SLIPPING OFF AND CAUSING MASSIVE VALVE DAMAGE. THANKFULLY, VOLVO OF NA SERVICE STEPPED UP AS DID DARELL WALTRIP VOLVO AND HELPED TO COVER OVER HALF OF THE $4,600 IN DAMAGE THAT WAS CAUSED. STILL I WAS STUCK WITH A $2,000 UNEXPECTED REPAIR BILL. ATTENTION - 1998 VOLVO S70 OWNERS AND ALL INTERFERENCE ENGINE OWNERS WITH TIMING BELTS NOTE REPLACE YOUR TENSIONERS AND PULLEYS WHEN YOU REPLACE THE BELT. *JB

I HAVE A 1998 VOLVO S70 WITH ABOUT 88K MILES ON IT. I HAD A LOT OF WORK DONE ON IT DEC 20, 2006 INCLUDING REPLACING THE TIMING BELT. ON 2/15, WE WERE DRIVING AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED - WE LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKING, ETC. WE MANAGED TO SLOW THE CAR AND GET INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER, JORDAN VOLVO IN MISHAWAKA, IN. WE FOUND THAT THE TENSIONER HAD FAILED CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SLIP OFF AND CAUSE WHAT APPEARS TO BE VERY MATERIAL (RETAIL AROUND $4K) WORTH OF DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. VOLVO RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE TENSIONER AT 105K MILES I BELIEVE, BUT I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS CASES ON MESSAGE BOARDS OF PEOPLE HAVING THEIR TIMING BELT BUT NOT TENSIONER REPLACED AND THEN HAVING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE. WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE NOT ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, OR ALONG SIDE THE ROAD (IT WAS PROBABLY 5 DEGREES OUT). THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO REPAIR THE CAR AT 1/2 PRICE, BUT MAINTAIN THAT THEY FOLLOWED VOLVO'S PROCEDURES. I CALLED MY OLD MECHANIC IN CHICAGO AND HE SAID THAT 90% OF THE TIME HE REPLACES THE TENSIONER TO AVOID JUST WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. WE WERE NOT EVEN WARNED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS HAPPENING NOR GIVEN THE OPTION TO DECLINE THE SERVICE. *NM

ABS BRAKE UNIT FAILED AT 60K MILES; ALL SERVICE WAS DONE AT DEALER. DOZENS AND DOZENS OF OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS TO NHTSA FOR EXACT SAME MAKE AND MODEL. NHTS SEEMS POWERLESS TO TAKE ON THIS ISSUE. HOW MANY DEATHS WILL IT TAKE TO GET SOME ACTION? VOLVO DEALERS AND FORD KNOW WELL THE PROBLEM -- JUST COUNT THE CASH THEY ARE MAKING ON THE REPLACEMENTS, AND THEN MULTIPLY BY 10 BECAUSE MOST ARE NOT WILLING TO PAY $1,000 FOR A $200 PART. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTILOCK BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED WHILE THE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED, THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. ALSO, THE DEALER DETERMINED THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED ONCE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND BOTH REAR DOORS ARE LOCKED, THEY CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. IN ORDER FOR OCCUPANTS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, WHILE THE DOORS ARE LOCKED, THE DOOR MUST BE OPENED BY SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE AUTO WINDOW CONTROL AND LOCKS ON ALL THREE DOORS. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LOCK FAILED PREVIOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE AUTO WINDOW CONTROLS AND LOCK TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE LOCK FAILURE.