1999 Volvo S70

WE HAVE 1999 VOLVO GLT. DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OUR MECHANIC NOTED THAT OUR ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULATOR (?) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON MANY 1999-2001 VOLVOS. THE CLUE FOR HIM WAS THE IRREGULAR AND HIGH IDLE OF THE CAR. IT COST APPROXIMATELY $1000.00 TO REPAIR. THE CAR ONLY HAS 54K MILES. *JB

THIS IS THE SECOND SUBMISSION (PART TWO, ACTUALLY) OF COMPLAINT # 10137311, REGARDING VOLVO THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE AND CRUISE CONTROL. I HAD TO DIVIDE THE DESCRIPTION INTO TWO SECTIONS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS. PART TWO OF ODI # 10137311: MAY 2004 (45,000 MILE SERVICE) -CAR IDLING ROUGHLY, NOT ACCELERATING SMOOTHLY, AND CLUNKING SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING. UPPER ENGINE TORQUE MOUNT. CLUNKING NOISE DISAPPEARED. CAR SEEMED TO ACCELERATE MORE NORMALLY AFTER SERVICING. SUMMER 2004- CAR CUTTING OFF WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER TURNING AND WARNING LIGHT(S) ON. CRUISE CONTROL CONTINUES CUTTING OFF, CAUSING DECELERATION; CAR CONTINUES TO IDLE ROUGHLY AND ACCELERATE UN-SMOOTHLY. WHEN IT IS TIME FOR ENGINE TO AUTOMATICALLY BE GIVEN A LITTLE MORE GAS (SUCH AS GOING UP A HILL), THE CRUISE CONTROL SHUTS OFF AND THE "ABS" LIGHT COMES ON. SOMETIMES "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON, EITHER ALONE OR IN ADDITION TO THE ABS WARNING LIGHT. SEPTEMBER 20, 2005--WARRANTY EXPIRED--67,500 MILE SERVICE- AGAIN REPORTED CRUISE CONTROL/WARNING LIGHT PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP,SUPPOSEDLY NEED NEW CONTROL MODULE, COSTING $1,000. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED REPEATEDLY WHILE CAR UNDER WARRANTY; DON'T REPAIR AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE PROBLEM DEVELOPED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. USING CELL PHONE WHILE CONVERSING WITH DEALERSHIP. WOMAN IN SAME STORE OVERHEARD CONVERSATION, TOLD ME OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN DECELERATION, AND GAVE ME YOUR URL. [XXX]. VIN [XXX] (1999 S70) THROTTLE CONTROL NOT YET REPLACED. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

REGARDING VOLVO THROTTLE CONTROL JULY 2001-PURCHASED 1999 S70 WITH 22,600 MILES; CRUISE CONTROL QUIT, WARNING LIGHTS LIT, CAR BEGAN DECELERATING. DEALERSHIP SAID CHECK GAS CAP SECURELY-FITTING. AFTER RESTARTING, CRUISE CONTROL WORKED AND WARNING LIGHTS OFF. 30,000 MILE SERVICE- TOLD AGAIN TO CHECK GAS CAP WHENEVER CRUISE PROBLEM OCCURRED. AUGUST 2002-USING CRUISE CONTROL, ACCELERATION WITHOUT REASON. IMMEDIATELY, CRUISE CONTROL QUIT, CAR DECELERATED, WARNING LIGHTS ON. NORMAL FUNCTION WITH MANUAL ACCELERATION. BY THIS TIME, I HAD "LEARNED" TO RESTART CAR TO GET WARNING LIGHTS TO TURN OFF OR TO GET CRUISE CONTROL TO START WORKING. AT DESTINATION, CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. TOW TRUCK DRIVER JUMP-STARTED BATTERY. ETS WARNING LIGHT STILL ON. WROTE TO DEALERSHIP OCTOBER 28, 2003, REGARDING ETS WARNING LIGHT. AT 37,500 MILE CHECK-UP, I WAS TOLD CAR REQUIRED ONLY NORMAL SERVICING. WHEN I LEFT DEALERSHIP, ETS LIGHT NO LONGER ON. LATER CAR BEGAN IDLING ROUGHLY AND DIDN'T ACCELERATE AS SMOOTHLY. AFTER 37,500 MILE SERVICE, CAR OPERATED MORE AS EXPECTED. WITHIN WEEKS, AGAIN IDLING ROUGHLY AND NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY AFTER TURNING CORNERS. DEC. 31, 2003 (38,695 MILES), VOLVO TOWED TO DEALERSHIP BECAUSE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN TURNING, CAR BARELY MOVED FORWARD. ALSO, MOTOR STALLING OUT DURING ACCELERATION AFTER TURNING. NOISE SOUNDED LIKE IT EMANATED FROM POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING RACK REPLACED. AFTER SERVICING, ENGINE'S ACCELERATION BETTER FOR FEW MONTHS. (DID DEALERSHIP CLEANED THROTTLE DURING SERVICE?) REST OF THIS SENT IN SEPARATE DESCRIPTION DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS. *JB

MAY 2004 1) NO PRIOR WARNING OR INDICATION 2)CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT RAN RATHER ROUGH FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF OF THE FREEWAY. IT THEN BEGAN TO RUN SMOOTHLY WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THE CAR DIED WITHOUT WARNING (OTHER THAN THE CONSTANTLY LIT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. 3) I TOOK IT INTO "VOLVO OF RICHARDSON". THEY DIAGNOSED AND REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. THIS COST OVER $900.00. SEPTEMBER 2005 1) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, BUT THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE, HAD THE CODE CHECKED AT "AUTO ZONE". THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY BAD FUEL BECAUSE IT HAD MULTIPLE CODES THAT WERE ALL RELATED TO THE PROPER AIR/FUEL MIXTURE. THE RECOMMENDED THAT I RUN A COUPLE OF TANKS OF GAS THROUGH IT AND THEN RESET THE CODES AND SEE IF THAT CLEARED UP MY PROBLEM. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON BUT WENT OFF PRIOR TO GETTING IT CHECKED, AGAIN THE CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE. 2) THE CAR DIED WHILE DRIVING. I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. IT RAN RATHER ROUGH FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. IT THEN BEGAN TO RUN SMOOTHLY WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FOR SHORT PERIODS AND THEN WOULD GO OUT. 3) I TOOK IT INTO "VOLVO OF RICHARDSON". THEY DIAGNOSED THE INTERMITTENT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE BE REPLACED BEFORE IT FAILED COMPLETELY. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT FAILS, AND THAT COULD CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION. BUT WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY ADD A TOWING BILL TO MY ALREADY STEEP ESTIMATE OF $1100.00. I ASKED THEM ABOUT A WARRANTY/RECALL. THEY TOLD ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY DO SEE THIS PROBLEM "FROM TIME TO TIME" THERE IS NO RECALL AND NO WARRANTY ON THE ONE THAT THEY PUT IN FOR ME IN MAY OF 2004, SINCE THAT WARRANTY WAS ONLY FOR TWELVE MONTHS. *NM

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR: 1) ENGINE/THROTTLE SYSTEM: A) INTERMITTENTLY, THE CAR WILL NOT START WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM, WHETHER FROM DRIVING OR IT IS A HOT DAY. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALER FROM MY GARAGE WHEN IT HAD <20K MILES AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING IT HARD ENOUGH. THEY ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE BLOWN OUT AND SUGGESTED THAT I REV-UP THE ENGINE WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARK TO CLEAN IT OUT. THAT DID NOT HELP. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SERVICED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN SO BAD, THAT THE CAR BEGAN STALLING WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT, PARTICULARLY, IF I STOPPED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT OR TURNED A CORNER. I PAID $1,500 IN JANUARY 2005 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AGAIN, AND NOW THE PROBLEM IS BACK. THE VOLVO DEALER IS USELESS. B) THE ENGINE EITHER LEAKS OR BURNS OIL. I WILL INTERMITTENTLY HEAR A CLICKING NOISE TO FIND OUT THAT ALL OF THE OIL IS GONE. THE OIL LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. I ROUTINELY HAVE TO ADD 3-4 QUARTS OF OIL. 2) SAFETY FEATURES: THE REARVIEW MIRROR BROKE OFF IN MY HAND AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS A SAFETY FEATURE. WHEN IT BROKE OFF, IT LEFT A METAL SPIKE STICKING OUT THAT WOULD HAVE DONE FAR MORE DAMAGE IN AN ACCIDENT THAN THE MIRROR. THE CHILD LOCK ON THE REAR CENTER SEAT BELT FAILED. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS PULLING THE BELT TOO TIGHT AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOME "GIVE". OF COURSE, I KNOW THAT THE CHILD SEAT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO WIGGLE AROUND IN THE BACK SEAT, SO I INSISTED THAT IT BE REPLACED. BODY: THE MECHANISMS TO HOLD UP THE TRUNK LID NO LONGER FUNCTION. THE LATCH TO RELEASE THE HOOD HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

MY S70 VOLVO, STALLED ON FREEWAY A NUMBER OF TIMES WITHIN A ONE DAY PERIOD, WOULD RESTART AND GOT IT TO VOLVO OF ESCONDIDO CA, HAD MY CAR FOR 3 DAYS AND I RENTED ( I AM A SINGLE MOM AND CANNOT AFFORD THIS OR TO BE WITHOUT A CAR) RECEIVED MY CAR& BILL $457.69 TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE BODY. ON 7/ 18 I RETURNED IT TO VOLVO BECAUSE IT BEGAN DOING IT AGAIN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THAT TIME VOLVO HAD IT FOR 1 DAY AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR AND TO COME GET IT. ON JULY 19TH IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND THEY HAD MY CAR FROM 7/ 19TH - 27TH BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. ON THE 27TH, $160 FOR LABOR AND PARTS.(SPARK PLUGS) I REFUSED TO PAY FOR LABOR. MY CAR NEVER RAN THE SAME AND IT SEEMED TO BE SLUGGISH. I THEN RETURNED TO WORKING STRICTLY WITH MY OWN CERTIFIED VOLVO MECHANIC. HE HAS DONE ALL OF MY TUNE UPS, OIL CHANGES AND MINOR MAINTENANCE. (PRIOR TO THIS STALLING PROBLEM) LAST WEEK I HEARD A HORRIBLE AND SUDDEN NOISE AND ALTHOUGH NO LIGHTS OR WARNING INDICATORS APPEARED I TOOK IT TO HIM IMMEDIATELY. HE HAS FOUND THAT IT HAS A CRACK IN THE LOWER BLOCK WHICH HAS NOW LEFT ME WITH A SHELL OF A CAR AND NO ENGINE. MY REGULAR MECHANIC SAID THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN THIS ON A CAR AS WELL KEPT AND MAINTAINED AS MINE. HE BELIEVES IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FAULTY STALLING PROBLEM THAT IS STILL A MYSTERY TO VOLVO COULD BE THE REASONING. I PUT A LOT OF TIME, MONEY AND ENERGY OUT AS A RESULT OF THIS CAR AND MOST IMPORTANTLY RISKED THE LIVES OF MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF WITH THIS PROBLEM. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE NHTSA IS DOING TO RESOLVE THIS AND HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD A CRACK LOWER BLOCK AS AN END RESULT?. I FEEL VOLVO SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE MY ENGINE. TIME, LOSS OF WORK AND COSTS HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR HARDSHIP FOR ME. I CRINGE AT THE FACT THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SUCH A TRAGIC ENDING AS AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT THE NEXT STEP IS OR HOW I PURSUE VOLVO. THANK YOU, [XXX]. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR