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2000 Volvo S80

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most S80 years

Owner complaints for the 2000 Volvo S80 are substantially higher than the model-year median of 20.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

224 reports with mileage · 94 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 93 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports8 fire reports8 injury reports

Power Train complaints

23 reports
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98,000 miles · Feb 29, 2012
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control

MY 2000 S80 T6 STALLS IN TRAFFIC AND LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. WHENEVER I STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I'LL HAVE TO STEP HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR IN ORDER TO AVOID THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME FROM HITTING MY CAR.SOMETIMES IT JERKS SO BAD I FEEL THAT ENGINE MAY FALL OFF.THERE'S NO ENGINE LIGHT ON OR ANYTHING. I HAVE CALLED VOLVO AND WAS …

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MY 2000 S80 T6 STALLS IN TRAFFIC AND LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. WHENEVER I STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I'LL HAVE TO STEP HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR IN ORDER TO AVOID THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME FROM HITTING MY CAR.SOMETIMES IT JERKS SO BAD I FEEL THAT ENGINE MAY FALL OFF.THERE'S NO ENGINE LIGHT ON OR ANYTHING. I HAVE CALLED VOLVO AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM IS ETM BUT HAS BEEN REPLACED ON MY CAR ACCORDING TO THEIR RECORDS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD DIFFERENT COMPONENTS TESTED OUT AND FIXED BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10449898

130,000 miles · Jan 25, 2012
Power Train

MY 2000 S80 VOLVO HAS A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY AND CAUSES MY CAR TO COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10445268

122,500 miles · Oct 7, 2010
Power Train

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD LIGHTLY. THE FAILURE CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A MECHANIC AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP ALSO…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD LIGHTLY. THE FAILURE CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A MECHANIC AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP ALSO VERIFIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000.

NHTSA ODI #10359561

109,000 miles · Jul 12, 2010
Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

2000 VOLVO S80. TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH ONLY 109,000 MILES. I HAVE ALWAYS DONE THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH INCLUDED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH IN 2003. I HAD NO PRIOR WARNINGS, NO SLIPPING, NOTHING. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS CLEAN, AT THE LEVEL IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AT, NO LEAKS, AND NO WARNING "CHECK…

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2000 VOLVO S80. TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH ONLY 109,000 MILES. I HAVE ALWAYS DONE THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH INCLUDED A TRANSMISSION FLUSH IN 2003. I HAD NO PRIOR WARNINGS, NO SLIPPING, NOTHING. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS CLEAN, AT THE LEVEL IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AT, NO LEAKS, AND NO WARNING "CHECK ENGINE" OR "TRANSMISSION" LIGHTS CAME ON. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT DUE TO THE SUDDEN FAILURE WITH NO WARNING, IT IS MOST LIKELY SOMETHING INTERNAL THAT JUST BROKE AND THAT I HAVE TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10342715

123,000 miles · Dec 16, 2009
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 25-30 MPH ON AN INCLINE. THE "TRANSMISSION" AND "ENGINE" WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TRANSMISSION REQU…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN 25-30 MPH ON AN INCLINE. THE "TRANSMISSION" AND "ENGINE" WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY LURCHED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TRANSMISSION REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 123,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10296077

86,000 miles · Sep 19, 2009
Power Train

OWN A 2000 VOLVO S80, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN UNEVEN IDELING WHEN DRIVING EITHER LOW OR HIGH SPEED, WHETHER ON CRUISE CONTROL OR NOT. THE CAR IDLE GOES OUT OF CONTROL, IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR GOES ON LIMP MODE, I'M THEN COMPELLED TO ACCELERATE TO COMPENSATE AND REGAIN SPEED. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED, HAD THE VEHICLE SPEED SEN…

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OWN A 2000 VOLVO S80, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN UNEVEN IDELING WHEN DRIVING EITHER LOW OR HIGH SPEED, WHETHER ON CRUISE CONTROL OR NOT. THE CAR IDLE GOES OUT OF CONTROL, IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR GOES ON LIMP MODE, I'M THEN COMPELLED TO ACCELERATE TO COMPENSATE AND REGAIN SPEED. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED, HAD THE VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR REPLACED, COMPLETE TUNE UP, BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS. I DID MY RESEARCH ON THE WEB ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PART OF A RECALL FROM VOLVO. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VOLVO DEALER (VOLVO OF LOS ANGELES) WITH THE RECALL DOCUMENTATION, THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A WEEK, THEN I WAS TOLD THAT VOLVO DOES NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE COMPUTER CODE SHOW UP IN THEIR SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH THE SYMPTOMS OF THE CAR ARE CLEARLY DEPICTED IN THE NHTSA ACTION #EA05021. DRIVING THIS CAR IS UNNERVING, AS I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD RESPOND IN TIME, WHEN I HAVE TO GAIN SPEED ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR FAILURE IS OCCURRING MORE OFTEN, GETTING WORSE AS I DRIVE, SOMETIMES I DO NOT KNOW IF THE CAR WILL RESPOND AS STEP ON THE GAS TO PROCEED AFTER A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNS GREEN. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH VOLVO FOR NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10284610

86,000 miles · Sep 19, 2009
Power Train

OWN A 2000 VOLVO S80, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN UNEVEN IDLING WHEN DRIVING EITHER LOW OR HIGH SPEED, WHETHER ON CRUISE CONTROL OR NOT. THE CAR IDLE GOES OUT OF CONTROL, IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR GOES ON LIMP MODE, I'M THEN COMPELLED TO ACCELERATE TO COMPENSATE AND REGAIN SPEED. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED, HAD THE VEHICLE SPEED SENS…

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OWN A 2000 VOLVO S80, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE AN UNEVEN IDLING WHEN DRIVING EITHER LOW OR HIGH SPEED, WHETHER ON CRUISE CONTROL OR NOT. THE CAR IDLE GOES OUT OF CONTROL, IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR GOES ON LIMP MODE, I'M THEN COMPELLED TO ACCELERATE TO COMPENSATE AND REGAIN SPEED. I HAD THE CAR CHECKED, HAD THE VEHICLE SPEED SENSOR REPLACED, COMPLETE TUNE UP, BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS. I DID MY RESEARCH ON THE WEB ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PART OF A RECALL FROM VOLVO. I TOOK THE CAR TO A VOLVO DEALER (VOLVO OF LOS ANGELES) WITH THE RECALL DOCUMENTATION, THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A WEEK, THEN I WAS TOLD THAT VOLVO DOES NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM UNLESS THE COMPUTER CODE SHOW UP IN THEIR SYSTEM, EVEN THOUGH THE SYMPTOMS OF THE CAR ARE CLEARLY DEPICTED IN THE NHTSA ACTION #EA05021. DRIVING THIS CAR IS UNNERVING, AS I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD RESPOND IN TIME, WHEN I HAVE TO GAIN SPEED ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR FAILURE IS OCCURRING MORE OFTEN, GETTING WORSE AS I DRIVE, SOMETIMES I DO NOT KNOW IF THE CAR WILL RESPOND AS STEP ON THE GAS TO PROCEED AFTER A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNS GREEN. I'M DISAPPOINTED WITH MY VOLVO DEALER FOR NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10284609

66,000 miles · Dec 23, 2008
Engine And Engine CoolingPower Train

DRIVING ALONG DOWN AN INTERSTATE I HIT THE GAS TO DRIVE AROUND A CAR WHEN MY TRANSMISSION CAME OUT OF GEAR AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I LOST ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED I HAD NO POWER TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IT IS KICKING BACK IN BUT I CAN NOT DRIVE ABOVE 20 MPH OR ABOVE 3000 RPM OR IT …

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DRIVING ALONG DOWN AN INTERSTATE I HIT THE GAS TO DRIVE AROUND A CAR WHEN MY TRANSMISSION CAME OUT OF GEAR AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON I LOST ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED I HAD NO POWER TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IT IS KICKING BACK IN BUT I CAN NOT DRIVE ABOVE 20 MPH OR ABOVE 3000 RPM OR IT WILL SLIP OUT AND RED LINE ALSO MY ENGINE MOUNT HAS BROKEN FOR THE SECOND TIME WHEN IT SLIPPED OUT MY S 80 T6 IS BECOMING A PAPER WEIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10252698

70,000 miles · Nov 10, 2008
Power TrainUnknown Or Other

LAST YEAR MY S80 VOLVO STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO AN ETM DEFECT. TWO DAYS, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VOLVO. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A BUSY STREET. SUDDENLY, AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CAME UP INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. THEN TWO SECONDS LATER, A 'CHECK ENGINE MESSAGE' CAME UP. WITHIN ANOTH…

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LAST YEAR MY S80 VOLVO STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO AN ETM DEFECT. TWO DAYS, I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VOLVO. I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON A BUSY STREET. SUDDENLY, AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CAME UP INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG. THEN TWO SECONDS LATER, A 'CHECK ENGINE MESSAGE' CAME UP. WITHIN ANOTHER MINUTE ANOTHER MESSAGE INDICATED 'TRANSMISSION SERVICE REQUIRED URGENTLY'. THEN WITHIN TWO MINUTES THE CAR WENT TO A LIMP MODE. THEY WERE CARS BEHIND ME. IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT WE WERE NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. I FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE RELATED TO VOLVO SUDDEN TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SOME WERE EVEN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS WHEN THEIR CARS SUDDENLY STOPPED. I AM WONDERING WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT HAD LOOKED AT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. VOLVO MUST BE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT NO ONE HOLDS THEM ACCOUNTABLE AND THAT NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE THUS FAR TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST VOLVO GARAGE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT WILL COST $5000 TO FIX THE CAR. I CALLED VOLVO NORTH AMERICA TO REPORT THE PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT HELP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10248364

119,500 miles · Jan 6, 2008
Air BagsExterior LightingFuel System, Gasoline

1) ENGINE IDLES ROUGH, PROBLEM BECAME SO BAD THAT CAR STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS, LOST POWER STEERING & "ENGINE DIES" AT LOW SPEEDS (UNSAFE!). LOCAL MECH REFERRED TO ETM WARRANTY PROGRAM TO RE-PROGRAM FAULTY ETM MODULE. TOOK CAR TO DLR, RE-PROGRAMMED ETM CAR DIED AGAIN! TURNS OUT BAD BATTERY AS WELL: SEVERAL HUN…

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1) ENGINE IDLES ROUGH, PROBLEM BECAME SO BAD THAT CAR STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS, LOST POWER STEERING & "ENGINE DIES" AT LOW SPEEDS (UNSAFE!). LOCAL MECH REFERRED TO ETM WARRANTY PROGRAM TO RE-PROGRAM FAULTY ETM MODULE. TOOK CAR TO DLR, RE-PROGRAMMED ETM CAR DIED AGAIN! TURNS OUT BAD BATTERY AS WELL: SEVERAL HUNDRED $$$ TO REPLACE BATTERY. CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY, LARGE "SHUDDERS" PRESENT WHEN MERGING ONTO HWY, DURING TRANSMISSION/GEAR SHIFT. NOT GOOD! 2) AIRBAG "SRS-URGENT SERVICE" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT IS ON. GOOD LOCAL MECH. STATES THIS IS A $1000 REPAIR. 3) "CHECK BRAKE LIGHT" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT TURNS ON WHEN DEPRESSING ON BRAKE PEDAL: GOOD LOCAL MECH. STATES THAT THIS IS "NORMAL" REQUIRES EXACT MATCHING ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF ALL BRAKE LAMPS TO ENSURE THAT "CHECK BRAKE LIGHT" WARNING DOES NOT OCCUR (IN ACTUALITY THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK FINE, THE BUILT-IN-TEST IS FAULTY). 4) "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" COMES ON 2-3 TIMES IN LAST 3 MONTHS. MAJOR SERVICE WAS REQUIRED. ONE FAULT WAS ISOLATED TO FUEL TANK GAS CAP: IF NOT SECURED PROPERLY "ECM-4308 (LEAK DIAGNOSTIC) LARGE LEAK" OCCURS...REMEDIED BY TWISTING FUEL CAP 3 FULL ROTATIONS, AFTER RE-FUELING GAS TANK. GOOD LOCAL MECH. DIAGNOSED THE LOOSE GAS CAP PROBLEM, WARNED ME ABOUT IT, AND DIDN'T CHARGE ME (NICE!). 5) BODY PAINT IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHIPPING & SCRATCHES. PAINT OR EXTERIOR PANELS ARE VERY SOFT AND EASILY DAMAGED. ANOTHER SHAME, THIS CAR LOOKS GREAT BUT DOES NOT HOLD UP VERY WELL UNDER TYPICAL PARKING LOT CONDITIONS (I.E. SOMEONE PARKED NEXT TO YOU OPENS THEIR CAR DOOR INTO THE SIDE OF YOUR CAR RESULTING IN A LARGE SCRATCH). SOLUTION: PURCHASE A FANCY CAR COVER AND PROTECT THE BODY PAINT, IF YOU CAN! 6) PARKING BRAKE "SEEMS LOOSE", UPON PARKING CAR AND ENGAGING PARKING BRAKE THE VEHICLE ROLLS ALMOST 30 CM BWDS OR FWD DEPENDING ON LEVEL OR INCLINED SURFACE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10213987

Official recalls

4

10V566000 · Equipment:electrical:navigational System(global Positioning System)

Nov 8, 2010

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.

06V441000 · Vehicle Speed Control

Nov 15, 2006

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

04V451000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan

Sep 13, 2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS, SOME ELECTRIC COOLING FANS MAY OVERHEAT POTENTIALLY CAUSING HEAT DAMAGE AND, IN RARE INSTANCES, A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COOLING FAN. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.

00V238000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:upper Ball Joint

Aug 24, 2000

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. OVER TIME, THE BALL JOINT BETWEEN THE FRONT WHEEL KING PIN AND THE SUSPENSION LINK ARM, CAN EXPERIENCE INCREASED LOOSENESS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD AFFECT THE BALL JOINT'S DURABILITY AND PERFORMANCE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

EA05021 · Throttle Control Malfunction

Opened Dec 6, 2005 · Closed Dec 12, 2006

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2006 VOLVO SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING ETM FAILURES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 THROUGH 2001 VOLVO MODELS (NOT INCLUDING THE S40 AND V40), MY 2002 S60 AND V70 WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES AND MY 2002 V70S.ACCORDING TO VOLVO, ?A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.VOLVO FURTHER STATED THAT,THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES GOING INTO LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.?VOLVO INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE MOST SEVERE CONSEQUENCE OF AN ETM FAULT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE RECALL REMEDY IS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE INTRODUCED BY VOLVO ON MARCH 16, 2006 IN A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM.AT THE TIME OF THE NOTIFICATION 161,202 VEHICLES OF THE POPULATION OF 331,301 HAD ALREADY HAD THE SOFTWARE UPLOADED AND WERE THEREFORE NOT INCLUDED IN THE POPULATION COUNT OF THE RECALL. ODI?S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND VOLVO, VOLVO FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY DATA FOUND THAT ETM FAILURE COULD RESULT IN (1) ENGINE STALL; (2) MECHANICAL LIMP MODE; (3) LUNGING FORWARD DURING LOW-SPEED DRIVING MANEUVERS; AND (4) FALTERING DURING HIGH SPEED MERGES OR WHEN CROSSING TRAFFIC.ODI IDENTIFIED 12 CRASHES RELATED TO ETM FAILURE, WITH 6 CAUSED BY LUNGING INCIDENTS, 3 CAUSED BY STALLING INCIDENTS, 2 CAUSED BY MECHANICAL LIMP MODE AND 1 FROM THE FALTERING CONDITION.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT DATA AND INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM CONSUMER INTERVIEWS IDENTIFIED 1,289 INCIDENTS WITH SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES (389.1 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), INCLUDING 479 INVOLVING ENGINE STALL (144.6 PER 100,000 VEHICLES) AND 729 INVOLVING MECHANICAL LIMP MODE (220.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES).ODI'S ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY CLAIM NARRATIVE TEXT SHOWS AT LEAST 14,965 WARRANTY CLAIMS WITH CODES INDICATING AN ETM FAULT RESULTING IN VEHICLE OPERATION IN MECHANICAL LIMP MODE (4.5% OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES). VOLVO?S RECALL ADDRESSES ODI?S SAFETY CONCERNS WITH ETM FAILURES.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TO DETERMINE IF ADDITIONAL ACTION IS REQUIRED.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

PE05041 · Throttle Control Malfunction

Opened Jul 26, 2005 · Closed Dec 7, 2005

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control

PE05-041 WAS OPENED ON JULY, 26, 2005, BASED ON 136 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS TO ODI ALLEGING THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI HAS NOW RECEIVED 591 COMPLAINTS OF ETM FAILURES WHICH ALLEGE SYMPTOMS WITH POTENTIAL SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES.THESE INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE STALL, VEHICLE SURGING FORWARD WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT, VEHICLE HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION AND SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED TRANSITION INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE OPERATION (LIMP MODE).VOLVO SUBMITTED OVER 2,900 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE ETM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DURING PE05-041.ODI'S PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 55 PERCENT WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ABOVE.ODI IS CONTINUING ITS ASSESSMENT OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS. IN NOVEMBER 2005, TO RESOLVE AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD, VOLVO ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE TO 10 YEARS / 200,000 MILES FOR THE ETM IN APPROXIMATELY 356,000 MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 PASSENGER CARS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.UNDER VOLVO'S POLICY, VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE ETM FAILURES WILL RECEIVE A VARIETY OF REPAIRS INCLUDING ETM CLEANING, REPROGRAMMING THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ETM. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-021) TO CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF ETM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.