1998 Volvo V70

I OWN A 1998 VOLVO V70. WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BOTH THE AIR PUMP AND THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. THESE PARTS SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED ON A CAR THAT IS FIVE YEARS OLD. SINCE THE CAR IS PAST ITS WARRANTY PERIOD, VOLVO WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME FOR THESE PARTS (A TOTAL OF $1,273). IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER FROM ME, VOLVO SAID, "IN THE EVENT THAT EITHER OF THESE COMPONENTS IS RECALLED, REIMBURSEMENT COULD BE CONSIDERED AT THAT TIME." PLEASE ADD MY NAME TO OTHERS WHO UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THESE FAULTY PARTS (AIR PUMP - PKS70AP AND ABS/TRAC - 8602266) SO THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED. I WOULD BE GLAD TO SUBMIT TO NHTSA BOTH LETTERS BETWEEN VOLVO AND MYSELF.*AK

MY 1998 VOLVO V70 AWD. WITH LESS THAN 49,000 MILES THE ABS/TRACS WARNING LIGHT BEGAN TO INTERMITTANTLY COME ON (INDICATES ABS SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED TRACTION CONTROL ARE INOPERATIVE). SUBSEQUENT COMPUTERIZED TROUBLE FAULT EVALUATION BY DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT (PENKUS VOLVO) INDICATED THAT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WAS AT FAULT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (AT ALMOST $800). CAR HAD MILEAGE WITHIN THE WARRANTY LIMIT, BUT WAS BEYOND THE TIME LIMIT TO QUALIFY FOR WARRANTY SERVICE. I HAVE SINCE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH/INTERNET SEARCHES ON THIS ISSUE (NOTE I AM A RESEARCH SCIENTIST) AND HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THIS TEVES 20 ABS UNIT FAILING. SPECIFICALLY, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS 1998 VOLVO MODEL HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY THIS! I RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OF THE HISTORICAL CLAIMS THAT I'VE REVIEWED DO NOT INVOLVE DEATH NOR PERSONNEL INJURY AS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT, HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME DOCUMENTED "CLOSE CALLS." I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT YOUR AGENCY, NHTSA, SHOULD INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND PERHAPS MANDATE A RECALL BY VOLVO. YOU PRIMARILY EXIST TO PROMOTE SAFETY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY AND TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN CONSUMER. PLEASE DON'T WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED OR HURT BEFORE YOU ACT! THANK YOU. *AK

ABS/TRACKS SYSTEM FAILURE ON BOTH 1995, 850 AND 1998, V70. WHEN ABS/TRACK LIGHT(S) COMES ON, NO ABS/TRACK. LEFT FRONT WEEL MAY PULL WHEN BRAKING ON V70. VOLVO CORP. DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM... MADE SEVERAL CALLS, HAD INSPECTION/SERVICE DONE BY "CERTIFIED VOLVO SERVICE TECHNICIAN," VOLVO WILL NOT ACCEPT PROBLEM...

ABS WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THEN GOES OFF AFTER A CYCLING OF THE ENGINE. SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND BECAUSE THE ABS SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON, IT IS DANGEROUS. VOLVO DOES NOT SEEM TO BE PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM DESPITE A HIGH NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS. BECAUE THERE IS NO ONE DATE FOR THIS PROBLEM I WILL ARBITRARILY PUT ONE IN FOR REPORTING PURPOSES

THE ABS COMPUTER MODULE IN MY VOLVO FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $700. I WAS INFORMED BY MY MECHANIC THAT IT HAD A CRACK IN THE COMPUTER BOARD. THIS CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT, SO THIS CRACK MUST HAVE OCCURED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. MY BROTHER HAD THE SAME ABS PROBLEM IN HIS 1998 VOLVO S70. LOOKING AT COMMENTS ONLINE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS EXPENSIVE PART. DT

WE LEARNED THIS WEEK THAT OUR VOLVO V70 HAS A DESIGN DEFECT - IN THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS BECOME WARPED AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF USAGE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, INFORMED US OF THIS. WE HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS REPLACED TWICE, IN LESS THAN A YEAR, FIRST IN DECEMBER 1998 AND NOW AGAIN IN OCTOBER 1999. THE MECHANICS TELL US THAT THE ROTORS SHOULD USUALLY LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THE ROTORS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR IN THE V70 AND 840 SERIES. HE INDICATED THAT HE HAD CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THAT VOLVO CONSIDERS THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT THIS OFTEN, AS SIMPLE WEAR AND TEAR. ANOTHER CUSTOMER PRESENT AT THE SAME TIME ALSO STATED SHE HAD PROBLEMS AND THAT MOST RECENTLY IN HER HAD BEEN TOTALED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD MANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS BUT THAT VOLVO IN UNRESPONSIVE. WE ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE WE PURCHASED A VOLVO FOR ITS SAFETY REPUTATION. WE HAVE A FOUR YEAR DAUGHTER WE TRANSPORT IN THE CAR, AND WE ARE AFRAID OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN. NOT ONLY WOULD AN ACCIDENT HARM US, BUT OTHERS ON THE ROAD. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT ACTION WE SHOULD TAKE.