1999 Volvo V70

MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I CURRENTLY OWN A 1999 VOLVO V70. ON AUGUST 1, I HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING A POTENTIAL ENGINE PROBLEM WITH VOLVOS. THIS WAS THE SAME DAY I WAS TAKING MY CAR TO A LOCAL VOLVO DEALER FOR ITS 150,000 MILES SERVICE AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I WAS PLANNING TO REPORT WAS THAT THE CAR STALLS OCCASIONALLY WHEN I AM DRIVING OR JUST LOOSES SPEED. I HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST TWO YEARS TO AT LEAST THREE VOLVO DEALERS IN THE NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY METROPOLITAN AREA AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD IN ALL OCCASIONS THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE REPLICATED WHEN CONDUCTING THE SERVICE. THE STALLING PROBLEM BEGAN IN 2003 AND HAS HAPPENED 12 TIMES TO DATE. IN ONE OCCASION I WAS DRIVING AT 50 MILES AN HOUR IN A HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPEN. MY WIFE AND MY CHILD WERE IN THE CAR THEN. WE WERE ALL UNHARMED. WHEN I TOOK MY CAR TO THE VOLVO DEALER ON AUGUST 1, I GOT A CALL FOR THE SERVICE PERSON AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE OF THE CAR HAD AN INTERNAL FAULT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR ALMOST $1,000. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE REASON WHY MY CAR WAS STALLING OR LOOSING SPEED. HOWEVER, KNOWING THAT THE CAR MODEL IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR A SIMILAR PROBLEM, I DECIDED NOT TO FIX IT UNTIL THE OUTCOME OF THE INVESTIGATION IS KNOWN. IN MY OPINION, THIS PROBLEM EXISTS WITH THE VOLVO MODELS -- INCLUDING MINE - AND ENCOURAGE THE NHTSA TO PURSUE THE INVESTIGATION . THANK YOU. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

11/12/04 MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED 12/16/04 MAP SENSOR & SHUT OFF VALVE REPLACED 3/15/05 SHUT OFF VALVE REPLACED AGAIN! 1/18 05 MASTER WINDOW SWITCH PACK REPLACED - 5/31/05 MASTER WINDOW SWITCH PACK REPLACED AGAIN!! 3/17/05 ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE REPLACED!!! 5/9/05 OXYGEN SENSOR AND ABS CONTROL UNIT REPLACED. WHEN THE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE FAILED IN MARCH 2005, MY 1999 VOLVO V70 HAD ONLY 55,000 MILES ON IT! I WAS ON THE EXPRESSWAY WHEN MY CAR LOST POWER AND HAD NO WAY TO GET BACK ONTO THE ROAD SAFELY.....I HAVE SPENT OVER $4000 IN THE PAST YEAR REPLACING ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNITS IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS CAR SAFE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR FEAR OF SOMETHING ELSE GOING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I HAVE FOUR SMALL GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE WITH ME AT LEAST THREE DAYS A WEEK. *NM

INCIDENCE 1 OF 7 SIMILAR. AS REPORTED ON SERVICE INVOICE: C/S CAR STALLS OUT WHILE DRIVING, MAKING A U-TURN, START RIGHT UP. CHECK CAR FOR CODES, ACCESS, NO CODES ON ANY SYSTEM. NO CODES ON FUEL SYSTEM, CHECK FUEL PUMP CONNECTOR UNDER REAR PANEL, ALL OK. PER ABOVE, THOUGH SERVICE DEPT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, THIS INCIDENT WAS THE 1ST OF 7 SIMILAR PROBLEMS OCCURRING LATER THAT ULTIMATELY LEAD TO HAVING THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED TWICE & THEN REPLACED TWICE. I WILL BE REPORTING ALL THE OTHER SUBSEQUENT INCIDENTS IN SEQUENCE OF OCCURRENCE ON THIS NHTSA COMPLAINT SITE AS WELL. *JB

WE HAVE A 1999 V70 VOLVO STATION WAGON THAT ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO BEGAN LOSING POWER AND/OR STALLING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WOULD RE-START IF I WAS ABLE TO GUN IT AND GET THE CAR MOVING. VOLVO REPLACED THE THROTTLE SYSTEM AND THE ISSUE SEEMED TO BE RESOLVED. IN MAY 2005, THE ENGINE AGAIN BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AS I DECELERATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (E.G. WHEN APPROACHING A TOLL OR IN TRAFFIC) AND THEN WOULD COMPLETELY STALL ONCE I EXITED THE HIGHWAY ONTO THE LOCAL ROADS AND WAS DRIVING AT A SLOWER SPEED. IT APPEARED TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN I HAD A FULL TANK OF GAS AND/OR THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON. IT WOULD RE-START FAIRLY EASILY. THE VOLVO DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR (SUMMIT, NJ) LOOKED AT THE CAR IN MAY AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, AS THE COMPUTER DID NOT REGISTER ANY FAILURE; THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO US AS IS. IT CONTINUED TO HAPPEN PERIODICALLY AND EVENTUALLY WOULD NOT RE-START. ON MONDAY, JUNE 13 I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN JERSEY CITY WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG; THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO US AS IS. ON FRIDAY, JUNE 17, WE THEN BROUGHT IT TO ANOTHER VOLVO DEALER (MONTCLAIR, NJ) WHERE THREE MECHANICS LOOKED AT IT OVER THE COURSE OF ONE WEEK AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, AGAIN CITING THAT THE COMPUTER DID NOT REGISTER ANY FAILURES. IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES, SO NOW IT IS AT ANOTHER LOCAL REPAIR SHOP (GARWOOD, NJ) WHERE THE MECHANIC CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE MID-JUNE AS I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING A CAR THAT CAN STALL WITHOUT WARNING IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND BE SLAMMED FROM BEHIND. *NM

WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKES DIDN'T ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP, AS A RESULT THE DRIVER HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY PUMP THE PEDAL TO STOP VEHICLE. *AK CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS COMPLETE AND TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE ABS UNIT THAT WAS REPLACED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER RESET THE LIGHT. *PH *NLM

UPPER TORQUE MOUNT ON ENGINE MOUNTING CRACKED. THIS RATHER UNUSUAL FAILURE SUGGESTED TO ME A POSSIBLE MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. IN ADDITION, STEERING FLUID RESERVOIR ALSO FOUND TO BE CRACKED. AGAIN, AN VERY UNUSUAL FAILURE WHICH MIGHT RELATE TO A MANUF DEFECT. INVOICE NO. FOR DEALER REPAIR: VOCS221655. DT

THIS CAR HAS HAD A SULFUR SMELL IN THE EMISSIONS SINCE THE DAY OF PURCHASE. WHEN IT DIDN'T GO AWAY AT 200 MILES, COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE 2000 MILES. DIDN'T GO AWAY BY THEM. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE O2 SENSOR, DOWNLOADED AND UPGRADED COMPUTER, REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR AND WE ARE ON OUR THIRD CAT CONVERTER BUT THE CAR STILL SMELLS OF SULFUR. ESPECIALLY NOXIOUS AT LOW SPEEDS, STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND IDLEING! IN JUNE OF 2000 THEY SAID THEY WEREN'T AUTHORIZING ANY MORE REPAIRS ON THE CAR. BUT THE CAR STILL SMELLS. CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMELL BEING AN IRRITANT TO MY SON WHO HAS HISTORY OF ASTHMA.*AK

THE PROBLEM IS A GRINDING/VIBRATION WHEN THE CAR GETS HOT. THE DEALER/VOLVO SAY IT IS THE VISCOUIS COUPLING. NEITHER ONE KNOW HOW TO FIX. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE AT LEAST TWO BRAND NEW CARS THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT ON THEIR LOT THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM (WONDER WHAT THEY WILL DO WITH THESE CARS?).I THINK THIS IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP...... *AK