2001 Volvo V70XC

HELLO, I HAVE A 2001 VOLVO V70XC W/ APPROX 67,000 MILES. THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC AND I WAS ALMOST KILLED BY A FULLY LOADED DUMP TRUCK THAT DID NOT HAVE THE DISTANCE TO STOP. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE FAILURE REPAIRED AND IT WAS THE ETM - "ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE". THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECTIVE COMPONENT BY VOLVO AS THEY ARE REPLACING THEM IN SWEDEN - BUT HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED ANYTHING HERE IN NORTH AMERICA. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MAKE ENOUGH PHONE CALLS TO VOLVO TO GET THEM TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE ETM AT NO COST; HOWEVER THE NEW REPLACEMENT WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL DUE TO THE CURRENT / EXISTING DESIGN. THE ETM NEEDS TO BE RE-ENGINEERED AND REPLACED IN EVERY 1999- 2001 VOLVO. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL ME. THANKS. *NM

THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING OUR 2001 VOLVO VXC70 STATION WAGON. ON A BUSY ROAD, DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR LOST ENGINE POWER AND NEARLY CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKE SYSTEMS FAILED AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF DIFFICULTY TO GET THE CAR OUT OF TRAFFIC AND TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! THE REASON THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED IS THE KNOWLEDGE THAT OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM HAVE BEEN FILED WITH YOUR AGENCY. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE THE BASIS FOR A RECALL TO ADDRESS WHATEVER FIXES OR CHANGES ARE NECESSARY TO PRECLUDE ANY RECURRENCE. *JB

WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH OUR VEHICLE AS IDENTIFIED IN A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WITH OUR VOLVO. THE DEALER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM ORIGINALLY REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF THE LOSS OF POWER, STALLING AND OTHER DEFECTS WITH MY VEHICLE UNDER WARRANTY (THEY CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY VOLVO THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM WITHOUT A "REDUCED PERFORMANCE" LIGHT COMING ON) UNTIL I TOLD THEM THAT IF I WAS KILLED (THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I LOST POWER AS I WAS ENTERING I-95 NORTH DURING RUSH HOUR AND WAS NEARLY BROADSIDED BY A CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE MERGING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION) IT WOULD COST THEM A LOT MORE THAN SIMPLY A REPAIR. AFTER THREATENING A LAWSUIT, THEY AGREED TO DOWNLOAD SOME SOFTWARE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. WHILE THE ISSUE IS NOT AS PREVALENT AS IT WAS, WE STILL HAVE OCCASIONS WHEN WE GET POWER SURGES, LOSE POWER AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS DO NOT WORK PROPERLY IN THE VEHICLE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION/AIR FLOW PROBLEM IS JUST ONE OF MANY ISSUES WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE - MANY OF THEM SAFETY RELATED. WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM THROUGH A NOTICE THEY RECEIVED FROM VOLVO - A NOTICE WAS THE KIND THAT NOTIFIED THE DEALERS OF THE PROBLEM WERE NOT REQUIRED TO ADVISE CUSTOMERS UNLESS CUSTOMERS COMPLAINED (THIS WAS THE SAME ISSUE WITH AN INTERNAL ENGINE FAN WHICH APPARENTLY CAN CATCH FIRE WITHOUT WARNING - THE DEALERS GOT NOTICE ABOUT THAT, BUT THE CUSTOMERS DID NOT - IF WE COMPLAINED ABOUT ISSUES WITH THE FAN, DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF FAN IT WAS, IT WOULD BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY - OTHERWISE, WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACING THE FAN AT THE COST OF OVER $500 - OUR FAN, AFTER WE COMPLAINED THAT IT CAME ON FOR NO REASON WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, WAS FINALLY REPLACED LAST SUMMER BY THE DEALER BUT THEY HAD TO GET "SPECIAL PERMISSION" FROM VOLVO TO DO IT. APPARENTLY, THESE FANS CAN COME ON AND CAUSE THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, AND THERE HAVE BEEN FIRES BECAUSE OF IT. *JB

I OWN A 2001 VOLVO CROSS-COUNTRY. I WAS DRIVING AT 65 MILES PER HOUR ON INTERSTATE 95 BETWEEN BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON WHEN MY CAR STARTING SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND STOPPED DRIVING. SUFFICE TO SAY, THIS INCIDENT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A VOLVO DEALER. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE REPAIR COST ME $1,300. I WAS UNHAPPY TO LEARN THAT VOLVO IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL OR REIMBURSE CONSUMERS FOR THIS REPAIR. *JB

1. WE NOTICED THAT CAR IDLED IRREGULARLY AT STOPS AND SEEMED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL SOMETIMES. WE WERE COMING UP ON 60,000 MILE SERVICE INTERVAL & THOUGHT THAT AT THAT APPOINTMENT WE WOULD HAVE THEM ADJUST. 2. FEB 2005 - WE DROVE CAR OUT OF RESID. DEVELOPMENT ONTO 2 LANE ROAD & CAR LOST POWER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO THE TOP OF THE HILL 500 YARDS AFTER WE TURNED OUT ON ROAD. AT TOP OF THE HILL WE CUT THE CAR OFF TO SEE IF IT WOULD RUN BETTER AFTER RE-STARTING. IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO GET IT RE-STARTED (I HAD TO PUSH THE ACCELERATOR DOWN AGGRESSIVELY). THE CAR COMPUTER SAID WE WERE IN "LIMP MODE" AND WE DROVE AT A VERY SLOW SPEED ESPECIALLY UP HILLS TO THE FIRST FUEL STATION. WE SHUT OFF THE CAR FOR 10 MINUTES & GOT SOME FUEL. AFTER THIS THE CAR RAN OK BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS BACK SO WE CALLED OUR DEALER. 3. WE DROVE THE CAR 1 HOUR TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THE ETM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INVOICE ALSO SAYS THEY REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR. WE DON'T HAVE THE OLD PART. WISH WE DID. *NOTE-ON JUNE 2 (WITH 61,000 MILES) ON A TRIP WITH FAMILY (2 SMALL CHILDREN) THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE BUT JUST NORTH OF CHARLOTTE, NC AT DARK THE CAR LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF I-77S AND WE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE EMERG. LANE. FOR 15-20 MINUTES WE TRIED TO START THE CAR THINKING THE COMPUTER MIGHT RESET. EVERYTIME WE TRIED TO START IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO START (NOT LIKE BATTERY FAILURE) BUT THEN IT WOULD JUST SHUT OFF IMMEDIATELY. IT FINALLY STARTED AND WE DROVE TO THE HOTEL WITH NO PROBLEM. NEXT MORNING WE TOOK TO NEAREST DEALER - UNIVERSITY VOLVO. THEY RAN DIAGNOSTIC AT A FEE AND FOUND ECM CODES 6806 (TURBO CONTROL SYST.) - 904D (FUEL PEDAL SENSOR) - 981A (CONTROL MODULE FAULT) BUT FAULTS WERE NO LONGER PRESENT SO THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING TO DO. OUR HOME DEALER - CHARLOTTESVILLE VOLVO LOOKED AT THE CAR WHEN WE GOT HOME AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY PROBLEMS. *JB

CAR: 2001 VOLVO V70 AWD XC MILEAGE: 45,879 WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAY, THE CAR WITHOUT NOTICE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND 1,000 RPM AND THE CAR DECELERATED RAPIDLY FROM APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH TO LESS THAN 20 MPH. GIVEN THE RAPID, UNEXPECTED DECELERATION, IT WAS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE LOSS OF POWER COULD HAVE LEAD TO A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION. AFTER PULLING OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTARTING THE CAR, IT WOULD RUN NORMALLY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THE CAR PERFORMED NORMALLY AND NO WARNING LIGHT INDICATORS WERE ACTIVATED. THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO A VOLVO DEALER, WHO AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR STATED THAT ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (THROTTLE BODY) HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. COST INCURRED FOR THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENT WERE $845.25, INCLUDING LABOR. *JB

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY 6 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AT 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY 58 IN GOLDEN, CO MY 2001 VOLVO XC WAGON SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND I COULD ONLY GO 10 MPH ON JULY 20, 2005. I WAS ABLE TO EXIT AND PARKED THE CAR FOR AN HOUR. IT RESTARTED AND RAN NORMALLY FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES WHEN I HAD A SECOND SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING 65 ON 6TH AVENUE IN GOLDEN. THE MESSAGE CENTER ON MY DASH SAID SERVICE WAS URGENT, SO I STOPPED THE CAR ON THE EXIT RAMP FOR 1.5 HRS. UNTIL A TOW TRUCK ARRIVED WHICH TOWED THE CAR TO RICKENBAUGH VOLVO IN DENVER FOR A COST OF $142.50. THE NEXT DAY, I PAID RICKENBAUGH VOLVO IN DENVER $982.53 TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE UNIT AND GASKET, AND REMOVE, CLEAN AND REPLACE THE CRANK CASE VENTILATION NIPPLE AND $272.68 FOR EMISSIONS SERVICE. *JB

2001 VOLVO V70XC - FAILED ETM. FIRST OCCURRED ON 4/25/05, BUT THE CAR RESTARTED. WHEN IT RECURRED ON 4/28, I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER FOR (WARRANTY) SERVICE. THE DEALER BLAMED A CLOGGED PCV SYSTEM FOR THE FAILURE (RATHER EXPENSIVE LABOR THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE EXTENDED WARRANTY.) THE PROBLEM IS ACCURATELY DESCRIBED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE05041. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MY INCIDENT REPORT TO THIS LIST. *NM

ON SEVERAL INCIDENTS OVER THE PAST 9 MONTHS THE CAR HAS STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. IT LOOSES POWER AND EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN. ONCE I STOP IT RESTARTS. ALSO, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE CAR WILL NOT "SHUT OFF" COMPLETELY BUT THE ENGINE WILL LOOSE ITS POWER AND THEN THE RPM WILL REV BACK UP SUDDENLY. VOLVO HAS ATTACHED A "BLACK BOX" TO THE ENGINE AND AS A RESULT REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND IT IS BACK. THE LAST INCIDENT WAS JULY 20TH. *NM

(1) VEHICLE IS 2001 VOLVO V70 XC CROSS COUNTRY. THIS VEHICLE USES AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) MANUFACTURED FOR VOLVO BY MAGNETI MARELLI. THE ETM REPLACES A TRADITIONAL THROTTLE CABLE AND CONTROLS ENGINE SPEED WHEN PUSHING ON THE GAS PEDAL. (2) ON JULY 9, 2005, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE IN MY 2001 VOLVO FAILED AS I WAS ENTERING A HIGHWAY FROM A COMPLETE STOP AT AN INTERSECTING STREET. TRAFFIC ON THIS HIGHWAY OPERATES AT OR ABOVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MPH. I WAS ACCELERATING AT OR NEAR WIDE OPEN THROTTLE WHEN THE ETM FAILED. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN THE ETM GOING INTO "LIMP HOME MODE," WHICH CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO ONLY OPERATE AROUND IDLE SPEED (APPROXIMATELY 800 RPM), AND NOT ALLOWING ME TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID BEING HIT BY APPROACHING TRAFFIC. MOVING FORWARD AT IDLE SPEED, I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR BETWEEN APPROACHING VEHICLES AND COASTED ONTO A GRASS BARRIER SEPARATING AN ENTRANCE RAMP FROM THE MAIN LANES OF TRAFFIC. THE CAR THEN STALLED. THE CAR'S COMPUTER READOUT ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYED "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" AND THEN "ENGINE SYSTEM FAILURE." THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING, AND I WAS FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A REAR END COLLISION. (3) DON BEYER VOLVO IN FALLS CHURCH, VA INFORMED ME THAT THE ETM HAD FAILED AFTER ONLY 49,000 MILES. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT VOLVO CARS IS WELL AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND IS CURRENTLY THE SUBJECT OF VARIOUS INVESTIGATIONS AND LAWSUITS SURROUNDING THIS ISSUE. VOLVO HAS REPORTED TO THE CALIFORNIA CLEAN AIR RESOURCES BOARD THAT UP TO 94% OF ETMS WILL FAIL BEFORE THE VEHICLE REACHES 100,000 MILES. THERE IS NO REGULAR MAINTENANCE TO BE PERFORMED ON THE ETM. VOLVO TECHNICIANS CANNOT DETERMINE WHEN AN ETM IS ABOUT TO FAIL. DRIVERS SIMPLY HAVE TO WAIT TO BE UNEXPECTEDLY STRANDED. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS IDENTICAL OR NEARLY IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL ETM, MAKING ANOTHER UNEXPECTED AND PREMATURE FAILURE VERY LIKELY. *NM