2000 Volvo S40

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S40. WHILE DRIVING UNDER WET CONDITIONS AT 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. WITHOUT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. IN AN ATTEMPT TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REDLINE AND THE DRIVER TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. *AK

VEHICLE: VOLVO, S40 (YEAR:2000), MILES: 95,000 VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS IN LINE WITH THE OTHER 360,000 RECALLED VOLVOS INVOLVING ETM. WHY IS S40 NOT PART OF RECALL? LAST WEEKEND VEHICLE HAD RECURRENCE OF CONTINUING PROBLEM. VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY DOWN SHIFTS AT ROAD AND HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS HAS RESULTS IN RAPID SLOWING OF VEHICLE AND A MASSIVE RPM SURGE. THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE ACTS LIKE IT SHIFTS INTO "SAFE" OR "LIMP" MODE, BUT THERE ARE NO TROUBLE LIGHTS THAT COME ON. HAVE REPLACED MASS FLOW CENSOR, WHICH DID NOT HELP. WHEN IT OCCURS, SHUTTING VEHICLE OFF FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES SEEMS TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM FOR AWHILE. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND APPEARS RELATED TO THE ETM THAT HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF PROBLEMS IN OTHER VOLVO VEHICLES. PLEASE ADD THE S40 TO THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. *NM

THE KEY HAS BEEN STICKING IN MY IGNITION WHEN I PARK. THIS TIME WHEN I COULD NOT GET THE KEY OUT, I RESTARTED THE CAR IN PARK, OF COURSE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR JUMPED INTO REVERSE AND FLEW BACKWARDS OUT OF MY GARAGE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IT CROSSED THE ROAD AND ENDED UP KNOCKING DOWN A GARAGE AND TOTALING THE CAR. THE BRAKES WERE ON AS EVIDENCED BY THE TIRE TREAD AND SKID MARKS. IT WAS A BIZARRE OCCURRENCE AND VERY FRIGHTENINGLY. *JB

THREE TIMES MY DAUGHTER'S 2000 VOLVO S40 ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY. TWICE (ON THE SAME NIGHT) IT ALMOST PULLED HER INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION. THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED TO THE SERVICE MANGER (JEFF) AT A LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP. AFTER TWO VISITS FROM A TECHNICIAN FROM VOLVO IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A TEMPERATURE SENSOR HAD FAILED. THIS FAILURE LED TO EXCESS AIR BEING FED TO THE ENGINE WHICH IN TURN LED TO EXCESS FUEL BEING FED TO THE ENGINE, WHICH IN TURN ACCELERATED THE ENGINE. VOLVO REPLACED A TEMPERATURE CONTROL SENSOR THAT OPERATES THE AIR SLIDE IN THE ENGINE ON 12/7/05. *NM

WHILE SLOWING TO A STOP IN A PARKING PLACE (1-2MPH), THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. WITHIN 2 SECONDS, THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB, SPINNING THE FRONT WHEELS FAST ENOUGH TO DIG 2 DEEP TROUGHS IN THE GRAVEL, AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL 10 FEET BEYOND THE ORIGINAL PARKING SPACE. THE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED SHATTERING THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER SUFFERS ONLY MINOR SORENESS THANKS TO THE SHORT DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PARKING SPACE AND THE WALL. THIS IS CERTAINLY A DEFECT IN THE S40. TWO OTHER CUSTOMER REPORTS EXIST CONCERNING A RUNAWAY THROTTLE ON THE VOLVO S40: 879358 & 878201.*AK