2003 Volvo S60

ON 12/22 I WAS DRIVING MY 2003 VOLVO S 60 AWD. I WAS VERY SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY PULLING INTO A FRONT IN PARKING SPOT. I WAS PARTICULARLY CAREFUL BECAUSE THERE WAS A DRIVER SITTING IN THE CAR PARKED TO MY RIGHT, AND I DID NOT WANT TO GET TOO CLOSE TO HIS CAR. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE I WAS SLOWLY MOVING INTO THE SPOT. MY FRONT FENDER TAPPED THE SHORT CONCRETE BARRIER AT THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPOT. THE NEXT THING I NEW, THE CAR WAS RAPIDLY ACCELERATING FORWARD. I WAS WORRIED THAT I WOULD GO OVER THE BARRIER AND STRIKE A BRICK WALL IN FRONT OF ME. I BELIEVE THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK MUST HAVE HIT THE SHORT CONCRETE BARRIER AND THAT IS WHAT ULTIMATELY STOPPED THE CAR. DESPITE THE FACT THAT I WAS INCHING INTO THE SPOT AT THE SLOWEST POSSIBLE SPEED. THE FORCE OF THE ACCELERATION WAS ENOUGH TO CRUMPLE THE WHOLE FRONT OF MY CAR, CRACK THE WINDSHIELD, AND CAUSE THE PASSENGER FRONT AIR BAG TO RELEASE. I FEEL VERY CERTAIN THAT THIS REPRESENTED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. I DO NOT THINK THERE WAS ANY CHANCE THAT I STEPPED ON THE GAS INSTEAD OF THE BRAKE. I AM A VERY CAREFUL, CAUTIOUS DRIVER, AND WAS VERY AWARE OF WHAT I WAS DOING AT THE TIME WITHOUT ANY DISTRACTIONS. I REPORTED THIS TO VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHO CLAIMS THAT AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR, THEY FOUND NO SAFETY CONCERNS. I AM CONCERNED THAT HAVING VOLVO DO THEIR OWN INSPECTION REPRESENTS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST. *NM

HAD PROBLEMS WITH CAR STALLING AT SLOW SPEEDS, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AND CAR LOST POWER. WE WERE ABLE TO GLIDE TO SHOULDER WHERE CAR STALLED. IT RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY, BUT ABOUT EVERY 5 MI. THE CAR WOULD STALL AGAIN. THE SERVICE DEPT. AT STAMFORD VOLVO TOLD ME I HAD BAD GAS AND THEY REPLACE A SENOR IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. AS SOON AS I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND GOT ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR STALLED AGAIN. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY SERVICED THE CAR AGAIN AND TOLD ME THE WATER IN THE GAS RUSTED SOME SCREEN IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. THEY REPLACED IT AND THUS FAR THE CAR HASN'T' STALLED BUT THERE IS STILL SOME HESITATION WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. *NM

RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS AROUND 40 MPH MY CAR EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF SPEED AND THEN STALLED. EACH EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN PRECEDED BY A BRIEF LOSS AND THEN BY A MORE PROLONGED LOSS AND FINALLY A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE WHICH LOCKS UP STEERING. IN EACH INSTANCE THE CAR HAS RESTARTED. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS MOST LIKELY A FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM). STEPS ARE CURRENTLY BEING TAKEN TO REPLACE THE ETM. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT S BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER 3 TIMES BECAUSE IT WILL NOT START AFTER SITTING FOR AWHILE. . SHE OWNS A 2003 VOLVO MODEL S60 2.4T. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON 8-12-05. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED ON 8-27-05. ONCE IT TOOK OVER AN HOUR FOR IT TO START UP. EVERY TIME SHE FIXED IT, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. IT WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. SHE WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER. SHE DID NOT THINK SHE HAD THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) REPLACED. VEHICLE HAS NOT STALLED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING, BUT AT TIMES IT SURGED FORWARD. *AK

BETWEEN 12/2004-6/2005 MY 2003 VOLVO S60 LOST POWER/ POWER DECREASES AT VARYING SPEEDS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WAS ON THE HWY GOING 65 MPH. I HAD JUST ACCELERATED TO GET ONTO THE HWY IN FRONT OF A SEMI TRUCK. MY CAR REACHED 65-70 MPH AND BEGAN TO DROP SPEEDS - 65 TO 55 TO 50 TO 40 WITH IN SECONDS. THE SEMI ALMOST RAN OVER ME BECAUSE THE SPEEDS DROPPED SO FAST. I CAUSED 2 OTHER CARS ON THE HWY TO GO ONTO THE SIDE RAMP OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIBLE CRASH WITH THE SEMI. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FINAL TIME STATING NOT TO GIVE THE CAR BACK UNTIL IT WAS FIXED. THE DEALER SAID THEY DOWNLOADED NEW SOFTWARE TO THE CAR? IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THEY CAN INSTALL A BLACK BOX TO RECORD WHAT IS GOING ON. WHAT IF THE NEXT TIME THE SEMI DOES CRASH INTO ME? THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD THE CAR THE LABELED AS PEDAL POSITION SENSOR INSTALL/REPLACE? THE SECOND TIME THE INVOICE READS PRESSURE SENSOR INTAKE AIR REPLACED? ULTIMATELY, I SAW THE REPORT IN THE NEWS AND RECOGNIZED THE ISSUE TO EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS TO MY CAR. I NOTICED THAT YOU DID NOT INCLUDE 2003 S60'S IN YOUR REPORT. I KNOW THESE SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS WELL. I LOVE MY VOLVO I JUST DON'T FEEL VERY SAFE IN IT. PLEASE CONTACT ME FOR ANY QUESTIONS. *NM

MY HUSBAND AND I DROVE OUR VOLVO (WE ARE LEASING THIS CAR) FIRST TIME FOR A LONG TRIP (ABOUT 800 MILES). THE CAR MILEAGE WAS ABOUT 13,000. AFTER DRIVING WITH THE SPEED 75M/H FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS, WE TOOK AN EXIT AND LOST CONTROL OVER THE CAR. ACTUALLY CAR TOOK CONTROL. IT SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL GEAR, JUMPED AND STOPPED. IT TOOK A COUPLE OF MINUTES BEFORE CAR ALLOWED TO CONTROL ITSELF. THIS SCARY EXPERIENCE REPEATED A FEW TIMES ON THE ROAD. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS A SHOCKING EXPERIENCE. THE FIRST THING WE DID, WE BROUGHT A CAR TO A DEALER. THEY INFORMED US THAT THE CAR WAS LEASED TO US WITH OUTDATED OLD SOFTWARE, THAT THIS SOFTWARE ALSO HAD A GLITCH. THAT THEY HAD TO DOWNLOAD A NEW VERSION OF SOFTWARE. NOT A BIG DEAL, AND IT A MASS PRODUCTION OF VOLVO CARS, AND THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME I WAS TOLD BY THE VOLVO SERVICE. I DID NOT BELIEVE IT AND COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. CALL THE VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE. SURE ENOUGH, THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, JENNI WITH EXTENSION #1979 CONFIRMED THE SAME THING FOR ME. SHE SAID IT IS A SCARY EXPERIENCE, BUT WE UPDATED YOUR CAR SOFTWARE. I ASKED WHY THIS OLD, NOT SAFE VERSION WAS GIVEN TO ME AND HER RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY HAVE NO WAY TO KNOW WHEN AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE SOFTWARE ON THE ROAD. SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH THEIR SLOGAN THAT VOLVO IS FOR LIFE? ANY ANSWERS BESIDES, WELL, IT IS A MASS PRODUCTIONS AND THE SAFETY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. SORRY FOR THE EMOTIONS, IF YOU WHO WILL BE SO KIND TO READ MY MESSAGE WOULD BE HEARING HOW HAPPY AND RELAXED VOLVO REPRESENTATIVES ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. ANY COMMENTS? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU TIME. *AK