2000 Volvo S70

I OWN A 2000 VOLVO S70. I EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE SEVERAL TIMES THIS YEAR, 2005. THE CAR WOULD OFTEN RUN ROUGH AND ATTEMPT TO STALL WHILE DRIVING. ON ONE TRIP FROM NEW ALBANY, IN, TO CLEVELAND, OH, IT HAPPENED SO OFTEN THAT I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR IN CINCINNATI AND RENT A CAR FROM ENTERPRISE CAR RENTAL IN ORDER TO GET TO CLEVELAND. THAT RENTAL COST ME $236.04. I TRIED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AT SEVERAL GARAGES IN SOUTHERN INDIANA, BUT TO NO AVAIL. FINALLY, I TOOK THE CAR TO VOLVO OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ON JULY 7, 2005. THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AND REPLACED THE ENTIRE THROTTLE BODY SYSTEM AT A COST OF $803.73. WHAT PROMPTED MY FILING THIS COMPLAINT WAS AN ARTICLE THAT APPEARED IN THE LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL ON AUGUST 2, 2005. IT WAS WRITTEN BY ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER KEN THOMAS. IT INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN 136 COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. ONE OF THE MODELS MENTIONED WAS THE 2000 S70 SEDAN, WHICH I OWN. *JB

WE PURCHASED THE VOLVO 2000 S70 VEHICLE IN 9/01 WITH 25,000 MILES. A 30,000 MILE CHECK-UP WAS PERFORMED BY SANTA MONICA VOLVO ON 12/26/01. STEVEN AND I BEGAN A 14-MONTH ROAD TRIP AROUND THE US AND HAD THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED AT VOLVO DEALERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY (THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT PERIODICALLY CAME ON AND WE WOULD ASK THE DEALERS ABOUT IT. WE WERE TOLD NOT TO WORRY ABOUT THE LIGHT.) THE ROAD TRIP ACCOUNTS FOR THE ACCRUED MILES PUT ON THE VEHICLE IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. RETURNED TO CALIFORNIA 3/04. BROUGHT THE VEHICLE INTO SANTA MONICA VOLVO TO HAVE THE 75,000 MILE CHECK-UP. THEY DID THE CHECK-UP AND WE DROVE AWAY. THE ETS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN ONE MILE, CAR BEGAN TO JERK, CALLED THE DEALER AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THE VEHICLE. SM VOLVO DID THE DIAGNOSTICS BUT DID NOT KNOW WHY THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON AS WE DROVE AWAY. THESE THINGS HAPPEN, THEY SAID. SM VOLVO EXPLAINED THAT CERTAIN CODES CAME UP, THEY WOULD RESET THE COMPUTER (CODE EZM#91A7 ON THE THROTTLE UNIT) AND DOWNLOAD A NEW PROGRAM. THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO REPAIR IT BY DOING ADDITIONAL WORK AND DID NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPUTER RESET. WE ASKED IF THE REPAIR WOULD BE GUARANTEED OR COULD WE DRIVE OFF AGAIN AND GET THE SAME RESULTS. THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THIS LED US TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYTIME WE APPROVED THEM TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO OCCUR. NOT GUARANTEEING THAT THEY CAN RESOLVE THE PROBLEM MADE US CONSIDER MORE RESEARCH AND/OR A SECOND OPINION. WE DECIDED TO LEAVE THE DEALER WITHOUT REPAIR. WE HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE LOCALLY SINCE THEN, BUT WITH MANY FAILURES. ALOT OF JERKING, SOMETIMES THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND I HAVE TO SIT FOR 5 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE WILL TURN ON AGAIN. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 82,000 MILES. WE HAVE ONLY DRIVEN 5,000 IN 16 MONTHS. WE ARE ONLY USING THE VEHICLE FOR ERRANDS AND WORK. WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THE DEALER FREE REIGN OVER CHARGES AND REPAIRS THAT THEY CANNOT JUSTIFY OR GUARANTEE.*JB

I AM WRITING JUST TO SUPPLY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR ONGOING INVESTIGATION PE05041. DURING THE FIRST FEW YEARS THAT I OWNED MY 2000 VOLVO S70 GLT SE, I EXPERIENCED SEVERAL ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL FAILURES, WHICH GREW PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE SPEED WHEN ACCELERATING AND BE UNRESPONSIVE WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WHEN THESE FAILURES OCCURRED, SO VOLVO REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MECHANISM AT NO CHARGE. TO DATE, THE REPLACEMENT MECHANISM HAS NOT FAILED, BUT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT THE AVERAGE FAILURE AGE OF THE REPLACEMENT PARTS HAS BEEN. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHO ARE FREQUENTLY IN THE CAR WITH ME. *NM

MY 2000 VOLVO S70 IS EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A REPAIR SHOP THAT IT IS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. AFTER NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS TO SEVERAL OTHER SHOPS AND DEALERS, AS WELL AS INVESTIGATIONS OVER THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE MODULE THAT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO GO INTO A "CRIPPLE MODE" AT ANY GIVEN POINT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. VOLVO APPARENTLY DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS A PRODUCT DEFECT, BUT RATHER IT IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I HAVE HAD THE MODULE CLEANED BUT IT HAS NOT HELPED THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A SITUATION SUCH AS THIS, WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $1,000 TO FIX, CAN BE CONSIDERED A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES.

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF ALL INTERIOR POWER INCLUDING WINDOWS, DOOR LOCKS, DASHBOARD LIGHTS, HEAT, A/C, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, AIR BAGS, RADIO. CALLED DEALER/SERVICER AND WAS TOLD THEY NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM; CALLED AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN; BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE AND TOLD "NO PROBLEM FOUND." SEVERAL MONTHS LATER LOSS OF ALL INTERIOR POWER MORE FREQUENTLY; BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE AGAIN AND TOLD THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED WIRING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED;WAS ALSO TOLD COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FIRE IF CONTINUED TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE; HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS; COULD NOT OPERATE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IN POURING RAIN; COULD NOT SEE DASHBOARD AT NIGHT;

I HAVE A 200 VOLVO S70. A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, MY SON WAS DRIVING IT AND, SUDDENLY, THE ETS INDICATORLIGHT CAME ON, THE CAR STARTED SHAKING, AND LOST POWER (MY SON SAID IT COULDN'T GO FASTER THAN ABOUT 10 MPH). MY OWNER'S MANUAL INFORMS ME THAT THIS LIGHT INDICATES A FAULT IN THE ETC (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM). IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT IS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD. THIS IS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. IN FACT, ONE PERSON GAVE A HARROWING ACCOUNT (ON THE INTERNET) OF ALMOST BEING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM CAUSED HIS CAR'S SPEED TO DIMINISH TO A CRAWL EVEN AS HE FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR IN A SITUATION WHERE OTHER DRIVERS RIGHTLY EXPECTED HIM TO BE MOVING MUCH MORE QUICKLY. APPARENTLY, THE USUAL REPAIR FOR THIS PROBLEM IS REPLACEMENT OF THE ECM(ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE), A JOB WHICH COSTS ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS. CONSIDERING THE SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE OF THIS JOB, MANY VOLVO DRIVERS MIGHT BE UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO PART WITH THAT MUCH MONEY; THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AT VOLVO DEALERSHIPS AND WILL SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALER TOMORROW. I SHOULD ADD THAT, AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT WITH THE IGNITION OFF FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR, IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND HAS BEEN PERFORMING ABSOLUTELY NORMALLY SO FAR. SOME SAY THE PROBLEM WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN, AND ONE VOLVO TECHNICIAN SAID THAT MAYBE IT WAS JUST A "HICCUP" THAT WON'T EVER RETURN. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A THOUSAND DOLLARS IF THE LATTER POSSIBILITY IS CORRECT; ON THE OTHER HAND, I DON'T FEEL SECURE ABOUT TAKING MY DAILY COMMUTE OVER A HIGH-TRAFFIC BRIDGE OR CONTEMPLATING A LONG VACATION TRIP IN THIS CAR. I BOUGHT A VOLVO BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY. IRONICALLY, NOW I FEEL ANYTHING BUT SAFE.*AK

DURING NORMAL CRUISING AROUND 55-60 MPH, THE ETS LIGHT WILL COME ON AS THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO STUTTER AND THE ENGINE MODULATES. IT HAS BECOME WORSE OVER THE LAST WEEK AND NOW THE ENGINE "BUCKS" WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON! THIS IS UNPLEASANT AT 55 MPH! EVERY TIME THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGES AND IS NOT ABLE TO BE RESET UNTIL THE LIGHT GOES OFF MANY IGNITION CYCLES (DAYS) LATER. SOME RESEARCH WAS DONE OVER THE WEB AND IT IS AMAZING TO SEE PEOPLE DESCRIBE THE EXACT SAME OR SIMILAR MANIFESTATION HAPPEN ON THEIR S70S. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TOMORROW AT THE DEALER IN ANN ARBOR AND EXPECT A > $900 BILL! COME ON VOLVO, HOW CAN YOU NOT HAVE SO MANY COMPLIANTS AND NOT RECALL?*AK