2000 Volvo S70

WHILE DRIVING MY VOLVO S70 2000 WESTBOUND ON I-90 JUST PAST THE GARY , IN EXIT 10, DURING THE MORNING RUSH HOUR, THE CAR LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FASTER THAN 30 MPH. BETWEEN EXIT 10 AND THE NEXT EXIT 5 THE ROAD IS ELEVATED THERE IS NO USABLE SHOULDER. AS A RESULT FOR 5 MILES I DROVE AT 30 MPH WHILE CARS AND TRUCKS APPROACHED ME FROM BEHIND AT 55-75 MPH. NUMEROUS CARS AND TRUCKS HAD TO SLAM ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID REAR ENDING ME AND ONE TRUCK STARTED TO JACKKNIFE. I FINALLY MADE IT TO THE EXIT 5 AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE AT THE COST OF OVER $1,000.00. I WAS INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT INJURED OR KILLED AND THAT I DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAPPENED TO BE DRIVING THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO A SERVICE APPOINTMENT THAT MORNING BECAUSE THE ETS DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHT HAD LIT UP. WHEN I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALER THE WEEK BEFORE I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT I COULD LOSE POWER LIKE THAT . INDEED WHEN ARRIVED BY TOW TRUCK AT THE DEALER THE SERVICE PERSON TOLD ME THAT THE ETM PROBLEM DID NOT MAKE THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE BUT THAT "YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO DRIVE IT THAT WAY." . THE DEALER IS ABOUT 60 MILES FROM MY HOME. ALL THE VOLVO SAFETY FEATURES WOULDN'T HAVE DONE ME A LICK OF GOOD IF A SEMI HAD PLOWED INTO ME AT 55 MPH OR MORE. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER PROBLEM UTTERLY COMPROMISES THE VOLVO SAFETY FEATURES. SO INSTEAD OF TAKING THE VOLVO ON A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP THIS SUMMER WE RENTED A VAN. I URGE THAT THIS PART BE RECALL AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IN THE MEANTIME, MAKE VOLVO CONTACT CAR OWNERS AND TELL THEM THAT IF THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *NM

I JUST READ ON YOUR WEBSITE AN ACTION SUMMARY REGARDING "FAILURE OF THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM)". I DID EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM IN SEPT. 2003 ON MY 2000 S70GLT. THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY AND SLOW DOWN. I GOT HONKED BY SO MANY OTHER DRIVERS WHEN I WAS TRYING TO PULL OVER TO THE ROAD SIDE. LUCKILY I DID NOT GET HIT BY ANY OTHER CAR. THE SYMPTOM DISAPPEARED AFTER I SHUT AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. WHEN IT HAPPENED FOR THE SECOND TIME LATER DURING THE SAME WEEK, I DECIDED TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER'S SHOP FOR AN EMERGENCY CHECKOUT. I SHUT AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE BUT STILL THE CAR IS SHAKING AND COULD NOT ACCELERATE TO NORMAL SPEED. SO, I HAD TO TURN ON EMERGENCY LIGHTS AND DROVE VERY SLOWLY TO THE DEALER'S SHOP. THAT DAY I SPENT $1,111 FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE MOTOR THROTTLE MODULE AND IT IS NOT COVERED WITH MANUFACTURER WARRANTY SINCE THE CAR ALREADY HAS 78K MILES ON THE METER. THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY AFTER THE REPAIR. HOWEVER, SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS STARTING PROBLEM FROM TIME TO TIME. IT ALWAYS START OKAY BUT SOMETIMES THE ENGINE SPEED DROP AND STOP AFTER A FEW SECONDS OF RUNNING. THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG IN THE CAR AND IT IS HARD TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM. THE FUNNY THING IS THAT I JUST HAD A 105K MILES MAINTENANCE FULLY TUNED AT THE DEALER'S SHOP TWO WEEKS AGO AND THEY SAID THE CHECKING AND MAINTENANCE WENT WELL AND THE CAR RUNS NICELY. IN THIS MORNING IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHEN I WAS RUSHED TO WORK. I GOT STUCK AT MY GARAGE FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE I FINALLY STARTED THE ENGINE. I SUSPECT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE STILL RELATED TO THIS ETM DEFECT. *NM

MY 2000 VOLVO S70 SE LOOSES SPEED AND THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 KM/H IN TRAFFIC AND THE CAR ALMOST STALLED WITHOUT WARNING... I HAD TO QUICKLY STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (NOT FUN!). I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF FOR FEW MINUTES AND THE PROBLEMS DISAPPEARED. GOT HOME - TOLD MY WIFE WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE TOLD ME SAME HAPPENED WITH HER ABOUT A MONTH OR MORE AGO - BUT SHE FORGOT TO MENTION THIS TO ME BEFORE (TYPICAL - HAHAHA). ANYWAY.. THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NEED VOLVO TO FIX BEFORE ME OR MY FAMILY GETS HURT...

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON FIRST WEEK OF AUGUST '05. HAD OBD II CODE READ, FAILURE LOW IDLE. TOOK CAR TO VOLVO DEALERSHIP, DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE ECM-620 IDLE FAULT, ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE IS FAILING. I HAD THE ETM REPLACED. IT APPEARS FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THAT AN EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF ETM'S HAVE FAILED ON VOLVOS 1999-2001 MODEL YEARS AND ARE CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA. I HOPE THAT THIS INVESTIGATION LEADS TO A RECALL IN WHICH CASE CONSUMERS THAT HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPAIR WILL BE REIMBURSED BY VOLVO OR THE DEALERSHIP WHERE SERVICE AND PAYMENT WAS MADE. *NM

LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT MY CAR WOULD STALL OR LOSE POWER. WHILE DRIVING ON A VERY BUSY RTE 202 MY CAR LOST POWER IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. IT THE COMPLETELY DIED AND WOULD NOT START. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE CLOSEST MECHANIC (FRANCIS AUTOMOTIVE IN WEST CHESTER, PA). IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A BAD VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL WHICH COST IN EXCESS OF $1000 TO FIX. AFTER TALKING TO OTHER VOLVO OWNERS ABOUT THIS I FOUND THAT IT VERY COMMON. IN ADDITION TO THIS I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE AIR CONDITION WHICH STOPS WORKING AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES. AI HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THIS COMMON WITH 2000 S70'S. I BOUGHT THIS CAR ON VOLVO'S PAST QUALITY REPUTATION. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE BIG MISTAKE I SHOULD HAVE STUCK WITH A NISSAN OR TOYOTA! *NM

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED TO US: WE (MY WIFE, THREE YEAR OLD SON AND I) WERE DRIVING OUR 2000 VOLVO S70 SEDAN DOWN INTERSTATE 95 FROM WASHINGTON DC TO NORTH CAROLINA. IN VIRGINIA, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM (ETS) SENSOR CAME ON. WE STOPPED, LIKE THE MANUAL SUGGESTED, RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT. MIDWAY THROUGH VIRGINIA, THE ETS LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. WE STOPPED AND AGAIN STOPPED THE ENGINE. UPON RESTART, THE ETS LIGHT WENT OFF, BUT NOT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THIS TOOK PLACE THE WHOLE TRIP DOWN I-95. WE MADE IT HOME, BUT DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING OUR THREE YEAR OLD AROUND. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO LOSE SPEED WHEN THE SENSOR CAME ON. WE STOPPED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY EVERY TIME, WHICH IS NO GREAT THRILL WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE. WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET, THE LIGHT CAME ON, KICKED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL AND BEGAN TO SHAKE AND SHIMMER. WE STOPPED ABOUT TEN TIMES DURING A 150 MILES TRIP. *NM