1999 Volvo S80

THE ABS MODULE HAS FAILED IN MY CAR AND ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC AND ALL OVER THE INTERNET THE MODULES CONTINUALLY BREAK AND COST AROUND 700 DOLLARS TO REPAIR EACH TIME. WHEN THIS MODULE DOES NOT WORK IS CAUSES PROBLEMS WITH STEERING POWER, TRANSMISSION SHIFTING (WILL NOT DOWN SHIFT AND CAUSES CAR TO STALL), BRAKE FAILURE WARNINGS, AND NO ABS. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT WHILE DRIVING, BUT THERE IS ALWAYS ONE SYSTEM NOT WORKING OR MORE.

WHILE DRIVING, I SUDDENLY LOST POWER/ACCELERATION IN MY VEHICLE. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, BUT COULD NOT RESTART IT. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS - REPLACE THROTTLE BODY AND DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE (ETM). BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS PAST THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY, I HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPARIS SINCE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT SPECIFICALLY LIST THESE DEFECTS . . . $815 PARTS AND LABOR. APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR 3 MONTHS LATER, I BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS AS IN 2002 WHICH VOLVO DIAGNOSED AS A THROTTLE BODY FAILURE; HOWEVER I HAVE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO START MY CAR, BUT WITH SOME TROUBLE. NON-WARRANTY REPAIRS ARE COVERED FOR ONLY 1 YEAR. I CALLED THE WARRANTY COMPANY TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP ME OUT. THE WARRANTY COMPANY KNEW OF THE DEFECT FROM PREVIOUS OTHER COMPLAINTS, AND THEY TOLD ME TO TRY TO WORK OUT A DEAL WITH VOLVO (WHICH DIDN'T HAPPEN). ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2002, I TOOK MY VEHICLE INTO VOLVO BECAUSE MY ENGINE FLUCTUATED WHILE IDLING. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FLICKERED AS THE IDLE SURGED. VOLVO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE. PARTS AND LABOR COST ME $250. I TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2002 (5 DAYS LATER) WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I REQUESTED A FUEL FILTER CHECK/REPLACEMENT, BUT VOLVO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. THE CHECKED AND CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY. THIS HAPPENED, OF COURSE, JUST 2 MONTHS BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE BODY. I'VE SPENT OVER $1000 FOR MIS-DIAGNOSIS AND AN DEFECTIVE PART THAT VOLVO AND THEIR WARRANTY COMPANY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

INITIAL PROBLEM OCCURRED AFTER VEHICLE WAS RUNNING FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. AFTER STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, VEHICLE WOULD ONLY ACCELERATE TO 20 MPH. ONLY AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE FOR 5-10 MINUTES WOULD VEHICLE RESUME NORMAL PERFORMANCE - THEN WOULD REPEAT PROBLEM AFTER RUNNING A FEW MINUTES. DEALER SERVICE HAS REPLACED A COMPUTER MODULE WHICH CONTROLS THIS FUNCTION. I HAVE LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN VOLVOS. MINE IS A 1999 S80. *JB

RE:1999, S-80,T-6 VOLVO. SAW AN AP ARTICLE IN MY LOCAL PAPER TODAY RE COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION. I EXPERIENCED VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE SAME PROBLEMS CITED IN THE ARTICLE. NAMELY STALL W/O WARNING, FROM A STOP,STEP ON GAS AND BARELY WOULD MOVE(LIKE SLIPPING CLUTCH ON A MANUAL TRANSMISSION) , HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WHERE I FELT VULNERABLE AND UNSAFE IN TRAFFIC, LOSS OF POWER STEERING ETC. SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE THESE OTHER COMPLAINTS. AT SAME TIME I HAD LOTS OF INCORRECT "READOUTS" ON DASH PANEL. I COMPLAINED TO DEALER WHO SAID THIS ALL COULD BE RELATED TO THE ABS CONTROL MODULE WHICH WAS REPLACED AT COST OF $825.00. OLD PART WAS NOT GIVEN BACK TO ME. OF NOTE IS THAT DURING THE SAME REPAIR A BELT WAS REPLACED WHICH THEY DID GIVE BACK TO ME, BUT NOT THE MODULE. MILEAGE WAS ONLY 61,376. THIS MODULE DID SOLVE THE PROBLEM HOWEVER I AM NOW GETTING ANOTHER GOOFY READOUT THAT DEALER SAYS COULD BE A DEFECTIVE MODULE. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 61779. I DID NOT THINK THAT FAILURES OF THIS TYPE SHOULD OCCUR AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. AT THE TIME I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS AND WAS TOLD NO. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS SITUATION AND II DO SUSPICION THAT A DEFECT EXISTS. *JB

1999 VOLVO S80 T6-MULTIPLE FAILURES OF ETM (5 FAILURES, REPLACED 4 ETMS TOTAL). CAR WOULD GO INTO "LIMP HOME MODE", "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD GO ON. VERY DANGEROUS AND FRUSTRATING. THE ETM ALSO HAS FAILED ON WIFE'S 2001 V70 XC ONE TIME AROUND 80K MILES. I NO LONGER OWN THE S80; TOO UNRELIABLE, A COMPLETE JOKE GIVENS VOLVO'S REPUTATION FOR SAFETY!*JB

1999 VOLVO S80-T6 HAS HAD A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS LATEST EVENT THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. WAS ABLE TO GET CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. TRANSPORTED VEHICLE 150 MILES TO DEALER. BECAUSE WE HAD HAD SO MAY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE - $3000.00 WITHIN A THREE MONTH PERIOD CULMINATING IN THIS EVENT, THE DEALER GAVE US THE PARTS AND LABOR ($1500.00 IN THIS CASE.) *JB

ETM PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED BY DEALER AFTER SURGING ENGINE AT IDLE AND THEN ENGINE FAILURE. WE PAID $850 TO REPLACE THIS AND NOW 13 MONTHS AND 13000 MILES LATER THE NEW PART HAS ALSO FAILED. THEY WILL NOT COVER THE PART BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN OVER 12 MONTHS SINCE REPAIR. I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN SPENDING ANOTHER (NOW $950) FOR ANOTHER ETM THAT IS DESTINED TO FAIL AGAIN RISKING ACCIDENT/DEATH FOR MY FAMILY DEPENDING ON WHEN "IT DECIDES" TO FAIL.

1999 VOLVO S80 ENGINE CUT OUT ON HIGHWAY FIRST 6 MOS OF NEW VEHICLE OWNERSHIP. ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS BY LEE VOLVO TO REPAIR, ENGINE HAS CUT OUT THREE ADDITIONAL TIMES OVER LAST THREE MONTHS DESPITE $1400 SPENT WITH LEE VOLVO. THIS CAR WAS TO HAVE A NEW FAN RECALL NOTICE 02V096/VOLVO RECALL NO. 110. *NLM

WHEN VEHICLE IS IDLING ALL LIGHTING ON THE VEHICLE(INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR) SLIGHTLY DIMS EVERY COUPLE SECONDS. AN ANNOYANCE THE DEALER(ANNAPOLIS VOLVO) SAYS IS AN ANOMALY THAT IS INHERENT IN THIS MODEL AND CANNOT BE FIXED. I DISAGREE AND AM CONFIDENT THAT A $38K CAR CAN BE MADE WITHOUT FLICKERING LIGHTING. DEALER REFUSES TO ADDRESS THIS FURTHER. CALLS TO VOLVO USA WENT UNRETURNED. ALL OF THE 6 OTHER CARS I'VE OWNED DON'T HAVE FLICKERING LIGHTING.