1999 Volvo S80

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE CONTACT FELT A THUMP FROM THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER SHE ACCELERATED FROM A STOP OR DECELERATED. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE INSULATION SURROUNDING THE WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WERE DEGRADED. THE VEHICLE ALSO DISPLAYED DIFFICULTY WHEN SHIFTING INTO FOURTH GEAR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF THIRD GEAR AFTER ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM 40 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALLS 00V238000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: UPPER BALL JOINT), 02V096000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING: COOLING SYSTEM: FAN), AND 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,100.

I JUST PURCHASED A USED 99 VOLVO, I AM A MOM OF 4 AND HAD HEARD VOLVO TO BE VERY SAFE RELIABLE CAR. THE CAR RAN GREAT FOR ABOUT 2 DAYS, THEN THE LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON, ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO STALL FOR NO REASON. I TOOK IT TO LOCAL VOLVO DEALER, THEY SAY THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, BUT IF THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN IT WOULD NEED A NEW THROTTLE MODULE, COST OF 1100. I LEFT AND CAME HOME AND DID SOME RESEARCH, I HAVE SINCE FOUND THAT THE ETM HAS BEEN RECALLED ON THAT YEAR VEHICLE AND THEY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 200,000 MILES. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY WOULD NOT INFORM ME FIRST HAND AND TRY TO CHARGE ME. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED VOLVO LLC AND AM AWAITING A RESPONSE. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE STALLING IS CONSIDERED "LIMP HOME MODE", WHICH IS SUPPOSE TO BE A SAFETY FEATURE, HOWEVER I DID NOT FEEL SAFE WHEN THE VEHICLE DID IT TODAY DRIVING ON I285, IN THE CENTER LANE AT 65 MPH WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD IN THE CAR. AFTER THAT EXPERIENCE I DO NOT THINK I WOULD EVER RECOMMEND A VOLVO TO ANYONE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I FELT A LOSS OF POWER. I PULLED OVER AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I TRIED STARTING IT BUT IT BACKFIRED AND STALLED. IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING WRONG. FINALLY I UNPLUGGED THE MAF (MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR) AND DROVE BACK HOME WITH AN EXTREMELY WEAK AND DANGEROUS CAR. I DROVE IT LIKE THAT FOR A FEW DAYS. I HAD NO CHOICE BECAUSE I HAD NO OTHER WAY TO GO TO SCHOOL. I CHANGED THE MAF SENSOR BUT IT DIDN'T DO MUCH. I WENT TO A LOCAL SHOP AND HAD THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED. I COULD NOW DRIVE WITH MY MAF PLUGGED IN BUT IT WOULDN'T DRIVE PROPERLY AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY STALL. I LEARNED THAT VOLVO HAD ALOT OF ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE/BODY) FAILURES ON THEIR S80'S. SO THEY ISSUED A RECALL THAT THEY APPARENTLY HAVE A HARD TIME RESPECTING. I WENT TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP (VOLVO LAVAL) ONE OF THE WORST DEALERSHIPS I'VE BEEN THROUGH, BY THE WAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MY CAR AND SIMPLY TOLD ME MY WARRANTY WAS OVER (ALTHOUGH IT WAS SUPPOSED TO EXPIRE MAY 26TH, IT WAS ACTUALLY MAY 19TH THAT DAY, SO I HAD A WEEK LEFT). HE DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MY SITUATION AND CUT SHORT AND ASKED ME AND MY FRIEND TO LEAVE AFTER INSULTING US. NOW MY CAR STALLS OCCASIONALLY AND HAS A ROUGH IDLE. THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO DIAGNOSE THE CAR FOR FREE ALTHOUGH IT IS A DESIGN MISTAKE BY VOLVO. I NOW HAVE THE CHOICE OF EITHER SPENDING 1600$+ ON A THROTTLE MODULE OR JUST DRIVE MY CAR AND DEAL WITH THE STALLING. *TR

I OWN AN 1999 VOLVO S80 (T6 TURBO) SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THE CAR DEVELOPED A ROUGH IDLE AND ENGINE SURGE WHEN THE RPMS WERE BELOW ABOUT 1200. I HAVE HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT BY A VOLVO DEALER AND INDEPENDENT MECHANICS. NO ONE HAS FOUND THE PROBLEM. THE ERROR CODES THAT ARE BEING GENERATED ARE INACCURATE. REPLACING THE INDICATED PARTS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MOST DANGEROUS ASPECT OF THIS PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN IN REVERSE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT ENGINE SURGE AT TIMES. THIS CREATES A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION BECAUSE THE SURGE IS NOT PREDICTABLE. SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THE CAR UNDER CONTROL WHILE IN REVERSE WHEN THIS SURGE OCCURS. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS DEFECT IN THE VOLVO S80 AND TAKE ACTION TO REQUIRE A RECALL OF THESE VEHICLES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND THE ABS AND ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TROLLIS SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO WEEKS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY STATED THAT THE CENTRAL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,000. UPDATED 1/8/09 *CN THE BALL JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE HEATING SYSTEM, THROTTLE SYSTEMS, ENGINE COOLING FAN AND THE MASTER CYLINDER ALL FAILED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE STEERING MADE A NOISE WHEN IT WAS TURNED. THE DEALER LUBRICATED THE STEERING. THE DEALER STATED THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN O2 SENSOR. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE INNER TIE RODS WERE REPLACED. 01/14/09. *JB

TWIN TURBO HAD TO BE REPLACED IN FEBRUARY 2008. NOT CHEAP. BUT EVER SINCE THEN, THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF POWER AND VERY SLUGGISH ON TAKE OFF AND WHEN TRYING TO PASS ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD THE CONTROL VALVE REPLACED JUST RECENTLY, HELPED SOME, BUT STILL VERY SLUGGISH. THINK THE VOLVO DEALER HERE HAVE MORONS FOR SERVICE TECH'S. *TR

1999 S80 STALLED/SURGED AT 20,000 MILES AT THE TIME. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED WHENEVER THE STALLING OCCURRED, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD GO OUT, AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE ENGINE WOULD START TO RUN IN AN UNEVEN/HESITATION MODE. THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH WORSE AT LOWER SPEEDS. THE DEALER INSTALLED TWO SOFTWARE UPDATES AT DIFFERENT TIMES WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FINALLY, THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED WHEN THE AIRFLOW SENSOR AND THE ABS CONTROL UNIT WAS REPLACED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS (15-75 MPH) ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED AND AFTER AN EXTENDED RIDE FROM 45 TO 90 MINUTES, ALL WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED BY IT SELF AND THE ENGINE HESITATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE, WHO PERFORMED A NHTSA RECALL #06V41000 WHICH ENTAILED UPGRADING THE CURRENT SOFTWARE. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WAS NOT CORRECTED EITHER TIME, THE LURCH/STALL PROBLEM CONTINUED. THE DEALERSHIP AND THE MANUFACTURER COINCIDED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AIR FLOW CONTROL AND THE ABS CONTROL UNIT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE VEHICLE'S EXTENDED WARRANTY, EVENTHOUGH THOSE REPLACEMENT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE RECALL DID NOT SOLVE THE DANGEROUS PROBLEM. UPDATED 12/28/2006 - *NM