1999 Volvo S80

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE. THE SMELL WAS COMING FROM THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FUEL PUMP WAS FRACTURED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE DID NOT READ EMPTY AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 8/29/11 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED A RECALL WAS ISSUED REGARDING DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMPS. HOWEVER, HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. UPDATED 09/28/11

HELLO, I RECENTLY PURCHASED USED "99 VOLVO S80 T6 - VIN [XXX]. A FRIEND WAS STANDING NEXT TO MY PARKED CAR LAST WEEK, STARTED TO LIGHT A CIGARETTE, AND I STOPPED HIM BECAUSE I SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE VAPOR. LOOKING UNDER THE CAR, THERE WAS WHAT LOOKED TO BE ABOUT 2 CUPS OF RAW GAS ABOUT 1/2' IN AND IN FRONT OF THE PASSENGER REAR TIRE. ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS LOSS OF A VEHICLE, WE COULD VERY EASILY HAVE BECOME A BURN STATISTIC OR WORSE, AND THAT LIKELY WOULD EXTEND TO ALL OF THE HE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE STANDING NEARBY. AT THE TIME. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR "VOLVO S80 FUEL LEAK" THAT EVENING YIELDED MULTIPLE RESULTS THAT INDICATED THIS IS COMMONLY REPORTED PROBLEM ON ALL S-80 MODELS, AND THAT A RECALL WAS IN EFFECT FOR 2002 AND NEWER VEHICLES TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP DUE TO FAILURE WITH HAIRLINE CRACKS IN THE NOZZLE CONNECTING TO THE RETURN LINE, CAUSING A LOT OF FUEL TO SPRAY UNDER THE CAR BELOW THE REAR SEAT, SINCE THE RETURN LINE IS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE AT ALL TIMES. HERE IS BUT ONE LINK ON THIS SAFETY PROBLEM AND RECALL - HTTP://WWW.MATTHEWSVOLVOSITE.COM/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=11&T=25517. UPON OPENING THE ACCESS PANEL TO VIEW THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP, IT WAS CLEARLY EVIDENT THAT MY CAR HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL NOTICE. I CALLED VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE (800 458 1552) AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO ACTIVE RECALLS MATCHING MY VIN. I PUSHED ABOUT THE RECALL AND THEY FINALLY AGREED IT IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM BUT THE RECALL DOESN'T APPLY TO 99-01 MODELS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ALSO AGREED THAT THEY USE EXACTLY THE SAME PUMP AND CONFIGURATION. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT VOLVO DOESN'T HAVE A PHONE NUMBER FOR NHTSA! SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS CATASTROPHIC FUEL SYSTEM FAILURE, SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, EXPAND THIS RECALL FOR ALL YEARS AND MODELS OF VOLVO THAT USE THIS KNOWN DEFECTIVE COMPONENT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAKING INTO THE AIR VENTILATION SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO EXISTING RECALLS OR RELATED WARRANTIES. THE CONTACT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THERE WAS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,396.

WE LIVE IN A MOUNTAINOUS RURAL AREA AND I WAS GOING GROCERY SHOPPING IN THE AFTERNOON. MY CAR SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE. AFTER I BUCKLED MY TWO CHILDREN INTO THEIR CARSEATS AND LOADED MY CAR WITH MY BAGS OF GROCERIES, THE CAR DIDN'T HAVE THE POWER TO GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. I PUT IT IN 1ST GEAR AND IT WAS NOT REVVING UP. I MANAGED TO GET ON THE MAIN ROAD AND BEFORE AN UPHILL GRADE, I KNEW THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO GO AND IT WOULDN'T MAKE IT UP THE HILL. I STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, BARELY ENOUGH ROOM FOR ME TO PULL OVER. I CALLED MY HUSBAND TO COME GET ME AND THE KIDS. HE WAS ON HIS WAY. CARS WERE SPEEDING PAST US AND I DIDN'T FEEL WE WERE IN A SAFE PLACE. I THOUGHT I SHOULD TRY TO MOVE THE CAR TO SOMEONE'S DRIVEWAY AND GET OFF THE MAIN ROAD. AFTER SOME TIME PASSED, I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN, IT WAS REVVING. I TOOK A CHANCE TO MAKE IT UP THE HILL. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND TOLD HIM OUR ROUTE. WE MADE IT HOME. I REMEMBERED THAT WE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE DATED MARCH 16, 2009. I PULLED IT OUT OF THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT AND CALLED TURNER VOLVO TO ARRANGE TO HAVE IT FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TIMEFRAME HAD EXPIRED 5 MONTHS AGO, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE UNDER 200,000 MILES. WHEN I RESEARCHED THIS RECALL, I REALIZED HOW FLIMSY IT IS. YES THE SOFTWARE FOR THIS CAR WAS INSTALLED 7/28/06 BY THE 1ST OWNER, BUT THE THROTTLE WASN'T FAILING SO THEY DIDN'T FIX IT IN 2006. VOLVO CARS OF N.A. SAID IT IS ONLY REPAIRED WHEN IT FAILS. SO HERE WE ARE IN 2009 AND THIS FAILED PART WASN'T FIX IN 2006? ME AND MY CHILDREN WERE STRANDED ON A HOT JULY DAY ON A RURAL ROAD. VOLVO KNOWS THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ISSUE, YET THEY HAVE NOT AND WILL NOT PROACTIVELY FIX IT. IN THIS RECALL #155, IT SAYS THAT "THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE AN UNSAFE SITUATION AND POSSIBLY A CRASH." RECALL #155 NEEDS TO HAVE MORE TEETH IN IT. THEY HAVE TO FIX IT. MY SISTER BOUGHT OUR S70 FROM US AND I HAVE WARNED HER ABOUT THIS SITUATION SO THAT SHE DOESN'T WIND UP IN DANGER. *TR

INVESTIGATED GASOLINE ODOR IN/AROUND CAR. RESULTING INSPECTION FOUND SIGNIFICANT GAS LEAK ON TOP SIDE OF FUEL TANK - PASSENGER SIDE. FURTHER INSPECTION BY REPAIR SHOP REVEALED CRACKED FUEL PUMP FITTING THAT WHEN POWERED SPRAYED FUEL ON UNDERSIDE OF VEHICLE. FUEL SPRAY / VAPORS WERE REACHING CLOSE TO IF NOT IN CONTACT WITH HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS. IN ADDITION TO DANGERS (TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS) RELATED TO INHALATION OF GAS FUMES THIS FAILURE RESULTING IN A CRITICAL AND POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC RISK OR FIRE/EXPLOSION. REPAIR INVOLVED REPLACEMENT OF FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY, APPROXIMATELY $700. BOTTOM LINE - THIS IS A COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE FAILURE AT ANY MILEAGE AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE. FURTHER, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE (FROM READING OTHER COMPLAINTS FILED WITH NHTSA) AND ONE THAT MUST BE IMMEDIATELY ADDRESSED TO PREVENT FURTHER FAILURE(S) WITH SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL FOR LOSS OF LIFE. OLD PART IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION UPON REQUEST. *TR

1999 VOLVO S80 T6 3/08/06 REPLACED TRANSMISSION ( 75,000 MILES) ( $4,800) 08/05 REPLACE RADIATOR 08/05 REPLACED ETM 04 - REPLACED FRONT SUSPENSION / SWAY BARS / STRUTS/ ETC.. VOLVO UNDER ENGINEERED THE FRONT END OF THIS CAR AND IF YOU GO TO WEB BLOGS IT IS IN ALMOST EVERY 1999 - 2000 S-80 VEHICLE... ITS DISGUSTING THAT THIS CAR IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE OR FORD/ VOLVO ISN'T HELD LIABLE...*JB

(1) ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THE VOLVO S80 HAS HAD SHUTTERING OF THE ENGINE AT IDLE. (2) ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THE VOLVO S80 HAS PLACED THE OCCUPANTS AT RISK OF BODILY INJURY DUE TO THE LOSS OF POWER AND SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. (3) THE VOLVO S80 HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS - THE FIRST OCCASION, I BELIEVE THE THROTTLE BODY COMPONENTS WERE CLEANED AND THE WARNING LIGHT RESET - THE SECOND AND LATEST VISIT, ON SEPT 21, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $850 AND THAT MY ABS BRAKE MODULE ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $830.*JB