1999 Volvo S80

MY 1999 VOLVO S80 SIMPLY DECIDED TO STALL WHILE I WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. A MESSAGE CAME ON THE DASH THAT STATED THAT I NEEDED AN URGENT SERVICE VISIT FOR MY EMISSION SYSTEM. THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME $1,000 TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE. A SECOND DEFECT OF THIS CAR IS A LEAKING FUEL SENDER ASSEMBLY WHICH WAS A FIRE HAZARD. ABOUT $700 TO REPAIR. I EMAILED AND CALLED VOLVO REGARDING BOTH OF THESE ITEMS. THEY HAVE NEVER RESPONDED. *NM

MY 1999 VOVLO S80 ENGINE BEGAN SURGING WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THE IDLE WOULD BOUNCE UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF FROM 500 - 1500RPM. THE CAR FINALY SET DHECK ENGINE CODES THAT INDICATED THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR HAD FAILED. REPLACING MAF CORRECTED THE ISSUE, HOWEVER THE CAR HAS BEEN SHOWING SIGNS OF THE SAME FAILURE AGAIN. FIRST MAF UNIT WAS REPLACED ON AUGUST 28, 2003 WITH 63,935 MILES, NOW AT 104,380 THE SAME ISSUES HAVE BEGUN TO RE-APPEAR. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE CURRENT DESIGN OF THE 1999 S80 MAF HAS A DESIGN FLAW THAT LIMITS ITS USEFUL LIFE. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A MAF SENSOR BEFORE NOW I AM LOOKING AT A RE-OCCURANCE ON THE SAME VEHICLE.

PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE IDLE OF THE CAR WOULD SURGE UP AND DOWN AT AN IDLE BETWEEN 500-1500 RPM'S. TRYING TO PARK THE CAR THE CAR WOULD JUMP FORWARD AT EACH SURGE. A COUPLE OF TIMES AS MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR DIED ON HER, ONE TIME AROUND A CORNER AND SHE COULD HARDLY STEER. THE CAR WOULD ONLY SURGE IF THE FOOT WAS OFF THE THROTTLE, THEREFORE IT WOULD STALL AS YOU TRIED TO CORNER OR WENT TO HIT THE BRAKE. ANOTHER TIME IT STALLED WAS IN A TRAFFIC SLOW DOWN ON THE FREEWAY. THE PART FINALLY FAILED ONE DAY WHEN THE CAR JUST WOULD NOT START. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE CONTROL. TWO MORE TIMES AFTER THE TC WAS REPLACED THE CAR STARTED TO SURGE AGAIN. AT THOSE TIMES AS SOON AS THE CAR STARTED TO SURGE I BROUGHT TO THE DEALER. BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAME PART THAT WAS REPLACED THERE WAS NO CHARGE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE PARTS. ONE MORE TIME THE CAR DID THE SAME THING AND I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND ONCE AGAIN THEY SUPPOSEDLY REPLACED THE TC AND TOLD ME THAT THE FLAME TRAP WAS THE CAUSE OF ALL THE PROBLEMS AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THEY WANTED ANOTHER $1000 TO REPLACE THAT PART I DECIDED I WOULD DO IT MYSELF. THE DEALER TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE TC ANYMORE. AFTER I REPLACED THE FLAME TRAP, WHICH THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, 6 MONTHS LATER THE CAR STARTED AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ALL AVER AGAIN. THAT'S WHERE I AM AT NOW. ORIGINALLY WHEN THE CAR DIED AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER IT COST ME $1390. THEY REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR $222.53, THE THROTTLE BODY $573.10, GASKET $3.44, ETM RELOAD $35.75, LABOR $439.75 AND TAX. THIS OCCURRED ON JULY 3, 2003. THE CAR THEN WENT IN SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME THING WITH THE LAST BEING MAY 18, 2004. AND NOW WE ARE BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN!!! *NM

1999 VOLVO S80 T6, SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED WHEN DRIVING IN HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, WITH SUDDEN PARTIAL AND AT TIMES COMPLETE STALL W/OUT WARNING. THIS HAS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES, TWICE I HAD TO BE TOWED. EXTENSIVE WORK HAS BEEN DONE ON THE ETM BY TWO VERY GOOD VOLVO SERVICE DEPARTMENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AND IS A MYSTERY AS TO WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING - I NEED THIS CAR TO WORK!! *JB

DT: CONSUMER STATES HE IS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HAS TWO SEPARATE VEHICLES THAT ARE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COMBINATION UNIT OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY HAS A MASSIVE LEAK. THERE IS A CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY THAT IS CAUSED BY THE STRESS FROM THE FUEL LINE. WITH ENOUGH PRESSURE OVER TIME IT WILL CAUSE THIS CRACK. THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB

DT: CONSUMER STATED HE IS A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND HAS TWO SEPARATE VEHICLES THAT ARE THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COMBINATION UNIT OF THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY HAS A MASSIVE LEAK. THERE IS A CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY THAT IS CAUSED BY STRESS FROM THE FUEL LINE. WITH ENOUGH PRESSURE OVER TIME IT WILL CAUSE THIS CRACK. THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. *JB

MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD: THE 1999 IS HARD TO START AND HAS TO BE CRANKED FOR ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE IT STARTS, AND WE ALSO SMELL GAS WHEN WE STOPPED THE CAR (BY THE FUEL FILLER).*AK I TOOK THE CAR TO UNION PARK SPENT $300. THINKING IT NEEDED A TUNE UP. STILL THE PROBLEM EXISTS. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO UNION PARK AND I WAS ADVISED THAT THE PROBLEM IS A LEAK IN THE VENT TUBE OFF THE GAS TANK. WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED ON, THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP PRIMES THE LINE. HOWEVER, SINCE THERE IS A LEAK IN THE VENT TUBE THIS SUCKS IN AIR AND PREVENTS THE GAS FROM GOING TO THE FUEL INJECTORS, THEN THE FUMES EXIT OUT THE VENT. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE VENT TUBE IS NOT A REPLACEABLE PART AND THAT I WILL HAVE TO BUY A NEW GAS TANK WITH VENT TUBE AT THE COST OF $1,081.30. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE PAID FOR BY VOLVO. OTHER VEHICLES HAVE THIS AS A TWO PIECE UNIT AND THE TUBE CAN BE REPLACED AT A LOWER EXPENSE, LESS THAN $150.00. I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM; IF SOME ONE WAS SMOKING NEAR THE REAR OF THE CAR A FIRE COULD START. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE NATIONAL DOT SAFETY BOARD. FRONT END PARTS, STEARING I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT END PARTS, BALL JOINTS REPLACED, UPPER STRUT BUSHING REPLACED AND NOW THEY TELL ME THAT THE SWAY BAR LINKS NEED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $192.04, I FEEL THAT THIS CAR IS A LEMON. IN THE PAST TWO YEARS I HAVE SPENT $3000. TO FIX ITEMS WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN WITH NORMAL DRIVING USAGE. I ALWAYS BOUGHT VOLVO'S BECAUSE THEY WERE RELIABLE.THIS CAR IS A MAJOR HEADACHE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS ONE PROBLEM AFTER ANOTHER. THE DOOR LOCKS NEED FIXING OR REPLACEMENT FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL VALVE IS A DESIGN PROBLEM AND A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. SINCE FORD TOOK OVER VOLVO, THE CAR HAS GONE FROM AN EXTREMELY SAFE AND RELIABLE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION TO A CONSTANT WORRY ABOUT SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE AND A MONEY PIT.