AFTER VOLVO PERFORMED THEIR RECALL ON MY SECOND FAILURE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE IN APRIL 2006 MY CARS STALLS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. AT THIS TIME VOLVO REPLACED THE FAILED ETM AND LOADED NEW CONTROLLER SOFTWARE INTO MY CAR. IN MAY 2006 I RETURNED MY CAR TO VOLVO AFTER 3 STALLING EVENTS IN ONE WEEK'S TIME, THEY TOLD ME …
Read full complaint
AFTER VOLVO PERFORMED THEIR RECALL ON MY SECOND FAILURE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE IN APRIL 2006 MY CARS STALLS WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING. AT THIS TIME VOLVO REPLACED THE FAILED ETM AND LOADED NEW CONTROLLER SOFTWARE INTO MY CAR. IN MAY 2006 I RETURNED MY CAR TO VOLVO AFTER 3 STALLING EVENTS IN ONE WEEK'S TIME, THEY TOLD ME THE CAR SET NO CODES THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT HELP ME UNTIL THEY CAR TOLD THEM WHAT WAS WRONG. THE PROBLEM DID NOT REOCCUR AGAIN UNTIL JULY 8TH. AT THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR AND IN A ROLLING BACKUP AT AT 30 MPH ON I-95 IN DELAWARE. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A DOWNHILL SECTION AND I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT THE CAR SLOWING DOWN. THE SECOND STALLING FAILURE OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING OTHER THEN THE DASH INDICATOR LIGHTS COMING ON, ON AN UPHILL SECTION WITH AN SEMI FOLLOWING DIRECTLY BEHIND ME. IN THE CASE ALSO THE CAR IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED, HOWEVER IF THIS HAD NOT BEEN THE CASE MY CAR AND FAMILY WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED BY THE SEMI. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET THAT THE PROGRAMMING CHANGES MADE BY VOLVO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE ETM TO SET A ODI FAILURE CODE. IF THIS IS THE CASE, IT MAY BECOME IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE AN ETM FAILURE EVEN WHEN THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN AN ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS SCHEDULED TO BE LOOKED AT ON JULY, 21, 2006. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10162832
101,000 miles · Jun 7, 2006
Vehicle Speed Control
JUST AFTER ENTERING THE HIGHWAY AND ATTAINING HIGHWAY SPEED MY 1999 VOVLO S80 LOST POWER AND HAD TO BE COASTED OFF THE RAMP. THE EMISSION SERVICE WARNING CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH. THE CAR WAS TOWED IN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE COMPUTER CODES INDICATED THE THROTTLE MODULE HAD FAILED. AFTER HEARING THAT THEIR …
Read full complaint
JUST AFTER ENTERING THE HIGHWAY AND ATTAINING HIGHWAY SPEED MY 1999 VOVLO S80 LOST POWER AND HAD TO BE COASTED OFF THE RAMP. THE EMISSION SERVICE WARNING CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH. THE CAR WAS TOWED IN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE COMPUTER CODES INDICATED THE THROTTLE MODULE HAD FAILED. AFTER HEARING THAT THEIR WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED I CHECKED THE WEBSITE AND LEARNED THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO OTHERS. FORTUNATELY THIS POWER FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE IN THE RT HAND ALOOWING THE VEHICLE TO SAFELY EXIT THE HWY WITHOUT INCIDENT. HAD THIS LOSS OF POWER OCCURRED IN IONE THE INTERIOR LANES THEN THIS INCIDENT WOULD'VE ENDED IN A COLLISION AND MOST LIKELY RESULTED IN INJURIES TO MY FAMILY. THIS CONDITION WARRANTS AN IMMEDIATE RECALL. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10159220
50,000 miles · Jun 5, 2006
Vehicle Speed Control
PURCHASED A 1999 VOLVO S80 IN JUNE 2000. SINCE THAT TIME ON DOZENS OF OCCASIONS WARNING MESSAGES HAVE CONSTANTLY APPEARED ON THE DASH DISPLAY, I.E. FUEL FILLER CAP LOOSE, EMISSION SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED, AND ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT. WE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED BY VOLVO OF ANNAPOLIS FOR THIS PROBLEM AND WERE INFORMED THAT TH…
Read full complaint
PURCHASED A 1999 VOLVO S80 IN JUNE 2000. SINCE THAT TIME ON DOZENS OF OCCASIONS WARNING MESSAGES HAVE CONSTANTLY APPEARED ON THE DASH DISPLAY, I.E. FUEL FILLER CAP LOOSE, EMISSION SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED, AND ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT. WE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED BY VOLVO OF ANNAPOLIS FOR THIS PROBLEM AND WERE INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD THE S80 CHECKED BY A REPUTABLE AAA CERTIFIED AUTO SERVICE CENTER WHO INFORMED US THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT VOLVO HAD TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM WHICH IS VERY COMMON. WHEN THE ERROR MESSAGE ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT APPEARS THE CRUISE CONTROL DISCONNECTS AND WILL NOT RE-ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE SURGES AND IS A CONSTANT WORRY FOR MY SPOUSE WHO PRIMARILY OPERATES THE VEHICLE. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10158975
97,230 miles · Apr 10, 2006
Vehicle Speed Control
1999 S80 LOSS POWER WHILE DRIVING, SERVICE URGENT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *TS THE DEALER REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE.
NHTSA ODI #10156225
Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2006
Vehicle Speed Control
AFTER REPORTING SEVERAL PROBLEMS TRACED TO EMT MALFUNCTION I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET IN EXCESS OF $800.00 TO HAVE EMT REPLACED IN 11/2002. LESS THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THAT, I'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS LISTED ON PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS, TO THE POINT WHERE I CONSIDER THE VEHICLE UNSAFE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED NO LESS THAN 15-20 INCI…
Read full complaint
AFTER REPORTING SEVERAL PROBLEMS TRACED TO EMT MALFUNCTION I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET IN EXCESS OF $800.00 TO HAVE EMT REPLACED IN 11/2002. LESS THAN TWO YEARS AFTER THAT, I'VE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS LISTED ON PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS, TO THE POINT WHERE I CONSIDER THE VEHICLE UNSAFE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED NO LESS THAN 15-20 INCIDENTS IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS ALONE. THE LAST ONE BEING JUST YESTERDAY WHERE THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN STALLED DOWN TO ABOUT 20 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THEN BACK TO NORMAL SPEED SEVERAL TIMES. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10150186
80,000 miles · Jan 28, 2006
Vehicle Speed Control
ENGINE SHUT DOWN ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. NO STEERING RESPONSE OR POWER BRAKES TO HELP TO STOP THE CAR. VERY DANGEROUS! THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) ON 1999 VOLVO S80 WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF 843$. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10148905
101,000 miles · Jan 22, 2006
Vehicle Speed Control
VEHICLE STALL WITHOUT WARNING. ALMOST CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DEALER REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM AND STATED THAT EVERY IS FINE. SEND ME BACK WITHOUT ANY WORK DONE. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10148313
45,000 miles · Dec 15, 2005
Vehicle Speed Control
VEHICLE STALLED AT 45 TO 50 MPH. MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET RESTARTED. REPLACED ELECTRICAL THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) AND IT FIXED THAT PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10145396
101,000 miles · Nov 25, 2005
Vehicle Speed Control
ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE) FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STALLED IN TRAFFIC, CAUSING A NEAR MISS REAR END COLLISION. ETM REPLACED. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10143675
113,000 miles · Nov 10, 2005
Vehicle Speed Control
DT: THE CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE ENGINE DID NOT STALL, BUT OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE ENGINE SLOWLY RESUMED POWER AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PROCEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ELECT…
Read full complaint
DT: THE CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE ENGINE DID NOT STALL, BUT OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED. THE ENGINE SLOWLY RESUMED POWER AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PROCEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. VOLVO OFFERED NO COST ASSISTANCE. THE CONSUMER HAD THE ETM REPLACED. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005. *NM
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS, SOME ELECTRIC COOLING FANS MAY OVERHEAT POTENTIALLY CAUSING HEAT DAMAGE AND, IN RARE INSTANCES, A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COOLING FAN. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN ELECTRIC COOLING FANS COULD BE INADEQUATE IN A HOT CLIMATE. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, EXCESSIVE HEAT COULD BE GENERATED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE ENGINE COOLING FAN COMPONENTS COULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE THE MELTING OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND ADJACENT COMPONENTS, INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN APRIL 1, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. OVER TIME, THE BALL JOINT BETWEEN THE FRONT WHEEL KING PIN AND THE SUSPENSION LINK ARM, CAN EXPERIENCE INCREASED LOOSENESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD AFFECT THE BALL JOINT'S DURABILITY AND PERFORMANCE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2
EA05021 · Throttle Control Malfunction
Opened Dec 6, 2005 · Closed Dec 12, 2006
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control
ON NOVEMBER 14, 2006 VOLVO SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING ETM FAILURES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 THROUGH 2001 VOLVO MODELS (NOT INCLUDING THE S40 AND V40), MY 2002 S60 AND V70 WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES AND MY 2002 V70S.ACCORDING TO VOLVO, ?A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.VOLVO FURTHER STATED THAT,THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES GOING INTO LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.?VOLVO INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE MOST SEVERE CONSEQUENCE OF AN ETM FAULT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE RECALL REMEDY IS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE INTRODUCED BY VOLVO ON MARCH 16, 2006 IN A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM.AT THE TIME OF THE NOTIFICATION 161,202 VEHICLES OF THE POPULATION OF 331,301 HAD ALREADY HAD THE SOFTWARE UPLOADED AND WERE THEREFORE NOT INCLUDED IN THE POPULATION COUNT OF THE RECALL. ODI?S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND VOLVO, VOLVO FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY DATA FOUND THAT ETM FAILURE COULD RESULT IN (1) ENGINE STALL; (2) MECHANICAL LIMP MODE; (3) LUNGING FORWARD DURING LOW-SPEED DRIVING MANEUVERS; AND (4) FALTERING DURING HIGH SPEED MERGES OR WHEN CROSSING TRAFFIC.ODI IDENTIFIED 12 CRASHES RELATED TO ETM FAILURE, WITH 6 CAUSED BY LUNGING INCIDENTS, 3 CAUSED BY STALLING INCIDENTS, 2 CAUSED BY MECHANICAL LIMP MODE AND 1 FROM THE FALTERING CONDITION.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT DATA AND INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM CONSUMER INTERVIEWS IDENTIFIED 1,289 INCIDENTS WITH SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES (389.1 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), INCLUDING 479 INVOLVING ENGINE STALL (144.6 PER 100,000 VEHICLES) AND 729 INVOLVING MECHANICAL LIMP MODE (220.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES).ODI'S ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY CLAIM NARRATIVE TEXT SHOWS AT LEAST 14,965 WARRANTY CLAIMS WITH CODES INDICATING AN ETM FAULT RESULTING IN VEHICLE OPERATION IN MECHANICAL LIMP MODE (4.5% OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES). VOLVO?S RECALL ADDRESSES ODI?S SAFETY CONCERNS WITH ETM FAILURES.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TO DETERMINE IF ADDITIONAL ACTION IS REQUIRED.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.
PE05041 · Throttle Control Malfunction
Opened Jul 26, 2005 · Closed Dec 7, 2005
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control
PE05-041 WAS OPENED ON JULY, 26, 2005, BASED ON 136 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS TO ODI ALLEGING THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI HAS NOW RECEIVED 591 COMPLAINTS OF ETM FAILURES WHICH ALLEGE SYMPTOMS WITH POTENTIAL SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES.THESE INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE STALL, VEHICLE SURGING FORWARD WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT, VEHICLE HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION AND SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED TRANSITION INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE OPERATION (LIMP MODE).VOLVO SUBMITTED OVER 2,900 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE ETM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DURING PE05-041.ODI'S PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 55 PERCENT WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ABOVE.ODI IS CONTINUING ITS ASSESSMENT OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS. IN NOVEMBER 2005, TO RESOLVE AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD, VOLVO ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE TO 10 YEARS / 200,000 MILES FOR THE ETM IN APPROXIMATELY 356,000 MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 PASSENGER CARS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.UNDER VOLVO'S POLICY, VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE ETM FAILURES WILL RECEIVE A VARIETY OF REPAIRS INCLUDING ETM CLEANING, REPROGRAMMING THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ETM. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-021) TO CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF ETM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.
1999 Volvo S80 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year
Illustration