2000 Volvo S80

LAST MONTH I ENTERED MY GARAGE TO AN EXTREME SMELL OF GASOLINE. I DROVE THE CAR TO A SERVICE SHOP AND THEY FOUND A CRACKED FUEL PUMP, WHICH I HAD REPLACED. LAST WEEK, I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR MY WIFE'S 2004 VOLVO XC70, DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED ON MY 2000 S80. IN THIS LETTER, THEY WERE ALSO RECALLING 2001-2004 S80S FOR THIS PROBLEM. I SENT THIS LETTER ALONG WITH THE BILL FOR THE FUEL PUMP ON MY 2000 S80 TO VOLVO AND ASKED THEM TO REIMBURSE ME. THEY DENIED. I TELEPHONED THEM AND ASKED THEM TO RECONSIDER, AS THE 2000 S80 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF THAT MODEL AND THE PROBLEM THEY WERE DESCRIBING IN THEIR RECALL OF YEARS 2001-2004 WAS IDENTICAL TO THE PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED. MY WIFE'S 2004 CAR, WHICH THEY DID RECALL, ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM. BOTH CARS, LEAKING GAS FUMES IN OUR GARAGE, WITH THE GAS HOT WATER TANK IN THE GARAGE...VERY DANGEROUS. MY CALL TO DISCUSS THIS RESULTED IN ANOTHER DENIAL. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP HAD A PLASTIC TOP THAT CRACKED. HE DID NOT BELIEVE A 2000 VOLVO WITH 79000 MILES SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL PUMP. I BELIEVE VOLVO SHOULD REIMBURSE ME FOR THE CHARGES AND I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THE 2000 S80 SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THIS IS A DANGER. *TR

I PURCHASED A USED 2000 VOLVO S80 TODAY. PREVIOUS OWNER PURCHASED CAR IN 2002 AND HAD ALL FACTORY SERVICE DONE UP TO THE 75000 CHECK UP (CAR HAS 85000 MILES NOW). CAR MANIFESTS ALL SYMPTOMS COVERED BY NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE05041. SURGES AND IF YOU DON'T HOLD THE BRAKE HARD AT STOP, CAR WILL LURCH FORWARD INTO TRAFFIC. WHILE CRUISING, CAR SURGES FORWARD AND IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, THE SURGING WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO GET OUT OF CONTROL. CALLED THE NEAREST DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE. THEY INDICATE THAT ETM MAY NEED REPLACING ($1200) BUT MY CARS 10 YEAR WARRANTY IN PE05041 EXPIRED IN MAY. CAR HAD PROBLEMS BEFORE AND DEALER DOWNLOADED SOFTWARE BUT PROBLEM NOT CORRECTED AND ETM WAS NEVER MENTIONED TO BE REPLACED. IS THERE A WAY FOR ME TO BE COVERED UNDER THE PE05041 WARRANTY SINCE PRIOR DEALER NEVER TOOK CARE OF THIS AND NOW MY LOCAL DEALER SAYS IT IS JUST PAST THE 10 YEAR MARK? MY PHONE NUMBER IS [XXX] AND EMAIL IS [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE VEHICLE SPORADICALLY SURGE/HESITATE AND STALLS AT LOW REVS. THIS STARTED MAYBE ABOUT HALF A YEAR AGO AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE WITH THE PROBLEMS EVEN AT HIGH REVS. THE PROBLEM CULMINATED ON MAY 17TH 2009 OR THERE ABOUT WHEN I NEARLY GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE MIDDLE AT ABOUT 60 MPH AND THERE WAS A SLOWER VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I ACCELERATED TO TRY TO PASS THE VEHICLE ON THE FAST LANE. THE VEHICLE DID PICK UP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WENT ON A LIMP MODE EVEN I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR. MY VEHICLE WAS ALMOST JUST SIDE BY SIDE TO THE SLOWER VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THE NEXT THING I HEARD WAS A LOUD CONTINUOUS HORNING AND SCREECHING OF BRAKES OF A CAR BEHIND ME ON THE FAST LANE.. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED AND PERFORM SERVICE WELL ABOVE AS WHAT MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDED. BASED ON VARIOUS INFO. SOURCES, THE PROBLEM IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO CAR THAT HAS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE PROBLEM. *TR

ETM (ELECTRIC THROTTLE MODULE INTAKE MANIFOLD) NEEDS TO BE REPLACED! (VOLVO ONLY HAS A VERY LIMITED EXTENDED WARRANTY ISSUED ON 4/2006. THE ETM WAS CLEANED 3 DIFFERENT TIMES SINCE 8/8/02; AND A SOFTWARE UPGRADE WAS COMPLETED ON 10/19/06. MY LAST 2 COMPLAINTS TO MY VOLVO DEALERSHIP MECHANIC HAS RESULTED IN DENIAL ON 10/19/06 AND REFUSAL TO REPAIR UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY ON 8/18/08 DUE TO UNRETRIEVABLE COMPUTER CODES (VOLVO ADMITS THE PROBLEM WAS STILL AN ETM PROBLEM). [THIS HAS OCCURRED EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST 6 YEARS!!!] ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ACCIDENTS ALMOST HAPPENED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EITHER STALLS ON THE FREEWAY AT 55-60MPH, OR VEHICLE SUDDENLY SURGES AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. ACCORDING TO VEXEDVOLVO.COM, THE REAL CAUSE IS DUE TO A WEARING OUT OF THE "POTENTIOMETER FILMS IN THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSORS". A SIMPLE ETM "CLEANING" WILL NOT SUFFICE. *TR

AT THE END OF JUNE OF 2008 I NOTICED THAT MY 2000 VOLVO S-80 SMELLED OF GAS. SUBSEQUENTLY, ON 06/20/2008 ABBY CAR CARE (559-438-7181) MECHANIC KEVIN DETERMINED, PER MY RECEIPT, THAT 'DIAGNOSE FUEL LEAK-FUEL LEAKING FROM THE TOP TANK FOUND DEFECTIVE AT FLANGE FOR EVAP SYSTEM LEAKING WERE IT ATTACHES TO TOP OF THE FUEL TANK NOT REPAIRABLE.' I WAS ALSO ADVISED BY KEVIN THAT THE LEAK WAS NOT CAUSED BY WEAR AND TEAR BUT WAS 'DEFECTIVE / NOT REPAIRABLE' IN NATURE. ABBY CAR CARE REPLACED THE FUEL TANK. AFTER LEARNING OF THIS LEAK AND DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET 'GOGGLE SEARCH ENGINE', IT APPEARS THAT OTHER VOLVO OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH LEAKS TO THE GAS TANKS. I DID CALL MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALER (FRESNO LINCOLN MERCURY VOLVO ' 5200 N. BLACKSTONE AVENUE FRESNO, CA 93710 TELEPHONE NUMBER 559-226-5175) AND ADVISED THEM OF MY LEAKY GAS TANK AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND DIDN'T SEEM TO CONCERNED WITH MY PROBLEM OTHER THAN GIVING ME THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL FREE NUMBER. *TR

1) ENGINE IDLES ROUGH, PROBLEM BECAME SO BAD THAT CAR STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS, LOST POWER STEERING & "ENGINE DIES" AT LOW SPEEDS (UNSAFE!). LOCAL MECH REFERRED TO ETM WARRANTY PROGRAM TO RE-PROGRAM FAULTY ETM MODULE. TOOK CAR TO DLR, RE-PROGRAMMED ETM CAR DIED AGAIN! TURNS OUT BAD BATTERY AS WELL: SEVERAL HUNDRED $$$ TO REPLACE BATTERY. CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY, LARGE "SHUDDERS" PRESENT WHEN MERGING ONTO HWY, DURING TRANSMISSION/GEAR SHIFT. NOT GOOD! 2) AIRBAG "SRS-URGENT SERVICE" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT IS ON. GOOD LOCAL MECH. STATES THIS IS A $1000 REPAIR. 3) "CHECK BRAKE LIGHT" WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT TURNS ON WHEN DEPRESSING ON BRAKE PEDAL: GOOD LOCAL MECH. STATES THAT THIS IS "NORMAL" REQUIRES EXACT MATCHING ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF ALL BRAKE LAMPS TO ENSURE THAT "CHECK BRAKE LIGHT" WARNING DOES NOT OCCUR (IN ACTUALITY THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK FINE, THE BUILT-IN-TEST IS FAULTY). 4) "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" COMES ON 2-3 TIMES IN LAST 3 MONTHS. MAJOR SERVICE WAS REQUIRED. ONE FAULT WAS ISOLATED TO FUEL TANK GAS CAP: IF NOT SECURED PROPERLY "ECM-4308 (LEAK DIAGNOSTIC) LARGE LEAK" OCCURS...REMEDIED BY TWISTING FUEL CAP 3 FULL ROTATIONS, AFTER RE-FUELING GAS TANK. GOOD LOCAL MECH. DIAGNOSED THE LOOSE GAS CAP PROBLEM, WARNED ME ABOUT IT, AND DIDN'T CHARGE ME (NICE!). 5) BODY PAINT IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO CHIPPING & SCRATCHES. PAINT OR EXTERIOR PANELS ARE VERY SOFT AND EASILY DAMAGED. ANOTHER SHAME, THIS CAR LOOKS GREAT BUT DOES NOT HOLD UP VERY WELL UNDER TYPICAL PARKING LOT CONDITIONS (I.E. SOMEONE PARKED NEXT TO YOU OPENS THEIR CAR DOOR INTO THE SIDE OF YOUR CAR RESULTING IN A LARGE SCRATCH). SOLUTION: PURCHASE A FANCY CAR COVER AND PROTECT THE BODY PAINT, IF YOU CAN! 6) PARKING BRAKE "SEEMS LOOSE", UPON PARKING CAR AND ENGAGING PARKING BRAKE THE VEHICLE ROLLS ALMOST 30 CM BWDS OR FWD DEPENDING ON LEVEL OR INCLINED SURFACE. *TR

MY 2000 VOLVO S80 T6 ETM THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT UNLESS I BOUGHT A CEM THEY SAID CAR WOULDN'T WORK WITHOUT IT. SO THEY FIXED IT TO A TUNE OF $900.00 FOR CEM SO I CHARGED IT BACK ON MY CREDIT CARD BECAUSE IT'S ALL COVERED ON ETM UPDATE. IN THE MORNING THE CAR STILL REVS MORE I WANT VOLVO TO BUY THIS CAR BACK FROM ME BECAUSE NO ONE INFORMED ME OF THIS PROBLEMS. THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME OLD CEM I ASKED. *NM

IN JULY I WAS TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC AT IDLE SPEED WHEN MY CAR STARTED TO SURGE THEN STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT, HOWEVER I HAD TO KEEP ONE FOOT ON THE GAS AND THE OTHER ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP IT RUNNING. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP IT HOME USING THIS METHOD TO KEEP THE RPMS UP. WHEN THE CODES WERE READ IT SAID THE 4 OXYGEN SENSORS WERE OUT OF RANGE. I TUNED UP THE CAR, CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND OXYGEN SENSORS AND RESET THE CODES. (65,000 MILES) AFTER THIS THE CAR SEEMED ALRIGHT UNTIL AROUND 79,000 MILES. MY WIFE AND I WERE ON RTE. 1A ON THE MAINE COAST IN TRAFFIC . WHILE GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE THE CAR STALLED. I LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING AND BRAKES AND THE CAR NEARLY WENT OVER THE CLIFF INTO THE OCEAN. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL AND THE CAR RESTARTED WITH THE IDLE SURGING. I LIMPED THE CAR HOME USING THE GAS AND BRAKE METHOD. AT INTERSECTIONS IF I LET THE CAR IDLE THE CAR WOULD SURGE FORWARD THEN STALL. MY MECHANIC READ THE CODES AND TOLD ME THE MAP SENSOR AND O2 SENSORS WERE BAD AND REPLACED THEM. THIS SEEMED TO WORK FOR A WHILE, HOWEVER THE CAR REVERTED BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEMS. I FINALLY CALLED GALLO VOLVO WHO HAD SERVICED MY CAR UNDER WARRANTY UNTIL 60,000 MILES AND THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM COVERED UNDER A HIDDEN RECALL. ONCE A CUSTOMER COMPLAINED THEY COULD FIX IT. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THEM AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER TO "REPAIR" THE PROBLEM. MY CAR NO LONGER STALLS, HOWEVER IT SURGES AND HESITATES UPON ACCELERATION NEARLY CAUSING PEOPLE TO HIT ME IN TRAFFIC. I AM STILL TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM AFTER OVER $1800 DOLLARS IN EXPENSES, MULTIPLE NEAR ACCIDENTS AND NUMEROUS HOURS OF MY TIME. *NM

I WANT TO ADD MY DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE MODULE AND SUBSEQUENT LACK OF APPROPRIATE ACTION. THE UNIT IN THE 2000 VOLVO S80 FAILED TO BRING THE CAR TO A COMPLETE HALT IN TRAFFIC IN DECEMBER 2004. SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM WERE $845. IF VOLVO SENT OUT A NOTICE FOR ETM REPAIR REFUNDS LAST WINTER, I DID NOT RECEIVE IT DESPITE LIVING AT THE SAME ADDRESS AS WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DEC 1999. I ALSO WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE INCREASING PROBLEM WITH THE DSTC SYSTEM AS EVIDENCE BY ACTIVITY IN THE CHAT ROOMS. OUR VEHICLE SHOWS A PERSISTENT DSTC SERVICE MESSAGE THAT THE DEALER CLAIMS CAN NOT BE ADEQUATELY DIAGNOSED WITHOUT FIRST REPLACING THE YAW SENSOR FOR $668. OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM HAVE TURNED TO BUYING AND SELF INSTALLING REBUILT ABS UNITS WHICH THE NHTSA SHOULD BE PROACTIVELY SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND. THE CAUSE OF THE ABS UNIT FAILURE? SOME CLAIM IT IS THE VIBRATION AND POUNDING FROM THE ENTIRELY INADEQUATE FRONT END SUSPENSION AND WHEEL SYSTEM CAUSING THE ELECTRONIC PARTS TO FAIL. I CAN ATTEST TO THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM HAVING SPENT $1790 YESTERDAY TO REPLACE FRONT BUSHINGS, STABILIZER LINKS, STRUTS AND SPRING SEATS ON A CAR WITH 64K MILES. THE FRONT STRUTS PREVIOUSLY WERE REPLACE IN JAN '04 AT A COST OF $726 WHEN MILEAGE WAS 40K. I'VE ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY. *JB

I OPERATE A 2000 VOLVO S-80. IT HAS 70,000 MILES. RECENTLY IT HAS UNEVEN ENGINE IDLE PROBLEM ESPECIALLY WHEN A/C IS ON. FOR TWO OCCASIONS, THE CAR WAS STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL GARAGE, THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WAS CLEANED, BUT THE MECHANIC GAVE NO GUARANTEE BECAUSE HE SAID THE COMPUTER WHICH CONTROLS THE THROTTLE MAY HAVE THE PROBLEM AND HE HAS NO REPLACEMENT PARTS. TWO WEEKS LATER, I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE VOLVO STATING MY CAR MIGHT HAVE THE ETS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM) PROBLEM AND THEY OFFER THE REFUND OF REPAIR COST. I SUBMITTED MY REFUND REQUEST THREE WEEKS AGO BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. CURRENTLY THE CAR STILL HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.*JB