2000 Volvo S80

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

WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING, THE LEFT FRONT BALL JOINT SEPARATED AND DAMAGED THE AXLE. NO ODD NOISES BEFORE HAND. NO UNUSUAL TIRE WEAR. WE DO ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. NO WORK HAD RECENTLY BEEN DONE ON THE FRONT END. THE TECHNICIAN SAID HE DID NOT THINK THE VEHICLE HAD EVER BEEN IN A PRIOR ACCIDENT--HE SAW NO INDICATION OF THAT. MY DAUGHTER WAS ON HER WAY TO WORK--GOING 40 MPH--NO ONE AROUND HER, AND NOT YET ON THE FREEWAY WHERE SHE WAS HEADED, THANK GOD. THE TECHNICIAN CALLED IT A "CATASTROPHIC FAILURE" AND SAID HE WAS NOT EXAGGERATING WHEN HE USED THAT TERM. BOTH FRONT BALL JOINTS WERE REPLACED (AND THE ONE THAT DID NOT FAIL WAS NOT IN GOOD CONDITION EITHER) AND THE AXLE AND 2 NEW TIRES. THERE HAD BEEN A CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL BALL JOINTS. THIS VEHICLE HAD THE BALL JOINTS REPLACED IN 2001. *JB

YR 2000 VOLVO S80 2.9L. TWO SAFETY RELATED COMPLAINTS FOLLOW: 1. DASH BOARD (SPEEDOMETER, TACH, LIGHTS, ETC), ELECTRIC WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS, AND TURN SIGNALS JUST STOP WORKING ALL AT THE SAME TIME! I HAVE TO UNHOOK THE BATTERY TO RESET. COMMON PROBLEM FROM LOOKING AT INTERNET FORUMS. 2. AIRBAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT MESSAGE COMES ON WHEN THE AIRBAG HAS NOT DEPLOYED. THIS OCCURRED AFTER THE MYSTERIOUS ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION DESCRIBED ABOVE. THE DEALER WANTS A FEE TO RESET AND CHECK THE AIRBAG FUNCTION. THIS IS ALSO COMMON FROM LOOKING AT INTERNET FORUMS. I THINK THE DEALERS SHOULD BE MADE TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS FREE OF CHARGE. *JB

MY 2000 VOLVO S80 2.9 VEHICLE STARTED SURGING THEN HESITATING, BACK & FORTH, AT ALL SPEEDS UP TO 70 MPH INTERSTATE SPEEDS WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND OFF. WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON, AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MILES, CRUISE CONTROL TURNS ITSELF OFF & CAR SUDDENLY STARTS DECELERATING. AFTER ABOUT 1 WEEK OF THIS, ON 6/30/06 PERFORMANCE REDUCED MESSAGE APPEARED. ON 6-24-06 ENGINE SERVICE REQUIRED MESSAGE APPEARED FOR A SHORT TIME. AFTER STOPPING AND TURNING MOTOR OFF FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO READ OWNER'S MANUAL, STARTED MOTOR AGAIN & MESSAGE HAS NOT REAPPEARED. WHEN CRUISE TURNS ITSELF OFF, YOU CANNOT TURN CRUISE BACK ON UNTIL MOTOR IS STOPPED & RESTARTED, THEN YOU CAN TURN CRUISE CONTROL BACK ON FOR ABOUT 5-10 MILES THEN IT WILL GO BACK OFF. SURGING AND HESITATION CONTINUES WITH STEADY PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR (TRYING TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT SPEED) AND CRUISE CONTROL OFF. *JB

JUNE 13, 2004: CAR LOST POWER ON I-70 IN OHIO. TIME - 10:00 PM; CONDITIONS CLEAR. VEHICLE DROPPED INTO "LIMP HOME MODE" REQUIRING THAT WE DRIVE IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE TO THE NEAREST EXIT WHICH WAS ABOUT 8 MILES. VEHICLE SPEED WAS ABOUT 20 MPH MAX. - A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON AN INTERSTATE AT NIGHT SINCE BOTH DEBRIS, DEAD ANIMALS AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS REQUIRED TEMPORARILY LEAVING THE BREAKDOWN LANE. NEITHER MY WIFE NOR I KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THE TIME. WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A MOTEL AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST VOLVO DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS THE NEXT DAY. CAR REPAIRS INCLUDED AN ETM, THROTTLE BODY, THE MAIN CONTROL MODULE (PART #8601630), VARIOUS DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS. TIME CONSTRAINTS NECESSITATED OUR RETURNING TO CONNECTICUT BY THE NEXT DAY SO WE ENDED UP LEAVING THE CAR AND OBTAINING A RENTAL. THE DEALERSHIP FINISHED THE REPAIRS AND HAD THE CAR DRIVEN TO US A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. A GOOD PART OF THE REPAIR COSTS WERE ABSORBED BY VOLVO, HOWEVER WE DID PAY SOME. THE REASON FOR THIS COMPLAINT IS CONCERN FOR MY WIFE'S SAFETY. SHE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF THIS CAR, USING IT TO COMMUTE TO/FROM WORK ON HEAVILY TRAVELED ROADS. WE HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THESE REPAIRS DO NOT PERMANENTLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR NOW HAS 95,000 MILES ON IT - ABOUT 35, 000 MORE MILES SINCE THE ORIGINAL FAILURE. WE ARE AWARE OF VOLVO'S 10 YEAR/200,000 MILE WARRANTY ON THE ETM, BUT VOLVO NEEDS TO FIND A PERMANENT FIX RATHER THAN RISK MY WIFE'S OR MY SAFETY. *JB