2000 Volvo S80

SUBJECT: ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, RESULT: TOTAL LOSS, EHICLE: 2000, VOLVO, S80 2.9, VIN: [XXX]. SHORTLY BEFORE 3:00PM MY WIFE AND I DEPARTED BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT FOR THE TRIP HOME TO MASSACHUSETTS. THE FIRST 7 OR 8 MINUTES WERE LOCAL STOP AND GO DRIVING (MAXIMUM SPEED 25MPH). AT THIS POINT WE ENTERED THE MERRITT PARKWAY (EASTBOUND ENTRANCE 48). WE JOINED THE RIGHT LANE TRAFFIC FLOW, WHICH VARIED BETWEEN 55 AND 60 MPH. APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES LATER ? JUST BEFORE THE MERRITT PARKWAY EASTBOUND ENTRANCE 49 OR 50 THE CAR ENGINE LOST POWER. I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE ISLAND BETWEEN THE HIGHWAY AND THE ON-RAMP. IT LOOKED LIKE STEAM WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE RADIATOR. I LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND WAS SURPRISED TO SEE IT READING NORMAL. I PULLED THE HOOD RELEASE LEVER INSIDE THE VEHICLE, GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, WENT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE HOOD SAFETY LATCH WHICH WAS SO HOT THAT MY HAND WITHDREW INVOLUNTARILY. AT THIS POINT I BECAME AWARE THAT SMOKE WAS COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOOD, NOT STEAM. I ALERTED MY WIFE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. SHE DID, AND AFTER MOVING AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE, LOOKED BACK AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MY WIFE AND I WITNESSED TWO EXPLOSIONS, EMINATING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRST EXPLOSION CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT WAS LOUD AND SHOT FLAME AND SMOKE ABOUT 15 FEET INTO THE AIR.*AK UPDATED 07/27/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER TO SHUT DOWN THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE CONSUMER DROVE IT TO THE DEALER, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND OTHER PARTS OF ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AND NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS MAKING A SQUEALING NOISE AS SHE MADE RIGHT AND LEFT HAND TURNS. WHEN SHE GOT HOME I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR AND FOUND THAT IT WAS EMPTY. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THIS HAPPENING, THERE WAS NO FLUID ON THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. I IMMEDIATELY PURCHASED POWER STEERING FLUID AND FILLED THE RESERVOIR. THE NEXT DAY THE FLOOR WAS COVERED WITH FLUID. I CONTACTED MY FORMER VOLVO DEALER AND ASKED IF THEY COULD LOOK AT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I TAKE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP THAT SPECIALIZES IN IMPORT CARS. THEY IDENTIFED THE PROBLEM AS THE RACK & PINION AND SAID NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR AS IT WAS UNSAFE. I AUTHORIZED THEM TO BEGIN THE REPAIR PROCESS AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE COST WOULD BE ABOUT $1000.00 DOLLARS. WHEN CONTACTING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF VOLVO NORTH AMERICA I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT IN WARRENTY. THE VEHICLE HAS 16,532 MILES AND HAS BEEN GARAGED KEPT AND MAINTAINED BY THE PREVIOUS VOLVO DEALER WHERE THE VECHICLE WAS PURCHASED. I HARDLY THINK THAT ANY VEHICLE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE SHOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE RACK & PINION STEERING REPLACED. I AM VERY DISAPOINTED WITH THE APPROACH THAT VOLVO HAS TAKEN TO ASSIST WITH THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE SEEN WHERE OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. WHEN YOU PAY $42,000 DOLLARS FOR A CAR, YOU CERTAINLY EXPECT THAT IT WILL NOT REQUIRE COSTLY MAINTENANCE SUCH AS THIS WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE.*AK

SHORTLY AFTER MY VEHICLE'S 60K MILE SERVICE, I NOTICED SLIGHT HESITATION WHILE CRUSING AROUND 60 MILES PER HOUR ON HIGHWAY. ONCE I EXPERIENCE THE HESITATION, THE ENGINER SERVICE LIGHT WOULD COME ON THEN THE "ENGINE SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT" MESSAGE WOULD COME ON AS WELL. WHEN THE HESITATION STARTS, I WOULD FEEL AS IF I NO LONGER HAVE THE FULL CONTROL OF THE GAS THROTTLE AS IT DOES NOT RESPOND AT ALL. EG. WHEN I TAKE OFF MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL, I WOULD FEEL A SUDDEN SURGE IN VEHICLE ACCELERATION! WHILE WAITING TO GET THE CAR SERVICED BY MY DEALED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM, THE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME AND GO. FINALLY, DURING MY TRIP TO GET MY CAR SERVICED, THE GAS THROTTLE STOP RESPONDING THUS THE CAR CRUISED TO A FULL STOP. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND CONTINUE WITH MY JOURNEY. LATER I WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THROTTLE BODY IN ORDER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS WHY THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT DETECTED DURING MY "MAJOR" TUNEUP SERVICE ABOUT 3 WEEKS PRIOR INSETAD,I HAD TO MAKE A SEPARATE TRIP TO THE DEALERSHIP AND POTENTIALLY GET INTO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED THEN TO LOSE THE CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE'S GAS THROTTLE WHERE IT MAY SUDDENLY ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE. *AK

SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT - URGENT WENT ON. I NOTICED SLIGHT HESITATION IN CAR ONLY WHEN THIS LIGHT IS ON. SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON & OFF. WENT TO DEALER AND INFORMED THAT I NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY UNIT AT A COST OF $1129.95. CAR ONLY HAS 73,000 MILES AND IS REGULARLY SERVICED BY VOLVO. INFORMED THAT THIS IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. WENT ON LINE TO NHTSA AND DISCOVERED MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING SIMILAR PROBLEM. *NM

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE SURGES AT IDLE SPEED WHILE AT STOP IN INTERSECTIONS FORCING SUDDEN BRAKE APLLICATION TO AVOID COLLISION. FOLLOWING APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS OF SIMILAR SPORADIC EPISODES, ALL WITHOUT ANY MESSAGE INDICATORS, VEHICLE WOULD ONLY TRAVEL 15 MPH. THROTTLE ASSEMBLY REPLACED TO RECTIFY PROBLEM. SERIOUS RISK OF INJURY BARELY AVOIDED! SHOULD BE A RECALL AS THERRE APPEAR TO BE NUMEROUS DEFECTS REPORTED.*AK