2000 Volvo S80

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SPONTANEOUSLY DECELERATE. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE ENGINE AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1,500. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 107,000. UPDATED 09/23/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/24/08. *JB

AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) ON MY 2000 VOLVO S80 IS IN THE PROCESS OF FAILING. TWO YEARS AGO, I HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICED WHEN IT BEGAN SURGING FORWARD WHEN IDLING, EVEN WHEN I WAS BRAKING. AN ETM SOFTWARE UPGRADE WAS DONE AT THAT TIME AND THE ETM WAS CLEANED. NOW, JUST SHORT OF TWO YEARS LATER, I AM HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. AS I AM COMING TO A STOP, MY VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY SURGE FORWARD, EVEN WHEN MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE. I AM PETRIFIED THAT I AM GOING TO STRIKE THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE BEFORE I CAN ARRANGE TO GET MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE. FURTHER, WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK OR USE THE AC SYSTEM, MY CAR COMES TO A NEAR STALL AND JUST LURCHES ALL OVER THE PLACE. IT SIMPLY CANNOT MAINTAIN AN EVEN IDLE WHEN IN PARK. LAST WEEK, FOR THE FIRST TIME, I BECAME AWARE OF THE NOVEMBER 2006 RECALL CONCERNING ETMS. THIS LED ME TO LOOK AT MY OLD SERVICE RECORDS, SINCE I WAS HAVING THE SAME FRIGHTENING PROBLEM THAT I HAD TWO YEARS AGO. SURE ENOUGH, THERE IT WAS AGAIN - "CUSTOMER STATES AT IDLE REVS UP AND SURGES." I HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THIS REPAIR ONCE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SERIOUS MATTER AND MY VEHICLE SIMPLY IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 VOLVO S80. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED TWO FAILURES LISTED AS RECALLS FOR THE SUSPENSION AND VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS. HE IS VERY UPSET WITH BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALLS BECAUSE THE FAILURES ARE IDENTICAL. WHILE PROCEEDING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE TIRE DETACHED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE WHEEL AXLE, LOWER CONTROL ARM, AND UPPER BALL JOINT WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO OBSERVED THE FAILURE OF THE SPEED CONTROL MECHANISM. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55-60 MPH AND APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND HESITATED. THIS FAILURE OCCURS ONLY DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THIS FAILURE. THE RECALL NUMBERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

MY 2000 VOLVO S80 HAS FAILED TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY. IN IDLE, IT SOMETIMES WORKS FINE, BUT AT OTHER TIMES IT IDLES ERRATICALLY. SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY, I'VE NEEDED TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY, BUT THE CAR HESITATED AND DISPLAYED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. A FEW TIMES, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE ANYWAY, AND THE LIGHT WOULD BEGIN TO BLINK, AND THE CAR WOULD STILL SPUTTER. THIS CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I HAD THE SPARK PLUGS REPLACED BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I LEARNED RECENTLY THAT THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A FAILED ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE), WHICH HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL CAR. *TR

I OWN A 2000 VOLVO S-80. WHILE PROCEEDING THROUGH AUTOMATIC CAR WASH, THE SUNROOF SHATTERED DURING THE BLOWER/DRYER OPERATION. CAR WASH MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT THESE MODELS HAVE A PROPENSITY TO BREAK AT THE SAME SPOT IN THE CAR WASH PROCESS. HE STATED THAT VOLVO REPLACES THE SUNROOF UNDER WARRANTY, BUT WHEN I CONTACTED VOLVO, THEY DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM. *TR

SRS AIRBAG FAILURE AND ABS BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS AND ALERTS POSTED ON DASHBOARD DISPLAY. TURNS OUT THE PROBLEM WAS DEFECTIVE SOFTWARE AND WAS RESOLVED WITH A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THIS IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE FAILURE RESULTS IN THE DISABLING OF THE SYSTEMS. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AND FIXED IN ABOUT AN HOUR. VOLVO CLEARLY NEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEMS SINCE THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE (AKA A FIX) WAS ALREADY COMPLETED AND AVAILABLE - VOLVO HAD TO PAY SOMEONE TO FIX THE SOFTWARE, WHY PAY THEM IF THERE WAS NO DEFECT. I BELIEVE THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE AT LEAST ADVISED IF NOT MANDATORY FOR ALL OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. IT IS A SIMPLE EASY WAY TO AVOID A TRAGEDY IF THESE SYSTEMS ARE DISABLED BY DEFECTIVE SOFTWARE. *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 WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND I WAS A PASSENGER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE SUNROOF AND WHEN IT WAS ABOUT 1/4 OPENED, A STEEL BAR, ABOUT 26 INCHES IN LENGTH CAME OUT OF THE ROOF OPENING AND HIT MY WIFE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HER HEAD WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING. THE GLASS DID NOT BREAK ONLY THE METAL BAR THAT WAS GLUED TO THE GLASS CAME LOOSE AND FELL OUT. HAD SHE TURNED HER HEAD IN MY DIRECTION, THE BAR COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY AND EVEN COULD HAVE HIT ONE OF HER EYES. THIS METAL BAR WAS ATTACHED TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE GLASS. NO ACCIDENT OR SERIOUS INJURY OTHER THAN BRUISED SKIN OCCURRED. ON NOV 29TH THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE EVALUATED AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO SAID HE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE. WHEN HE CALLED A MECHANIC OVER TO ASK HIS OPINION, THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THEY JUST REPLACED A SUNROOF GLASS ON A SIMILAR CAR THE PREVIOUS WEEK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER ONLY SAID THAT IF THE GLASS WAS REPLACED, IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY. NO OFFER WAS MADE TO REPAIR OR REPLACE WITH A BETTER PART. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS OR DEADLY ACCIDENT. *TR