2001 Volvo V70

2001 VOLVO V70 SURGES WHILE UNDERWAY, SURGES AND STALLS AT IDLE, GOES INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE MODE (20 MPH OR LESS). CAR RUNS NORMALLY WHEN COLD (UP TO 1 MILE AFTER STARTING IN MORNING), THEN BEGINS TO SURGE AND FAIL. NEED TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER, STOP ENGINE FOR 3 MINUTES, AND RESTART. IF ENGINE IS STOPPED FOR LESS THAN 3 MINUTES, IT RESTARTS IN 20 MPH MODE. THIS HAS HAPPENED DAILY FOR 2 WEEKS. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED IGNITION COIL BASED ON OBD CODE, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED THE NEXT DAY. HAVE APPOINTMENT WITH VOLVO SERVICE DEPARTMENT 11/22/06. *JB

REAR LIFT GATE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS HAS WIRES SEVERED DUE TO THE LIFTGATE HINGE. THIS PROBLEM RESULTED IN A FAILURE OF THE CENTER REAR MOUNTED BRAKE LIGHT, A WARNING INDICATOR THAT THE REAR GATE IS AJAR, AND FAILURE OF THE REAR DEFROSTER. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC INDICATED THAT VEHICLE HINGE CUT THE WIRING HARNESS AND THAT THE ROUTING OF THE WIRING HARNESS AND DESIGN WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *NM

I OWN A 2001 VOLVO V70 <TURBO> .. AND HAVE HAD REPEATED EXPERIENCES WITH THE VEHICLE EITHER STALLING WHILE IN GEAR AND / OR "SURGING" FORWARD WHILE AT A STOP WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED ... THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO REPAIR SHOP AND TO THE DEALER FOR THESE PROBLEMS A MINIMUM OF 4 TIMES UPON THE RETURN OF MY VEHICLE TO ME <AFTER HAVING WORK DONE UNDER CAMPAIGN 155> THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEMS .. THE MOST RECENT EVENT HAVING TAKEN PLACE ON 08.08.06 AT THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT I HAD MY TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS IN MY VEHICLE AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS EVENT PUT ALL OUR LIVES IN DANGER .. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE / HAZARD ! I <YESTERDAY> PLACED A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP <BOZZANI VOLVO IN COVINA, CA> ONLY TO BE GIVEN THE "RUN-AROUND" FROM JON, TONY, AND GLORIA ... JON BURNHAM SUGGESTED THAT I LET THEM HAVE MY VEHICLE TO DRIVE UNTIL THE "PROBLEM" IS DUPLICATED .. GLORIA MASTERLY <A SERVICE ADVISOR> SAID I SHOULD NOT TAKE MY CAR TO MY LOCAL VOLVO APPROVED REPAIR SHOP ... THAT I SHOULD HAVE IT TOWED TO THEM, INSTEAD <WHICH I HAVE ALREADY HAD DONE <HAVING IT TOWED> BOTH THRU ASC AT NO CHARGE ... AND AT MY EXPENSE NUMEROUS TIMES> TONY RIVAS TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TO MAKE A CALL AND THAT HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME ... NO ONE GOT BACK TO ME ... NOR HAS ANYONE <AS OF NEARLY 12 NOON, TODAY < RETURNED A CALL TO ME ... I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE EXISTING <AND WELL KNOWN> ISSUES WITH THE MAGNATE MARELLI ETM AND AM APPALLED AT THE DEVIL MAY CARE ATTITUDE THAT VOLVO IS TAKING TOWARDS THIS WHOLE AFFAIR I BOUGHT VOLVO <THIS BEING OUR THIRD> BECAUSE OF THEIR REPUTATION FOR SAFETY ! I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR ... AND AM RECEIVING NO ASSISTANCE FROM ANY VOLVO ADVISORS OR REPRESENTATIVES I AM NEARLY 80 YEARS OLD .. AND WOULD HATE TO LOSE WHAT YEARS I DO HAVE LEFT TO AN AVOIDABLE PROBLEM WHICH MAY VERY WELL TAKE MY LIFE <AS WELL AS OTHERS, POSSIBLY>

ON 6/2/06 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ( AT ABOUT 60 MPH), AND SUDDENLY MY CAR SLOWED DOWN AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE, FORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY AND SLOWLY MOVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, A WARNING LIGHT WAS ON STATING" ENGINE PERFORMANCE REDUCED". I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT ON, HOWEVER, I WAS VERY CONCERNED AND CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO BRING THE CAR IN. THE CAR WAS A LITTLE HESITANT AT FIRST BUT I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY ON SIDE STREETS, TO THE DEALER. HE KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT AND DIAGNOSED A PROBLEM WITH THE ETM, HE CLEANED THE ETM AND DOWNLOADED NEW SOFTWARE. IT WAS $20 FOR THE PARTS AND $307.00 FOR THE LABOR! I HAVE NOT HAD A RECURRENCE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE ETM. HOWEVER, I HAVE BECOME AWARE OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ETM AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT MY DEALER, WHO HAD NEVER MENTIONED IT TO ME, AND HAD NEVER OFFERED TO CHECK OR CLEAN THE ETM BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. HE WAS AWARE OF THE ETM FAILURES. I ASKED ABOUT THE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY VOLVO HAS PUT IN PLACE ON THE ETM BUT THE DEALER SAYS THAT IS ONLY FOR SERVICE AFTER THE CLEANING IS TRIED ONCE. THIS MEANS I WILL HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER DANGEROUS FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM BEFORE THEY WILL REPLACE AND PAY FOR THE SERVICE! I FEEL THAT VOLVO SHOULD HAVE WARNED THE CAR OWNERS ABOUT THIS POSSIBLE PROBLEM AND SHOULD GIVE THE WARRANTY TO ALL THEIR CARS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING OUR CAR HOME FROM 4TH OF JULY VACATION ON INTERSTATE, CAR SHUT DOWN BY ITSELF AND COULD ONLY DO ABOUT 7 MPH, WITH A NEAR MISS OF TRAFFIC I WAS TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES UNTIL WE DECIDED TO NOT DRIVE THE CAR AT ALL DUE OUR CONCERN FOR GETTING INTO A ACCIDENT. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP COULD NOT SEE US FOR 3 WEEKS WE WERE TOLD, THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WE ARE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY WILL TELL US. *NM

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BROKE OFF AS A RESULT OF BALL JOINT BREAKING LEADING TO AN AXLE BREAK. ALSO DAMAGED WERE BUMPER AND FENDER WHEN HIT BY THE WHEEL BREAKING OFF. MY WIFE WAS LEAVING O'HARE AIRPORT AT AROUND 9:00 PM ON 6/27/06. WHEN CRUISING AT 20-30 MPH SHE HEARD A CRACKING NOISE AND THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR TURNED RIGHT. SHE STEPPED ON A BRAKE PEDAL TRYING NOT TO HIT CARS ON THE NEXT LINE. WHEN SHE STOPPED AND GET OUT OF THE CAR SHE REALIZED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL CAME OFF. IT WAS KEPT IN PLACE JUST BY THE SHOCK ABSORBER. SHE AND MY TWO SONS (AGE 3 AND 6) SPENT NEARLY TWO HOURS ON A HIGHWAY WAITING FOR A TOW TRUCK TO COME. THE CAR HAS 5 YEARS AND 98,500 MILES ON IT. THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS ALREADY REPAIRED TWICE. ONCE 2 YEARS AGO AND THEN HALF A YEAR AFTER THAT. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT DESCRIBED ABOVE THERE WERE NO SIGNALS/NOISES THAT WOULD INDICATE ANY PROBLEMS WITH NEITHER THE WHEEL NOR THE SUSPENSION. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS DRIVEN ON NORMAL STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. NO OFF ROAD ADVENTURES OR REALLY BAD ROADS. I HAD MANY CARS IN MY LIFE BUT I'VE NEVER HAD SUCH A PROBLEM BEFORE. HOW CAN VOLVO CLAIM THAT THEY MAKE RELIABLE AND SAFE CARS WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS? I SENT AN E-MAIL TO VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM THEM. NOW I HAVE TO PAY OVER $2,500 IN REPAIR FEES ($1000 TO REPAIR BROKEN BALL JOINT AND AXLE PLUS ADDITIONAL $1500 TO REPAIR BUMPER AND FENDER). I DO HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT, SURPRISE SURPRISE, THEY SAID THEY CAN ONLY COVER THE COST OF REPAIRING THE BALL JOINT. EVERYTHING ELSE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THE BALL JOINT, THEY WOULD NOT COVER. AND, OF COURSE, THE COST OF REPLACING THE BALL JOINT IS LESS THAN MY DEDUCTIBLE SO ... THEY WASHED THEIR HANDS. *JB

SURGING, MISSING, SKIPPING WHILE IDLING IN GEAR. IT MAY SURGE, MISS, SKIP WHILE OUT OF GEAR, BUT IT IS HARD TO DETECT. I HAVE HAD THE ETM SOFTWARE UPDATE AND THEN THEY CLEANED IT. THE DEALER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT NOW AND IT IS STILL HAPPENING. THEY HAVE NOT YET DONE THE VOLVO CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE FAULTY ETM'S BECAUSE THE GUIDELINES ARE STRICT. (SOMEONE HAS TO DIE FIRST, THEN THEY WILL REPLACE IT) THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER THREE MONTHS NOW. *JB

ON THE WAY TO AN APPOINTMENT MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR VOLVO V70 T5 ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE CAR LOST POWER AND A MESSAGE STATING "PERFORMANCE REDUCTION" WAS VISIBLE ON THE CONSOLE. THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS ABOUT TO STALL AT ANY MINUTE AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO BE DRIVEN AT 20 MPH. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE CAR OVER TO THE HARD SHOULDER BUT AS SHE WAS ABOUT TO ENTER A SECTION WHERE ROAD WORKS HAD REMOVED ANY HARD SHOULDER SHE DECIDED TO STOP AND CALL FOR HELP. WE ARRANGED FOR A TOW TRUCK TO PICK THE CAR UP AND TAKE IT TO OUR NEAREST VOLVO DEALER. WHEN WE ARRIVED THERE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED THE FIRST QUESTION ASKED BY THE SERVICE REP WAS "HAVE YOU HAD THE ETM RECALL PERFORMED ?" I STATED THAT WE WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALL AND HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY LETTER FROM VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA. 2 DAYS LATTER ONCE THE CAR HAD BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD BEEN CAUSED BY AN ETM/ECM FAILURE. THE REPLACEMENT PART NUMBER WAS 30785453. I ALSO SPOKE WITH VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL BUT A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THAT PARTICULAR PART. I ASKED WHY I HAD NOT RECEIVED A LETTER YET CONCERNING IT AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF SENDING THEM OUT. SINCE THEN I HAVE DISCOVER EVIDENCE THAT THE LETTER WAS AVAILABLE SINCE NOVEMBER 2005. *JB