2003 Volvo V70

IN EARLY MAY, 2006, MY CAR ENGINE SHUT DOWN BY ITSELF. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY KEPT IT FOR TWO DAYS. THE DAY AFTER I PICKED IT UP(MAY 11TH, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I NARROWLY MISSED HITTING SEVERAL CARS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN THE CAR COOLED DOWN, I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN AND MANAGED TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE FACTORY INSPECTED THE CAR AND HELD IT TEN DAYS. THE SERVICE MAN CALLED ME AND STATED THE FACTORY WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WAS REPLACING MY TRANSMISSION. I WAS ABLE TO PICK UP MY CAR ON MAY 22 AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN CORRECTED. SINCE THEN, THE ENGINE HAS SHUT DOWN ON THREE OCCASIONS, EACH TIME ON THE FREEWAY. I REPORTED THIS TO VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE ON MAY 26TH. WHILE DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AGAIN AND I NARROWLY AVERTING A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT IS CURRENTLY PARKED. MY WIFE REFUSES TO EITHER DRIVE THE CAR OR RIDE INTO IT. WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE DID NOT TAKE THE CAR TO LOS ANGELES AND COULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN THE DESERT OR WORSE. I LEFT THE CAR WITH THE DEALER SINCE MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE IT FOR FEAR OF A MAJOR ACCIDENT. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING 10-40 MPH ON SEVEN OCCASIONS. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE STALLING AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED BY A SERVICE DEALER TWICE. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALERSHIP FLUSHED OUT THE AIR CONDITIONER IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM, BUT THE REMEDY OFFERED WAS INEFFECTIVE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM OR OFFER ANY OTHER REMEDIES WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED A SECOND TIME FOR INSPECTION.

8/16/05-CAR STALLED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER 3 TIMES WHILE CAR WAS OPERATING AT LOW SPEED ON CITY ROADS. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. EACH TIME IT STALLED, THE CAR RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO PROCEED OUT OF TRAFFIC AND, AFTER THE THIRD STALL TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. 8/17/05-8/18/05-CAR REPAIRED AT SESI VOLVO DEALERSHIP, ANN ARBOR MICHIGAN. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED, MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED AND REAR OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACED. SERVICE DEPT SAID CAR CLEARED THE COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND TEST DRIVE WAS OK. SERVICE PERSON INCORRECTLY WROTE ON THE SERVICE INVOICE THAT "CUSTOMER SAYS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALL THE TIME" THIS IS NOT CORRECT. I DID NOT AT ANY TIME SEE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON NOR REPORT THAT IT WAS ON TO SERVICE PEOPLE. 9/03/05-CAR STALLED AND SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AT 65 M.P.H. ON THE HIGHWAY AT 10 PM AT NIGHT. CAR HAD TRAVELED 150 MILES FROM OWNER/DRIVER'S HOME AT TIME OF STALLING AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER THE STALL. DRIVER ABLE TO STEER CAR TO SHOULDER, EVEN WITH LACK OF POWER STEERING AND AVOID TRAFFIC PROCEEDING AT HIGH SPEED BEHIND VEHICLE. CAR RESTARTED FOR A FEW SECONDS 3 TIMES BEFORE FAILING TO START AT ALL. MOTORIST, 52 YEAR OLD WOMAN, TRAVELING ALONE, WAS STRANDED IN A DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCE. CAR COASTED INTO GAS STATION, MOTORIST PHONED AAA ROAD SERVICE AND CAR WAS TOWED 1 HOUR LATER TO SEGNA VOLVO NEAR COLUMBUS, OHIO. 9/7/05 SEGNA MOTORS SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTS TO OWNER THAT CAR TODAY STARTS FINE, TEST DRIVES FINE AND NO COMPUTER CODES ARE SHOWING UP IN THE COMPUTER'S DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM. THEY SAY THE CAR SEEMS FINE, YET THEY ARE PLANNING TO CONTACT VOLVO CORPORATION FOR A THE COMPANY'S TECHNICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO PROCEED. OWNER SEVERELY DISSATISFIED THAT AFTER REPAIR OF PROBLEM IT RECURRED AND DRIVER WAS IN DANGEROUS POSITION OF LOSING POWER SUDDENLY AT 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND BEING STRANDED ALONE AT NIGHT, WILL NOT ACCEPT A DIAGNOSIS THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. *NM

AT APPROXIMATELY 7,000 MILES, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP IN SHIFTS BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR. DEALER "READAPTED" TRANSMISSION USING MANUFACTURER'S PROCEDURE IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT SLIPPAGE. MANUFACTURER'S TERM FOR THIS PROBLEM IS "SHIFT FLAIR" IN WHICH ENGINE RPM INCREASES DURING A SHIFT MAKING THE CAR FEEL LIKE IT HAS TEMPORARILY LOST DRIVE OR THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING. IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROBLEM, THE ENGINE RPM WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE FOR A FEW SECONDS AND DURING THAT PERIOD THE CAR WOULD LOSE POWER. ONLY THE INERTIA OF THE ROLLING WHEELS COULD KEEP THE CAR MOVING. IF I LET OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THEN IMMEDIATELY DEPRESSED IT, THE CAR WOULD BEHAVE LIKE NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. AS MORE MILEAGE WAS PLACED ON THE TRANSMISSION, THE SHIFT FLARES OR SLIPPAGE BECAME MORE FREQUENT. ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE DEALER INCLUDE: READAPTATION OF THE TRANSMISSION, SIGNIFICANT ROAD TESTING, INSTALLATION OF A TEMPORARY DATA RECORDER, APPLICATION OF NEW SOFTWARE, READAPTING THE TRANSMISSION, DETERMINE VALVE BODY ON ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION INCORRECTLY TORQUED AND RETORQUE OF VALVE BODY TO FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS AND CULMINATING WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. DESPITE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION IN EARLY OCTOBER, 2003 AT 12,636 MILES, THE CAR AGAIN EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION SHIFT FLAIR ON DECEMBER 27, 2003 AT APPROXIMATELY 18,400 MILES. *JB