2004 Volvo V70

ON SUNDAY, 24 JANUARY 2009, THE HEATING ELEMENT IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN OUR 2004 VOLVO V70 SOMEHOW SHORTED AND/OR OTHERWISE OVERHEATED, CAUSING THE SEAT TO BEGIN TO SMOLDER AND SMOKE AND BURNED SMALL HOLES IN THE SIDE OF THE LEATHER SEAT COVER. AFTER THE HEATING ELEMENT WAS TURNED OFF, THE MATERIALS IN THE SEAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY FIRE RETARDANT TO KEEP THE SEAT FROM A FULL-SCALE CONFLAGRATION. WE HAD BEEN SMELLING AN UNEXPLAINED ODOR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR, WHICH WE NOW BELIEVE TO HAVE BEEN WHEN THE OVERHEATING STARTED. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANYTHING DONE TO THE SEAT, AND IT IS ESSENTIALLY IF NOT PRECISELY IN THE SAME STATE AS IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY IN 2004. THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER (DON BEYER VOLVO, FALLS CHURCH, VA) ON MONDAY, 25 JANUARY 2009, FOUND THAT THE HEATING ELEMENT WAS THE PROBLEM, THEY DISCONNECTED THE HEATING ELEMENT TO PRECLUDE A FIRE, SAID THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST THEY HAD HEARD OF A PROBLEM OF THIS TYPE, AND SAID THAT THE REPAIR (PARTS AND LABOR) WOULD BE COVERED UNDER OUR WARRANTY (LESS DEDUCTIBLE). WE LATER ON 25 JANUARY WERE TOLD THAT THE REPAIR PARTS ARE ON BACK-ORDER AND ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 7-10 DAYS. *TR

FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR MIS-COMMUNICATES TO THE ECM ABOUT THE FUEL PRESSURE, AND SO THE ECM GIVES A MIS-COMMUNICATION TO THE FUEL PUMP HOW MUCH PRESSURE TO EXERT. ACCORDING TONHTSA RECALL 07V22600 FOR VOLVO V70 2003-2004, "MISFIRE MAY OCCUR DURING DRIVING ... THE ENGINE MAY STALL WITHOUT WARNING;IN CERTAIN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS THIS COULD CAUSE AN UNSAFE SITUATION AND POSSIBLE A CRASH." THE VOLVO DEALER READ THE NHTSA RECALL NOTICE AND SAID THAT THE CUSTOMER WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ELECTIVE REPAIR FOR REASON THAT THIS "VIN DOES NOT POP UP." THE VOLVO MANUFACTURER (800/458-1552) SAID THAT THE "VIN DOES NOT POP UP; THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE." I AM REQUESTING NHTSA TO ADD THIS VIN TO RECALL 07V226000, THEN NOTIFY ME THAT IT HAD DONE SO. *TR

APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS AGO, MY CAR BEGAN SHUDDERING AND BUCKING IN A RANDOM FASHION, AND GETTING NO POWER TO THE ACCELERATOR. I CONTACTED MY MECHANIC, AND SINCE IT COULDN'T BE DUPLICATED AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS NO "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT ON, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT HE COULD CHECK. THIS CONTINUED WITH VARYING DEGREES OF INTENSITY UNTIL LAST EVENING(12/15/09) AT APPROXIMATELY 6:00 PM. AS I WAS MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR BEGAN SHUDDERING INTENSELY. I DOWN SHIFTED AND IT CONTINUED. WITHOUT WARNING(AND WHILE HAVING FULLY MERGED AND REACHING THE HIGHWAY SPEED OF 65 MPH), THE CAR DIED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON WHEN I RESTARTED THE ENGINE. IT AGAIN DIED WITHIN A FEW FEET. AFTER A THIRD ATTEMPT, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND EXIT THE HIGHWAY AND RETURN HOME. IN RESEARCHING THE POSSIBLE CAUSE, I CAME ACROSS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE FOLLOWING NHTSA RECALL ON CERTAIN '03-'04 MODELS(07V226000). MY DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME ON THE FOLLOWING DAY THAT THE ISSUE WITH THE CAR WAS INDEED THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR, AND THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I KNOW FROM OTHER V70R OWNERS THAT THEY TOO HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE, AND THAT VOLVO USA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE FOR AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RECALL BE EXPANDED TO MORE OF THE VINS THAT WERE PRODUCED IN '03-'04. HAD I NOT BEEN ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER IMMEDIATELY(I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE), I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE HIGHWAY IN QUESTION IS A 3 LANE HIGHWAY THAT WAS QUITE BUSY AND IT WAS FULLY DARK AT THE TIME THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO V70. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BEFORE THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL FAILURES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL DEFECT. THERE WAS CONCERN OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY. HE COULD NOT RELEASE HIS SIX YEAR OLD CHILD FROM THE PASSENGER REAR SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT WRAPPED AROUND THE CHILDS' ABDOMEN SO TIGHTLY THAT IT BRUISED HIS ABDOMEN. HE HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT OFF OF THE CHILD. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE PRESENT, BUT NO REPORT WAS FILED. HE CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE SEAT BELT COULD BE REPLACED AT AN EXPENSE OF $590.00. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER UNAVAILABLE.

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON OUR 2004 VOLVO V70 WAGON CAME ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE THEN MADE NOTICEABLE HESITATIONS BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO BE DRIVABLE. AFTER GETTING TO ATLANTA AND TAKING THE CAR TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP, THE FAULT CODE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE FUEL SENSOR. INTERESTINGLY THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2004 VOLVO V70 RECALL #07V226000 FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I CALLED VOLVO AND THEY SAY IT IS NOT COVERED AS THE PROBLEM WAS ONLY FOR VIN'S 286155 - 404037. VOLVO DECLINED TO COVER THE PROBLEM. THE RECALL CLEARLY STATES THAT THE FUEL SENSOR PROBLEM CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL AND IT IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM IN MY OPINION. IN OUR CASE WE ARE LUCKILY THE PROBLEM DID NOT CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL COMPLETELY ON THE HIGHWAY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE ON THE 2004 V70 VOLVO'S AFTER THE VIN RANGE AS THE PROBLEM APPEARS NOT TO HAVE BEEN RESOLVED ON ALL VEHICLES EXHIBITING THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO V70. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SKIP AND STUTTER AS IF IT WERE GOING TO SHUT OFF ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE IT TO THE VOLVO DEALER. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THE PRESSURE SENSOR AND THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT PAID $700 FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V226000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VOLVO MANUFACTURER AGREED WITH THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS. THEY ALSO INFORMED HER THAT THEY WOULD DEDUCT A PERCENTAGE OFF OF THE REPAIR COST; HOWEVER, THAT NEVER OCCURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,835.

ON/OFF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WARNING ON MY V70 VOLVO 2004. I HAD 1 INCIDENT OF STALLING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. LUCKILY IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND NO ACCIDENT OCCURED.I HAD IT DIAGNOSED AT LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND IT TURNED TO BE FAULTY FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR. I DID MY RESEARCH OVER THE WEB AND THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL MADE BY VOLVO DATED 25MAY OF 2007. I FALL ON EVERY CATEGORY BUT WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THIS INFORMATION, I WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR IS NOT ON ANY RECALL LIST. IT'S NOT FREE FOR ME TO HAVE IT FIX WHICH I BELIEVED CONTRADICTORY TO THE RECALL MEMO. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONE IN NAPA, CA AT NIGHT ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30TH. I SIGNALED TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN FROM 30MPH (SO I WAS BRAKING AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TURN AND DURING THE TURN). ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN, I LOST ALL POWER, POWER STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. ALL OF THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WENT ON - CAR WAS DEAD. I WAS TRYING TO BRAKE AND STEER TO MISS COLLIDING WITH A PARKED CAR - TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR CAME TO A STOP ABOUT 1 FOOT FROM THE A PARKED CAR IN THE OPPOSITE LANE FROM WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NEITHER A WAITING MOTORIST NOR A PEDESTRIAN WALKING AT THE INTERSECTION, AS I MOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HIT THEM. WHILE IN THE WRONG LANE, FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION (BY ABOUT 30 DEGREES) I MANAGED TO START THE CAR IMMEDIATELY, BUT NOT WITHOUT AN ONCOMING MOTORIST HAVING TO GO AROUND ME. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TWICE IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR - I BROUGHT IT TO MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALER/SERVICE SHOP WHERE THEY FOUND "NOTHING" WRONG WITH IT. I DID MY OWN ONLINE RESEARCH, FINDING SIMILAR ISSUES AND A RECALL CITING PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR. MY DEALER REPLACED THAT PART- AND IT HAS BEEN RUNNING WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL THIS TUESDAY. WORTH MENTIONING: IN EACH INCIDENT, I WAS BRAKING FROM NO MORE THAN 30 MPH. I HAD AT LEAST 3/4 TANK OF GAS (THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I WAS LEAVING A GAS STATION!) *TR