Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Equipment complaints

2 reports

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85,000 miles · Feb 17, 2008

Electronic Stability Control (esc)Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentFire

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PURCHASED CAR IN DEC 2006. WITHIN FEW MONTHS, BEGAN TO NOTICE THE CAR WOULD LOSE SPEED ON HIGHWAY AND DROP TO A SPEED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 60-80KM/HR. BLACK SMOKE ROLLED OUT EXHAUST. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP (WHERE PREVIOUS OWNERS MAINTAINED CAR). SEVERAL FILTERS, SEALS, REPLACED. FEW MONTHS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM CONTINUED. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AND TOLD CAR NEEDED CATALYTIC CONVERTER. AFTER BEING TOLD THE COST, DEALERSHIP CALLED BACK TO SAY UNDER EMISSIONS WARRANTY. $1200 PART WAS COVERED BUT I PAID LABOR/OTHER PARTS. DEALER WAS ASKED ON BOTH OCCASIONS TO COMPLETE SERVICE DUE. FAILED TO COMPLETE THESE AS REQUESTED. PROBLEMS CONTINUED. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT ETS WAS GONE CAUSING THE CAR TO GO INTO LIMP MODE. REPAIRS DONE AT A COST OF ALL $2600.00. LESS THAN A YEAR, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON (THOUGH THERE WAS OIL IN THE CAR). THE CAR WAS TOWED TWO HOURS BACK HOME . WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT GARAGE THEY (LIKE TWO OTHERS BEFORE) TOLD ME TO VOLVO. WENT BACK TO VOLVO BUT NOT BEFORE I HAD TO PULL OVER AND BE TOWED AGAIN. THE ENGINE BEGAN SMOKING, THE CAR SHOOK VIOLENTLY, THE OIL LIGHT (WHICH VOLVO HAD LESS THAN TWO WEEKS BEFORE SAID WAS FINE) CAME ON...THE REPORT BACK FROM VOLVO IS THAT THE ETS IS GONE AGAIN BUT ALSO THAT THE ENGINE REQUIRED REPLACING ($6000 JOB). THIS WAS MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AGO AND MY CAR STILL SITS AT VOLVO WAITING FOR RESOLVE. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THE ONGOING ISSUES ARE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE NEED FOR A NEW ENGINE AND THAT VOLVO WAS NEGLIGENT IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITY (REPEATEDLY) TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. NOT ONLY AM I OUT THE $20 000.00 TO PURCHASE THE CAR ONLY TWO YEARS AGO, I AM OUT ABOUT $6000 FOR REPAIRS ALREADY COMPLETED AND AM NOW BEING TOLD IT WILL BE ANOTHER $6000 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10218283

64,098 miles · Dec 22, 2003

EquipmentTires

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2 REAR STUDDED TIRES (ROTATED ON ONLY 2 WEEKS PREVIOUSLY) DELAMINATED AS I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY. COINCIDENTAL VS RELATED DESTRUCTION OF U JOINT. LES SCHWAB TIRES WOULD ONLY PRORATE VALUE OF 2 TIRES, NOT PROVIDE 4 TIRES ALL ALIKE AS NEEDED ON AWD VEHICLE. ALSO DENIES SUCH INCIDENT COULD DAMAGE TRANSMISSION OR U JOINTS. CONCERN OTHER 2 TIRES ON CAR BOUGHT AT SAME TIME MAY ALSO BE DEFECTIVE AND NEED REPLACEMENT. CONCERN DEFECT WITH THEIR BRAND TO DELAMINATE LIKE THIS.*AK

NHTSA ODI #10050918

Official recalls

06V441000 · Vehicle Speed Control

Nov 15, 2006

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

04V504000 · Exterior Lighting:headlights:switch

Oct 21, 2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH MAY CEASE TO FUNCTION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE HEAD LIGHTS MAY NOT OPERATE PROPERLY WHICH COULD RESULT IN INTERMITTENT OR NO HEADLIGHT FUNCTION. THIS COULD IMPAIR A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: ON VEHICLES WITH AN ORIGINAL OEM SWITCH, DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. ALL OTHER VEHICLES WILL BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE IF THE SWITCH HAS EEN DAMAGED AND REPLACE ONLY IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 24, 2005. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA05021 · Throttle Control Malfunction

Opened Dec 6, 2005 · Closed Dec 12, 2006

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control

ON NOVEMBER 14, 2006 VOLVO SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING ETM FAILURES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 THROUGH 2001 VOLVO MODELS (NOT INCLUDING THE S40 AND V40), MY 2002 S60 AND V70 WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES AND MY 2002 V70S.ACCORDING TO VOLVO, ?A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.VOLVO FURTHER STATED THAT,THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES GOING INTO LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.?VOLVO INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE MOST SEVERE CONSEQUENCE OF AN ETM FAULT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE RECALL REMEDY IS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE INTRODUCED BY VOLVO ON MARCH 16, 2006 IN A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM.AT THE TIME OF THE NOTIFICATION 161,202 VEHICLES OF THE POPULATION OF 331,301 HAD ALREADY HAD THE SOFTWARE UPLOADED AND WERE THEREFORE NOT INCLUDED IN THE POPULATION COUNT OF THE RECALL. ODI?S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS TO ODI AND VOLVO, VOLVO FIELD REPORTS AND WARRANTY DATA FOUND THAT ETM FAILURE COULD RESULT IN (1) ENGINE STALL; (2) MECHANICAL LIMP MODE; (3) LUNGING FORWARD DURING LOW-SPEED DRIVING MANEUVERS; AND (4) FALTERING DURING HIGH SPEED MERGES OR WHEN CROSSING TRAFFIC.ODI IDENTIFIED 12 CRASHES RELATED TO ETM FAILURE, WITH 6 CAUSED BY LUNGING INCIDENTS, 3 CAUSED BY STALLING INCIDENTS, 2 CAUSED BY MECHANICAL LIMP MODE AND 1 FROM THE FALTERING CONDITION.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT DATA AND INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM CONSUMER INTERVIEWS IDENTIFIED 1,289 INCIDENTS WITH SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES (389.1 PER 100,000 VEHICLES), INCLUDING 479 INVOLVING ENGINE STALL (144.6 PER 100,000 VEHICLES) AND 729 INVOLVING MECHANICAL LIMP MODE (220.0 PER 100,000 VEHICLES).ODI'S ANALYSIS OF WARRANTY CLAIM NARRATIVE TEXT SHOWS AT LEAST 14,965 WARRANTY CLAIMS WITH CODES INDICATING AN ETM FAULT RESULTING IN VEHICLE OPERATION IN MECHANICAL LIMP MODE (4.5% OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES). VOLVO?S RECALL ADDRESSES ODI?S SAFETY CONCERNS WITH ETM FAILURES.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TO DETERMINE IF ADDITIONAL ACTION IS REQUIRED.THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

PE05041 · Throttle Control Malfunction

Opened Jul 26, 2005 · Closed Dec 7, 2005

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control

PE05-041 WAS OPENED ON JULY, 26, 2005, BASED ON 136 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS TO ODI ALLEGING THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI HAS NOW RECEIVED 591 COMPLAINTS OF ETM FAILURES WHICH ALLEGE SYMPTOMS WITH POTENTIAL SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES.THESE INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE STALL, VEHICLE SURGING FORWARD WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT, VEHICLE HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION AND SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED TRANSITION INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE OPERATION (LIMP MODE).VOLVO SUBMITTED OVER 2,900 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE ETM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DURING PE05-041.ODI'S PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 55 PERCENT WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ABOVE.ODI IS CONTINUING ITS ASSESSMENT OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS. IN NOVEMBER 2005, TO RESOLVE AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD, VOLVO ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY COVERAGE TO 10 YEARS / 200,000 MILES FOR THE ETM IN APPROXIMATELY 356,000 MODEL YEAR 1999 THROUGH 2002 PASSENGER CARS SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.UNDER VOLVO'S POLICY, VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE ETM FAILURES WILL RECEIVE A VARIETY OF REPAIRS INCLUDING ETM CLEANING, REPROGRAMMING THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND/OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ETM. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-021) TO CONTINUE TO ASSESS THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF ETM FAILURES IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.