Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports

Service Brakes complaints

2 reports

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134,000 miles · May 1, 2013

EngineService BrakesSteering

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I OWN A 2001 XC 70 VOLVO WHICH I JUST BOUGHT WITH 133900 MILES LAST FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2013. THE DEALER SHOWED ME THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS INCLUDING A 3 MONTH OLD CALIFORNIA SAFETY INSPECTION REPORT. ON APRIL 27, 2013, I WAS DRIVING ON A DOWNHILL STRETCH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CAR ENGINE LOST POWER, KICKED LIKE IT WANTED TO JUMP AHEAD OF ME, ALL INDICATOR LIGHTS FLASHED, AND THE CAR STALLED AND SHUT DOWN RENDERING THE BRAKE AND STEERING SYSTEM INOPERABLE. I HAD NO MEANS TO CONTROL THE CAR AS IT ROLLED DOWN HILL. I ENGAGED THE REVERSE GEAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STOP. I CALLED DEALER RIGHT AWAY. HE TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO HIS MECHANIC THE FOLLOWING MONDAY ON 04/29/2013. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND TEST-DROVE IT AND COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. HE PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER TEST AND GOT AN ERROR MESSAGE INDICATING AN AIR INTAKE PROBLEM. HE ASKED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE THE FOLLOWING MORNING SO HE CAN TEST DRIVE IT MORE AND FIND OUT MORE. WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE PROBLEM RECURRED AGAIN, THIS TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREEWAY. IT WAS DANGEROUS...LUCKILY I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, SO IMMEDIATELY I COASTED TO THE SIDE, WITH MY HAZARDS LIGHTS ON AND PULLED TO THE SIDE WHERE THE VEHICLE STOPPED ITSELF. IMAGINE DRIVING 80MPH ON A CALIFORNIA FREEWAY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE VEHICLE LOSES POWER, THE ENGINES KICK JUMPS, AND WITHOUT YOUR INPUT, ATTEMPTS TO ENGAGE A HIGHER GEAR BUT THEN STALLS AND IMMEDIATELY SHUTS DOWN AND THE BRAKES AND THE STEERING WHEEL JAMS.. THAT IS NOT SAFETY. AS I AWAIT FOR THE MECHANIC TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. A CAR THAT PASSES A SAFETY INSPECTION TEST SHOULD NOT BE ABRUPTLY SHUTTING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AND RENDER THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND STEERING WHEEL INOPERABLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10510314

76,000 miles · Jun 2, 2012

Service Brakes

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I NOTICED A HISSING NOISE COMING FROM MY BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER HAS INFORMED ME THAT IT IS THE BRAKE BOOSTER, BUT THAT IT IS NOT A PART THAT NEEDED REPLACING. HOWEVER, 18 MONTHS LATER THE BRAKES ARE NOT RESPONDING AT INITIAL PRESSURE. THE CAR IS ALSO HESITATING AT ACCELERATION AND STALLING AT IDLE, MAKING THE CAR A SAFETY ISSUE. I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM AS THE INTERNET IS LOADED WITH MESSAGE BOARDS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE. I AM SURPRISED THAT ONLY ONE OTHER OWNER HAS FILED A COMPLAINT. I ASKED ANOTHER MECHANIC, NOT WITH VOLVO, FOR A SECOND OPINION. HE WAS SURPRISED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AS THIS IS MOST UNCOMMON. FOR THE SAFETY ISSUE I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ITEM. I CANNOT BELIEVE OTHERS HAVE PAID $1,200 FOR A REPAIR TO A PART THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED IN THE FIRST PLACE. VOLVO SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBLILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART. THE RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10460351

Official recalls

04V451000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:cooling System:fan

Sep 13, 2004

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS, SOME ELECTRIC COOLING FANS MAY OVERHEAT POTENTIALLY CAUSING HEAT DAMAGE AND, IN RARE INSTANCES, A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE COOLING FAN. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 29, 2004. CUSTOMERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS 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.