2001 Volvo V70XC

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2001 VOLVO XC V70. SINCE THE SECOND OR THIRD DAY OF OWNERSHIP I HAVE HAD ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. THE CAR WILL OFTEN IDLE VERY LOW AND THEN DIE, AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, SOMETIMES IT WON'T RESTART FOR A WHILE. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL START, IDLE UP TO ABOUT 2000 RPMS THEN DIE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR USUALLY WON'T START FOR HOURS. THE CAR OFTEN LURCHES FORWARD WHEN IT IS DOWNSHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND AND 2ND TO 1ST GEARS. THE IDLE SPEED WILL JUMP AS IT IS DOWNSHIFTING, OFTEN CAUSING BRIEF LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY FRIGHTENING PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. WHEN ANY OF THESE ISSUES ARE OCCURING WITH THE VEHICLE, IT MAKES DRIVING A VERY TENSE AND FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. IN ADDITION, THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DETECTED WITH AN ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTIC TEST (WHICH THE VOLVO DEALER CHARGES A MINIMUM $108 "DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE"). VOLVO KNOWS THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE ETM. PLEASE HOLD THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I KNOW THERE ARE MANY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THEIR CARS.

TRAVELING ON LOCAL ROAD, LOST POWER GOING UP HILL. WITHIN SECONDS CAR COMPLETELY DEAD. SOME ALARMING MESSAGE CAME ON, LIKE "TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE" WITH THE EXCLAMATION POINT IN RED. CAR WOULD NOT START. CALLED VOLVO ON CALL AND WAS TOWED AFTER WAITING AN HOUR ON ROAD. NO SHOULDER ON ROAD. PAID $1300 TO HAVE ETM REPLACED BY VOLVO SERVICE IN WESTPORT, CT. NOT TOLD THAT THIS WAS VERY COMMON PART THAT NEEDED REPLACING.. ONLY FOUND OUT AFTER A WEB SEARCH. *NM

I AM A CAR DEALER AND I JUST PURCHASED A 2001 VOLVO V70 CROSS COUNTRY WITH 57,400 MILES AT AUCTION FOR MY CAR LOT. THE CAR HAD A BAD BRAKE BOOSTER AND THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY MIDAS. THE BRAKE BOOSTER SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED ALREADY. I CALLED VOLVO AND THE WARRANTY ENDED AT 50,000 MILES AND THERE IS NO RECALL CAMPAIGN. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT IN THE HOPE THAT YOU WILL GET ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO FORCE A RECALL. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A BRAKE BOOSTER FAIL ON A CAR WITH SO FEW MILES AND I BUY AND SELL A LOT OF CARS HERE AT MY DEALERSHIP. *NM

I WAS IN HEAVY COMMUTE TRAFFIC, GOING ABOUT 60 MPH, WHEN MY VOLVO CROSS COUNTRY [2001] SUDDENLY LOST POWER. AFTER TOWING, I WAS TOLD THAT MY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE HAD FAILED. THE REPLACEMENT COST WAS ABOUT $1100. SUBSEQUENTLY, I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THIS IS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND A CLASS ACTION IS FILED IN CA. I HAD NO EARLIER PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE, AND HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED MY CAR. I HOPE THAT YOUR INVESTIGATION IS FRUITFUL, AS THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. MY SITUATION COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ONE OR MORE FATALITIES. *NM

TRAVELING ALONG I10 I JUST CROSSED THE LA BORDER INTO TEXAS IN MY 2001 VOLVO CROSS COUNTRY WITH 60,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR GIVES ME A MESSAGE OF PERFORMANCE REDUCED AND SLOWS TO 10 MILES AN HOUR. THIS IS CONSIDERED A LIMP MODE AS I LEARNED LATER. I WAS IN LA TAKING A FRIEND OUT OF NEW ORLEANS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA. TRAFFIC ON I10 WAS FILLED WITH MILITARY AND SEMI TRACTORS. I PUT ON MY FLASHERS AND WENT 10 MILES AN HOUR FOR SOME TIME UNTIL I COULD GET TO AN EXIT IN BEAUMONT, TX. I PULLED OVER ON A SIDE STREET AND THE CAR DIED ALTOGETHER. I WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION AND HOOKED UP TO A COMPUTER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY UNIT AND I WOULD NEED TO BE TOWED TO HOUSTON TO THE DEALER. THE FOLLOWING CODES WERE EXHIBITED ON MY CARS COMPUTER - ECM-9150 "THROTTLE UNIT INTERNAL FAULT" ECM 9160 SAME ECM- 904C "MIL REQUESTED BY THROTTLE UNIT" ECM 904D "PEDAL SENSOR FAULT" ECM 982A "CONTROL MODULE INTERNAL FAULT" AND ECM 903F THROTTLE UNIT INTERNAL FAULT. BOTH THE MECHANIC IN BEAUMONT AND THE VOLVO STAFF AT THE DEALER ADMITTED THEY SEE THIS OFTEN. I CALLED VOLVO TODAY AND THEY ADMITTED THAT AN INVESTIGATION WAS PENDING. I WANT MY CASE NOTED AS MYSELF AND MY FRIEND I WAS EVACUATING FROM NEW ORLEANS WERE IN GREAT DANGER AS WE LIMPED ALONG I10 IN POST HURRICANE TRAFFIC. JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE WE HAD TRAVELED FROM BATON ROUGE IN THE DARK OVER I10 WHICH IS AN ELEVATED HIGHWAY OVER THE SWAPS. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF WE HAD BROKEN DOWN THEN. VOLVO COULD NOT ASSURE ME THAT THE NEW PART THEY PUT IN FOR NEARLY $1200 WOULD NOT FAIL IN THE FUTURE. I BOUGHT THE CAR BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF THE SAFEST I COULD DRIVE MY FAMILY IN. I AM NOT SO SURE AT THIS POINT IF I MADE A GOOD CHOICE.*JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR VOLVO XC (2001) BACK FROM THE GROCERY STORE. IN EXITING THE STORE PARKING LOT SHE HAD MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO RT. 24W IN MENDHAM, NJ FROM A STOP SIGN. AS SHE GOT ON TO THE SINGLE LANE HIGHWAY THE CAR STALLED LEAVING HER WITHOUT POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF A SINGLE LANE HIGHWAY WITH OUR 2 YEAR OLD SON IN THE BACK SEAT. INCOMING TRAFFIC SUDDENLY HAD TO COME TO A STOP IN ORDER NOT TO HIT HER CAR. SHE WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND RESTART IT AND MAKE THE 5 MINUTE TRIP BACK HOME. THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE SLIGHT INCLINE UP THE DRIVEWAY. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND TAKE IT TO THE VOLVO DEALER. ALL ALONG THE TRIP THE FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL ANY MINUTE. I KEPT A CONSTANT SPEED AND DID NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION OR PASSING. AFTER THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT LOOKED AT THE CAR I WAS INFORMED THAT THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST ME $1004.52. (I KEPT THE REPAIR INVOICE) THE CAR HAD 56157 MILES ON IT AND HAD JUST COME OFF THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. I CALLED VOLVO NORTH AMERICA TO COMPLAIN AND THEY SAID SOMEBODY WOULD GET BACK TO ME. I THEN GOT A CALL FROM THE DEALER. APPARENTLY VOLVO PASSED THE BUCK THE DEALER AND ALL THEY TOLD ME WAS THAT THEY SIMPLY REPAIRED MY CAR. AFTER READING ABOUT YOUR PROBE OF VOLVO CARS SPECIFIC TO THE KIND OF PROBLEM WE HAD I DECIDED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *NM