2004 Volvo XC70

NOTICED A SEVERE CHANGE FOR THE WORSE IN THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF MY VOLVO XC 70 AWD VEHICLE. LOST AWD CAPABILITY, CONFIRMED BY FRONT WHEELS SLIPPING IN LIGHT SNOW. DEALER INSPECTION IDENTIFIED FAILED ANGLE GEAR AND COUPLER, REPAIR PRICE $2500.00 NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. OWNER REPLACED ANGLE GEAR WITH REBUILD UNIT FROM SALVAGE AND A NEW COUPLER.

COMPLAINT CENTERS ON A 2004 VOLVO XC70. AFTER A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF ONLINE RESEARCH, I FIND THAT THERE ARE MANY OWNERS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. RECENTLY, AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE PAST INITIAL "WARM-UP" STAGE AN ELECTRONIC ANOMALY OCCURS AT RANDOM INTERVALS, AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 1 - 65 MPH. THE ANOMALY ALWAYS INVOLVES A SUDDEN "JOLT" AS IF THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED, AND IS ALSO CHARACTERIZED BY VARIOUS OTHER ELECTRONIC OCCURRENCES. THESE CAN INCLUDE "LEFT REAR DOOR OPEN" LIGHT, ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER TURNING ON, "SRS AIRBAG" URGENT MESSAGE, "BRAKE FAILURE" NOTIFICATION, AND LOSS OF ALL DASHBOARD INSTRUMENTATION INCLUDING LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS. ANY ONE OF THESE OCCURRENCES ARE AN IMMEDIATE ATTENTION-GRABBER WHILE BEHIND THE WHEEL AND CREATE A SITUATION DETRIMENTAL TO SAFE VEHICLE OPERATION. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE IS NOW AT AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER FOR THE SECOND TIME (HAD TO BE TOWED THE FIRST TIME) FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP PERFORMED SOFTWARE UPDATE FIRST VISIT WHICH DID NOT FIX PROBLEM. NOW DEALERSHIP THINKS IT MAY BE CENTRAL ELECTRONICS MODULE, A $1000+ FIX, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC70. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED FOR APPROXIMATELY FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE FAILURE AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. SHE THEN CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND THEY WERE WILLING TO TAKE THE LIABILITY FOR A PORTION OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,544 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A VIOLENT JERK WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THERE WAS ALSO A FAILURE WITH THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL AFTER SHE TRIED TO DECELERATE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITHIN THE ABS MODULE AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS FOR THE ABS MODULE HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000. UPDATED 02/07/11 *BF UPDATED 02/14/11

THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE OF MY VEHICLE (WHICH HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS) ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS VOLVO RECALL. HOWEVER, MY XC70 IS A 2004 BUT IS HAVING THIS IDENTICAL ISSUE. (A SOFTWARE GLITCH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 11,993 VOLVO MODELS BEING RECALLED BY THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION (NHTSA). THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDES MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 S80 MODELS, 2010 S60 MODELS, 2009-2010 XC70 MODELS, AND THE 2010 XC60, ALL RUNNING FAULTY SOFTWARE IN THEIR CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULES (CEM). ACCORDING TO NHTSA, THE SIGNAL FROM THE CEM MAY FAIL TO REACH THE FUEL PUMP ELECTRONIC MODULE (PEM), INHIBITING THE FUEL FROM REACHING THE ENGINE EVEN AS THE VEHICLE'S THROTTLE IS DEPRESSED. NORMALLY, THIS WOULD JUST RESULT IN AN ENGINE THAT FAILS TO START. HOWEVER, RESIDUAL PRESSURE IN THE SYSTEM MAY ALLOW THE VEHICLES IN QUESTION TO DRIVE A SHORT DISTANCE BEFORE THE ENGINE QUITS... AND IF THE VEHICLE STALLS IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS, A CRASH COULD OCCUR.) I TOOK MY CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO REPLACE THE CEM AT A COST OF $1200.00 AND THAT THEY WANTED ME TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE NOT EVEN SURE THIS WOULD FIX MY PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC70. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V483000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: FUEL PUMP). THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL. THE CONTACT TRAVELED 55 MILES EACH WAY AND UPON ARRIVAL AT THE DEALER, SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE PART WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM ON A SEPARATE OCCASION WITH THE SAME DEALER. THE THIRD ATTEMPT FOR THE RECALL REPAIR; THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT DEALER WHERE THE RECALL REMEDY WAS PERFORMED; HOWEVER, AFTER THE REPAIR FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE ONTO THE GROUND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THAT THE DEALER WOULD CORRECT THE RECALL REMEDY REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.