2008 Volvo XC70

PRIOR TO A 165 MILE ROAD TRIP THE FUEL GAUGE READ 1/4 TANK - 120 MILES TO EMPTY. I FILLED THE TANK TO FULL BEFORE HEADING OUT. AFTER REFUELING, I CLOSED THE GAS CAP BUT FORGOT TO SHUT THE FUEL DOOR. THE FUEL DOOR OPEN ERROR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE FUEL GAUGE STILL READ 1/4 TANK - 120 MILES TO EMPTY. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF ROAD AND WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING SHUT THE FUEL DOOR. THE FUEL DOOR OPEN ERROR LIGHT WAS STILL LIT AND THE FUEL GAUGE DID NOT CHANGE. I DROVE TOWARDS HOME ON WINDING MOUNTAIN ROADS IN HIGH SPEED L.A. TRAFFIC. THE INDICATOR READ 50 MILES TO EMPTY AND THE LOW FUEL INDICATOR CAME ON EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS STILL 3/4 OF A TANK OF GAS. AT THE APPROXIMATELY 120 MILE MARK WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH IN 5 LANES OF FAST-MOVING L.A. TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER THROUGH 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND STOP SAFELY ON THE FREEWAY SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THE TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE FUEL DOOR OPEN INDICATOR REMAINED ON EVEN THOUGH I HAD CLOSED THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE MECHANIC WHO ROUTINELY SERVICES IT. I AM WAITING TO HEAR THE RESULT OF THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THE VEHICLE HAD STOPPED ON THE WINDING MOUNTAIN ROADS WITH NO SHOULDERS AND NO WAY FOR ME TO SAFELY EXIT THE FREEWAY. AT NO TIME DID ANY OTHER VEHICLE WARNINGS DISPLAY OTHER THAN FUEL DOOR OPEN. I PURCHASED A VOLVO FOR ITS IMPECCABLE SAFETY RECORD. THIS INCIDENT CERTAINLY DOES NOT LIVE UP TO THE STELLAR VOLVO REPUTATION. I HAD NO IDEA THAT DRIVING WITH THE FUEL DOOR OPEN ERROR DISPLAYED COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE STOPPING ON THE HIGHWAY EVEN THOUGH THE GAS TANK REALLY WAS 3/4 FULL AND NOT EMPTY AS THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED. THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE RECALLED AND OTHER DRIVERS MADE AWARE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MINOR NUISANCE BUT IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN ULTIMATELY.

DESPITE FUEL GAUGE READING OVER 1/4 TANK CAR STOPPED IN MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY AND NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION; THANKFULLY NO ONE HURT. DESPITE SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS ISSUE WITH 2008XC70 NO RECALL EVER ISSUED. SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS ISSUE TO NHTSA, I BELIEVE A RECALL IS APPROPRIATE DUE TO THE OBVIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS AND BECAUSE THIS ONLY HAPPENS TO THE 2008 MODEL- OBVIOUSLY IT WAS FIXED ON ALL THE FUTURE MODELS.

IN MAR, 2010 WHILE IN HEAVY SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC, CAR STALLED. MILEAGE INDICATOR SHOWED 245 MILES TO EMPTY. CAR TOWED TO VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS FOUND TANK WAS EMPTY AND FUEL SENSOR WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. IN MAR, 2012 ON INTERSTATE IN DRIVING RAIN CAR STALLED AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO SHOULDER BEFORE COMPLETE STOPPAGE. FUEL INDICATOR SHOWED 255 MILES TO EMPTY. AGAIN WE WERE OUT OF GAS. CAR TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM AND THEY REPORTED THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM. FUEL INDICATOR SEEMED TO WORK FINE AFTER THAT UNTIL AUG, 2013. ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY THE CAR BEGAN STALLING AGAIN. I GOT IT OFF THE MAJOR ROAD TO WAIT FOR AAA ASSISTANCE. FUEL INDICATOR SHOWED 245 MILES TO EMPTY BUT TANK WAS AGAIN EMPTY. VOLVO DEALERSHIP STATES IT WILL COST APPROX. $800 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITH FUEL SENSOR AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO QUOTE A POTENTIAL COST FOR THE REPAIR WITHOUT THE DIAGNOSIS. THE LOSS OF CONTROL WHEN CAR RUNS OUT OF GAS IS DANGEROUS AND TERRIFYING. EVEN IF WE COULD AFFORD THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, ESP. SINCE IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED IN 2010! *TR

MY 2008 VOLVO XC70 SPONTANEOUSLY ACCELERATED AS I PREPARED TO PARK. THIS HAPPENED ON TWO OCCASIONS SO FAR, AND I AM FRIGHTENED TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL AGAIN. THE EXPERIENCE IN BOTH CASES WAS ALMOST IDENTICAL. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD SUDDENLY AS I SLOWED THE CAR TO PARK IT. IN BOTH CASES, MY FOOT WAS DEPRESSED FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR ONLY ACCELERATED TO A FEW MILES PER HOUR, BUT BOTH TIMES THE CAR STOPPED ONLY ONCE IT COLLIDED: THE FIRST TIME WITH A FENCE, AND THE SECOND TIME WITH A PORCH. THE BRAKE WAS SEEMINGLY USELESS. A FIELD ENGINEER INSPECTED OUR CAR AFTER THE SECOND CRASH BUT CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. MY RESEARCH ONLINE HAS REVEALED THAT SUDDEN ACCELERATION IS AN ISSUE THAT VOLVO DID STRUGGLE WITH IN MANY OF THEIR EUROPEAN MODELS; HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO VOLVO, IT WAS LIKELY RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THEY RAN ON DIESEL FUEL. I HAVE FOUND ACCELERATION ISSUES LIKE MINE REPORTED WITH UNLEADED FUEL ENGINES IN THE US, BUT NEVER WITH A 2008 XC70. VOLVO HAS YET TO MAKE REPARATIONS AND WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT A CAR FOR A MONTH. *TR