1999 Volvo V70xc complaints

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM FAILED CAUSING AUTO TO STALL AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, REPLACED SYSTEM, NOW THROTTLE SYSTEM CAUSES AUTO TO SURGE FORWARD MAKING THE AUTO HARD TO CONTROL

ANTI LOCK BREAK SYSTEM FAILS INTERMITENTLY, WHEN THE SYSTEM FAILS TO ABS DOES NOT WORK, ALSO CAUSES CRUISE CONTROL TO STOP WORKING

SPEED CONTROL SENSOR FAILED INTERMITENTLY ONE DAY, CAUSING THE AUTO BECOME SLUGGISH AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMOTER TO STOP BREIFLY

1999 VOLVO V70 XC DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM. *MR RECALL CAMPAIGN#10131400. WHILE IN MOTION THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE ETS LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED. *SC

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS TWO VOLVOS, A 1999 CROSS-COUNTRY AND A 1998 CROSS-COUNTRY. VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER DUE TO THE FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM (ETS). *AK

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ETM FAILURE IN 1999 VOLVO XC70 VIN [XXX] 64189 MILES AT FAILURE. THROTTLE IN CAR WOULD SURGE / CUT OUT AT SPEED FOR WEEK LEADING UP TO FAILURE. ETM LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NOT GO OFF. ETM UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED TO FIX PROBLEM $970. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURES. MY 1999 VOLVO V70XC SPUTTERED AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS I WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC IN JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. IN THAT MOMENT THE CAR WOULD BARELY MOVE, REGARDLESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION. I WAS LEFT BROADSIDE AGAINST TWO LANES OF ONCOMING CARS. THE CAR WOULD ONLY MOVE, LURCHING, AT WALKING PACE. AFTER NEARLY BEING HIT BY THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC, I TRIED SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, TO NO AVAIL, AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO "DRIVE" SLOWLY AND SPUTTERING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INTO THE NEXT PARKING LOT WHERE THE CAR HAD TO BE ABANDONED SINCE IT WAS UNDRIVEABLE IN TRAFFIC. RETURNING TO THE CAR LATER, A RESTART ELICITED THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER ANOTHER RESTART THE CAR OPERATED NORMALLY UNTIL ABOUT 20 MILES LATER WHEN IT FAILED AGAIN. AT THE TIME, MY CAR HAD ABOUT 80K MILES. THE REPAIR, DIAGNOSED BY THE VOLVO DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, WAS TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM), WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED BY MARELLI. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A FAMILIAR ISSUE ON THESE CARS TO MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALER. THE PRICE QUOTED FOR THE REPAIR WAS $1,200. I HAVE THE FAILED ETM IN MY POSSESSION. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND, I AM NOW AWARE, A KNOWN DEFECT (UNFORGIVABLE ON A CAR COSTING NEARLY $40,000). VOLVO SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THESE POORLY DESIGNED PARTS ON ALL 1999-2001 VOLVOS, AND REIMBURSE OWNERS WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR THE REPLACEMENT. (I NOW KNOW THAT VOLVO HAS REDESIGNED THE PART ON

MY 1999 VOLVO V70 XC SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THROTTLE CONTROL WHILE TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR. LUCKILY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN WHAT WERE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CIRCUMSTANCES. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND THEN COAST DOWNHILL TO FIND A SAFE AREA IN WHICH TO PARK. THE ETC WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. I WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN POWER AND THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED 20 MILES TO PIONEER VALLEY VOLVO IN SOUTH DEERFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. THE CAR HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED.*JB

DT: VEHICLE STALLED/DIED, AND LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. *AK

FROM FEBRUARY 2004 TO APRIL 2005, I HAVE HAD VARIOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY 1999 VOLVO XC70 AND HAVE LITTLE HELP FROM THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN THE MATTER. I TWICE HAD TO CALL AAA BECAUSE I STALLED MY CAR AT SCHOOL. ORIGINALLY, I THOUGHT IT MAY BE AN IGNITION PROBLEM, BUT AFTER TWO TRIPS TO JIM CULLIGAN, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A STEERING CONMPONENT PROBLEM. FURTHERMORE, AS THE RECORDS AT JIM CULLIGAN WILL CLEARLY DOCUMENT (AND MY OWN), I CAME BACK WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND TOLD THEM SO, BUT THEY SAID MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. ALL TOLD, I PROBABLY SPENT CLOSE TO $1500 ON THIS PROBLEM BY THE MANUFACTURE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. SHE EXPERIENCED THREE MONTH OF IMPEDED PERFORMANCE. THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE WAS PRUDENTIALLY HAZARDOUS. MANUFACTURER SHOULD DO A RECALL AND PAY THE ASSOCIATED EXPENSES. THE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED/ LOST POWER DUE TO THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTIONING. *AK

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE (ETM) HAS FAILED AFTER A RECENT INSPECTION BY DEALER. NOW $1200 ESTIMATE TO FIX PROBLEM. WARRANTY IS FOR 6 YEARS, 100K MILES. ONLY 93K ON CAR BUT DEALER STATES WARRANTY EXPIRED IN FEBRUARY. LOTS OF REPORTS OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *JB

FAILED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MECHANISM; FAILED FOR MY WIFE IN TRAFFIC. SHE WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND GET HOME. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR OUT TO CHECK ON THE SYMPTOMS IS COMPLETELY DIED(STALLED) WHILE I WAS STARTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN(ACROSS ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE) INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART AND GET OUT OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. THIS FAILURE CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. THANK YOU. *JB

I OWN A 1999 VOLVO V70 XC. THE CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED AND STALLED. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT AND DRIVE IT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM) HAS FAILED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I AM TOLD THAT IF I DO NOT REPLACE THIS PART, $1000+ REPAIR, THAT THE CAR CAN EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN STALL AGAIN. DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND TALKING TO THE MECHANIC IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN VOLVO'S. IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY OF FAILURE AND SERIOUSNESS OF POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES VOLVO WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THE ETM PROBLEM A LONG TIME AGO. THANK YOU. *NM

MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING IN OUR VOLVO V70XC (1999) ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN IT STALLED SUDDENLY. SHE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS UNABLE TO RE-START THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED PLENTY OF FUEL SO RUNNING OUT OF GAS WAS RULED OUT. SHE CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED FUEL PUMP & INJECTOR. THE FUEL PUMP AND INJECTOR WERE REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1800. WITHIN 3 DAYS IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A VOLVO DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $1200. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT STALL ANY MORE, BUT AFTER $3000 IN REPAIRS, IT HAS AN ERRATIC IDLE WHICH IS AN ANNOYANCE. I READ AN ARTICLE AUG 01, 2005 (AP ONLINE VIA COMTEX) WHERE OTHERS WHERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WHEN OUR VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARNING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. NOT TO MENTION THE $3000 IN REPAIRS! *NM

I AM WRITING AFTER SEEING A NEWS ARTICLE ON COMPLAINTS AGAINST VOLVO. I OWNED A 1999 XC V70 (WHICH I JUST TRADED) [XXX] TWICE SIMPLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO GET THE CAR TO GO FASTER THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR. THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED SOMETIME IN 2003, WAS REPAIRED, AND THEN FAILED AGAIN IN JUNE OF 2005. AFTER SPENDING AROUND $1,000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM I TRADED THE CAR IN. I COMPLAINED TO VOLVO SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE. *NM UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

"SERVICE ENGINE SOON" (SES) LIGHT CAME ON RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH 55000 MILES ON ODOMETER. CALL TO VOLVO INDICATED THAT THIS USUALLY MEANT THAT THE ETM (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE) NEEDS CLEANING. CALL LOCAL INDEPENDANT VOLVO MECHANIC. HE HAD ME CHECK THE COLOR OF THE LABEL ON ETM. SAID THAT I HAD THE ORIGINAL ETM AND THAT CLAING DOES NO GOOD, ETM NEEDS REPLACED AS HE HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE MANY TIMES. HAD INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACE ETM AT A COST OF ~$800. FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON INTERNET FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON OCCURANCE. ALSO NOTED THAT I HAD PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH CAR AND THAT THE WARRANTY EXPLICITLY EXLUDED ETM....COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT.....THE ETM FAILURE IS NOT ONLY A SAFETLY HAZZARD (CAR CAN NOT GO > 20MPH WHEN SES COMES ON..) BUT FOR A CAR OF THE ALLEDGED QUALITY OF A VOLVO TO HAVE A PRT SUCH AS A THROTTLE MODULE GO BAD AT 55000 MILES IS CRAZY. IN ADDITION IT APPEARS THAT THE REPLACEMENT ETM WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE...NOTE THAT THE VIN OF THIS VEHICLE IS [XXX], 1999 VOLVO V70-XC. UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

MY CAR STARTED RIDING ROUGH IN ABOUT 2003. RPM'S JUMP, CAR THRUSTS LIKE A GAS SURGE. THIS CAN OCCUR WHILE ON HIGHWAY SPEED OR WHILE IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CAR WAS SERVICED AND REPAIRED, BUT THEN THE PROBLEM CAME BACK (AFTER THE SERVICE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY). VOLVO HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM SUFFICIENTLY, BUT I HAVE BEEN TOLD THEY ARE RELATED TO MASS AIR CONTROL, THROTTLE CONTROL, AND OXYGEN SENSOR. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT VOLVOVILLE AGAIN FOR SERVICE OF THIS PROBLEM. *NM

HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, RECENTLY REPLACED AS A RECALL, WITHIN ONE WEEK OF BEING REPLACED UNDER RECALL THE SWITCH FAILED AGAIN. WE WERE DRIVING IN MOUTAINS WITH FAMILY WHEN THE HEADLLIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS NO LONGER WORKED.

RECENTLY I BOUGHT A USED VOLVO- 1999 V70 XC. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, THE ETS LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $1000 TO REPLACE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS NOT ONLY AFFECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT COULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE AND THE CAR TO SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING. THE PART IT WOULD BE A REPLACED WITH WAS THE EXACT SAME PART THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM THAT COULD OCCUR. THE LOCAL MECHANIC CANNOT FIX IT. IT MUST BE DONE BY A DEALER. I WROTE TO VOLVO WITH NO RESPONSE. I MET OTHERS ONLINE WHO IS TRYING TO LOBBY THE COMPANY FOR A REDESIGN AND A RECALL. THIS IS NOT A CONVENIENCE ISSUE, BUT A SAFETY ONE. VOLVO FIGURES MOST AFFLUENT OWNERS OF NEW VOLVOS WOULD HAVE TRADED UP TO A NEW ONE ALREADY. AND IS IGNORING THOSE SUBJECT TO BUYING IN THE SECONDARY MARKET. PLEASE ASK VOLVO TO INVESTIGATE THIS AND ISSUE A RECALL. I RECENTLY TRADED THE CAR IN FOR A NON-VOLVO CAR. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER VOLVO EVER AGAIN. BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS TO TRADE UP TO A NEW CAR, I AM STILL WRITING TO GET REDRESS FOR THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU.

PENDING PROBLEM. 1999 VOLVO XC70 USES A DRIVE-BY-WIRE THROTTLE. THE THROTTLE BODY MODULE IS PRONE TO FAILURE AND WHICH LEADS TO UNINTENDED ACCELARATION OR LOSS OF ACCELARATION CONTROL. EARLY FAILURE IS INDICATED WITH ENGINE SURGING FROM 500 TO 1000 RPM, CYCLING BACK AND FORTH.*AK

WHILE PULLING ONTO AN EXIT RAMP AT 45 MPH THERE WAS AN OVERHEATING SMELL IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE, FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE STALLING. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP FROM THE EXIT RAMP THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE ENGINE SEVERELY OVERHEATED, THE EXPANSION TANK AND ENGINE COVER MELTED, AND THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING AT THE SIDE TANK. RADIATOR LOOKED LIKE IT WAS DEFECTIVE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THIS FAILURE WAS RELATED TO COOLING FAN RECALL 04V451000, BUT THE VIN IS NOT INCLUDED.*AK...........*AK

CAR STALLED WITHOUT WARNING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. FOUND TO BE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO HAVING THE THROTTLE CABLE SNAP. IT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND VOLVO KNOWS ABOUT IT BUT REFUSES TO 'FESS UP. LUCKILY WE WERE UNHURT BUT THIS PROBLEM IS PERVASIVE AND DEMANDS ATTENTION. *NM

I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED BY MY VOLVO DEALER (DON BEYER VOLVO, FALLS CHURCH, VA) DURING ROUTINE SERVICE THAT THERE IS AN INTERNAL FAULT IN THE ABS MODULE IN MY 1999 VOLVO V70 WAGON. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THIS PROSPECTIVE REPAIR IS $951. I UNDERSTAND FROM CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER 1999 AND 2000 VOLVO OWNERS, AS WELL AS A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM WITH VOLVO'S DURING THIS PRODUCTION PERIOD. SINCE THE ABS CONTROL MODULE DOES NOT DETERIATE FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT, INSTEAD IS A COMPUTER BASED SYSTEM WHICH SHOULD LAST MUCH LONGER THAN 3 OR 4 YEARS, I AM REQUESTING YOUR ORGANIZATION TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THIS PROBLEM IS A LATENT DEFECT AND SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL AND PAID FOR BY THE MANUFACTURER.

THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON MY 1999 V70 XC FAILED WHILE DRIVING CAUSING MY HEADLIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERABLE AT NIGHT WHEN SWITCHED TO THE "ON" POSITION. WHILE NO CRASH OCCURRED, THERE ARE OBVIOUS SAFETY RISKS INVOLVED WITH A SUDDENT LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC HOUSING CONTAINING THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAD CRACKED WITH ALLOWED THE UNIT TO SEPARATE. I HAVE SUBSTANTIAL ANECTODAL EVIDENCE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD ON 1999 V70 AND S70 MODELS ON VARIOUS INTERNET BULLETIN BOARDS. *AK

MY ABS/TRAC DASH LIGHTS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY COMING ON, INDICATING THAT THE ABS IS NO LONGER WORKING. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH NEWER (LATE 1990'S AND ON) VOLVOS DUE TO A FAULTY ABS COMPUTER MODULE AND VOLVO ISN'T COVERING THE REPAIRS UNDER A RECALL. THE COST OF THE MODULE IS $500 (NOT INCLUDING LABOR COSTS). I'M REQUESTING NHTSA CONTACT VOLVO HEADQUARTERS TO DEMAND A RECALL ON THIS HINDERING ABS SAFETY PROBLEM. *JB

I WAS DRIVING A 1999 VOLVO V70XC AND ENTERING AN INTERSECTION FROM A STOPPED POSITION. I WAS HIT BY A DODGE DURANGO, WHICH WAS MOVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THE DURANGO HIT THE VOLVO V70XC AT THE LOCATION OF THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR. THE HIT WAS DISPLACED OVER THE ENTIRE DRIVERS DOOR OF THE VOLVO, BOTH "A" & "B" PILLARS WERE COMPROMISED. THE VOLVO IS EQUIPPED WITH SIDE IMPACT AIR BAGS AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, BUT THE FRONT AIR BAG DID, WITH NO HIT TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VOLVO'S DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS CRUSHED AND PUSHED APPROXIMATELY 6 TO 8" TOWARD THE DRIVER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE. FURTHERMORE, A TECHNICIAN SPECIALIST REPRESENTING VOLVO NORTH AMERICA, AFTER MUCH DELAY, RECENTLY EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AT A LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP. AFTERWARDS, VOLVO NORTH AMERICA FORMALLY RESPONDED, IN WRITING, THAT THE 1999 VOLVO V70XC PERFORMED ACCORDING TO DESIGN. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I PURCHASED THE VOLVO FOR IT'S PROMOTED SAFETY FEATURES AND I AM DISAPPOINTED THE SIDE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED ABOVE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE VOLVO TO SUBSTANTIATE THE VALIDITY OF CLAIM AND DESCRIBE, IN DETAIL, UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES A CONSUMER COULD EXPECT THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. IT WOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED THAT VOLVO INTRODUCE THIS INFORMATION INTO THEIR SALES AND MARKETING PROGRAM SO THAT PROSPECTIVE BUYER WOULD HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PROMOTED SIDE-AIR BAG ONLY RESPONDS UNDER CONDITIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ONLY 34,000 MILES. REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON AUTOMOBILE AND TIRES. TRANSMISSION BEING REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. HEARD OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS FAILURE AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. WONDER IF WILL HAPPEN AGAIN NEAR SAME 30,000 MILE INTERVAL AFTER MY WARRANTY IS UP DUE TO FAULTY EQUIPMENT. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT CONSUMER HAS GOTTEN FROM VOLVO. FIRST VEHICLE WAS LEAVING A PUDDLE OF GAS. SO DEALER GAVE CONSUMER ANOTHER VEHICLE OF THE SAME IDENITY. BOTH WERE BRAND NEW. ALSO, A LEAK DEVELOPED UNDER THE SECOND VEHICLE. CONSUMER FEELS ITS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT MAY START A FIRE IF SOMEONE DROPS A MATCH BESIDE VEHICLE.*AK