Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 280001 | 09/01/1998 | 601976 | A new spark plug with improved specifications, introduced into production during october 1997 for all 5 cylinder naturally aspirated engines.. *yc | 09/01/1998 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||||
| 0015 | 12/01/2001 | 627799 | B+cable, battery-to-fuse box, replacement. *yd | 02/25/2002 | |
| 3370001 | 06/01/1999 | 605938 | Information describing how to replace positive battery cable and alternator cable separately. *tt | 08/02/1999 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||||
| 2334 | 08/27/2004 | 23034 | 620152 | Enhanced inspection / maintenance (i/m) programs. this bulletin addresses characteristics of the 1996 volvo model 850 and 1996 - 1997 volvo model 960. for these vehicles, incomplete readiness codes will not inhibit the obd ii system fro | 07/19/2001 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 07/28/2005 | 93240 | 2 | 11/18/2004 |
| Engine stalled leaving me stranded in an intersection in rush hour traffic. engine would not restart. police officer had to push me off the street because car would not restart. dealer still has not identified the problem. *nm | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 96300 | 20 | 04/01/1999 |
| 98 volvo s70; experiencing a loss of power and stalling; i've had two mechanics look at my vehicle and no one can pin point the problem. i went to my local dealership, dick dyer volvo on august 2nd and they can not look at my car until august 19th. as a mother of a young child, it is frightening to pull out into heavy traffic. i emailed corporate volvo on 8/3/05 and haven't received a response. this had been a recurring problem since feb 05; about every 1-2 weeks my car will stall when i begin to slow down at a light. *jb | |||
| 01/15/2005 | 117000 | 5 | 10/30/1998 |
| Dt: the vehicle was losing power, it shuts down. usually it will start back. can cut across traffic, and it will just stall. took it to the dealer many times, and they could not duplicate the problem. they put different parts on it to narrow down the problem. there is no power steering after it stalls. back in january the turbo went it out and they replaced it. the vehicle was still skipping. this started happening around january 15, 2005. *nm the abs control module was replaced. *jb | |||
| 10/11/2004 | 113500 | 2 | 07/24/1997 |
| Abs/tracs failure. *nm | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 10002 | 4 | |
| When the vehicle was being driven, the abs light illuminated. the vehicle has had this problem more than three times in the last three weeks. there was a technical service bulletin concerning this problem. *jb the warning lights indicated a problem with the abs and the 4 tracking system. the consumer suggested that this might not have been valid due to a possible defect in the electrical module. *sc *jb | |||
| 05/01/2001 | 3 | 02/22/2001 | |
| I purchased a 1998 s70 volvo from suburban volvo in troy michigan. i took the car in for repairs for the air conditioning before the warranty expired. i was told to return if the a/c leaked. i was looking for a physical leak, which i later found out there is no physical indiciation of a problem. i returned the car on two more occassions to the dealership for the same problem. after the warranty expired, i was told that the a/c had a leak and i had to pay $1,400 to have repaired. i explained to the suburban dealer that i felt i should not have to pay for the repairs because the car was sold to me with a leak. to further add to the story, i had taken the car in to be repaired for a recall on the lights. i am not sure if the recall was for the headlights or tailights. while in the shop, i inquired about the headlight wipers not working. i was told i needed to purchase a headlight motor at a cost of about 4 or 5 hundred dollars because the car had been in an accident. i was told no it had not been in an accident. i found out later (after the tire rod broke while being driven) that the tire rod had been damaged in an accident. i had repaired at a cost of 800.00 which i paid. is there any type of relief for me since the car had been in an accident prior to me purchasing the vehicle? the a/c is not working, the check engine light constantly comes on, the driver side window doesnt work at all, the headlight wipers don't work at all. the a/c and headlight wipers have never worked properly since i purchased in february 2001. i have written the owner of the dealership and volvo of north america (vna). the dealership never responded. volvo of north america did respond and told me there was nothing they could do. vna shared i had to work it out with the dealership. have been reading that the check engine is an ongoing problem with some volvos. the electrical system is presenting problems also. do i have any recourse after owning the car since 2001?*ak | |||
| 01/25/1999 | 25 | 06/15/1998 | |
| Electrical problems since shortly after purchase of vehicle, to dealer 25 times. dashboard light would come on, indicating that headlights were not working when in fact they were. *ak dealer stated vehicle had a bulb and socket problem, taillight bulb failed, signal lights flash very fast, side signals sockets and bulbs shorted, 4 running light contacts melted, front headlight shorted, left front headlight inoperable, and bulb indicator illuminated. door locks inoperable, windows would not go up, master window control switch faulty, and speakers distorted. seat belt plastic part cracked. transmission sticks on lowe gear, happened twice. gas light comes on even when tank is full. washer fluid inidcator illuminated, washer jets inoperable, wiper blads replaced, right side mirror did not adjust all the way out. front and rear brake pads worn, rotors replaced, brakes cause screeching noises. engine light illuminated, cable under engine loose. humming noise while driving, dealer replaced right front hub, left and right front stabilizer links. mudflaps loose. evap valve replaced. *slc | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 12 | 01/25/1999 | |
| Vehicle is experiencing problems with the headlights, signals, speakers, and tail lights going out several times, possibly due to an electrical problem, the battery failed. *slc | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 16 | 03/26/1997 | |
| Erratic transient chemical fumes in passenger compartment, smells like hot plastic, dealer has not been able to replicate, however radio replaced twice, antenna motor replaced twice, sixteen bulbs (some with sockets) replaced since 6/98, all possibly related to overall electrical system problems. *cj | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 12 | 01/25/1999 | |
| Vehicle is experiencing problems with the headlights, signals, speakers, and tail lights going out several times, possibly due to an electrical problem, the battery failed. *slc | |||
| 07/15/1998 | 13 | 05/20/1998 | |
| Possible electrical system failure, several times the following fail: all headlights, brake lights, and the gear shift selector bulb. *slc | |||
| Due to a problem within the electrical system bulbs in the headlights/tail lights and signal lights prematurely blew out. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 10/20/1998 | 5 | 01/01/1998 | |
| This car has a hx of electrical problems. as you can see, both headlights have burned out(at night) as have the brake lights. the left turn signal operated at a different sequence than the right one. we have information that these light failures are somewhat common with this model..our safety concerns are obvious. th e manufacturer has not proposed any solutions other than replacement of the bulbs. this is not satisfactory as there is apparently a major electrical problem. | |||
| 12/03/1997 | 1 | 10/01/1997 | |
| 1. 12/23/97: car died in slow freeway traffic; restarted after 5 minutes, but check engine light stayed on. diagnosed as problem with air mass sensor, which was replaced. 2. 11/11/98: right rear door lock failed; motor replaced. 3. each of front headlight bulbs burned out with less than 15k in mileage. 4. 1/13/99: rt and lt outer tail lights burned out; bulbs were replaced. 5. 3/3/99: right turn signal began flashing too quickly; both rt and lt turn signal sockets were replaced. 6. 4/28/99: tailights again failed, sockets and bulbs were replaced; 7. 4/29/99: left turn signal flashing too quickly (even though socket had been previously replaced on 3/3/99 to deal with anticipated corrusion problem). my wife and i have have had more service problems with this car than in 25 years of owning all of our other cars combined. | |||
| 11/24/1998 | 1 | 03/31/1998 | |
| Electrical s.a.s. relay causing engine cooling fan to stay on. | |||
| Shortly after purchase car started bucking/ would feel a lunging forward while driving at high speeds or while idling at stop signs. complained to dealer was told they know about the problem - it is a software problem i was not informed of this prior to purchase. said volvo is aware of the problem and their working on it. it is my understanding a computer chip is defective and it is firing fuel into the injectors randomly. i asked if this is dangerous, could this cause a fire, etc. and was told no. i have taken the car in twice and had this problem documented and they have done nothing. it has not improved, only become more frequent. the car surges when at stop signs, it feels like another car has bumped into me. this also occurs when driving at high speeds. i purchase this car new and was not advised of this problem. if i had known this i would not have bought car. also whether the car is in drive or park, this surging occurs. also a few weeks after i purchased car the o'ring cracked and oil and transaxle grease was leaking out, unbeknownst to me immediatley. when i took it in was advised the ring had not been installed properly at the factory and it had broken. i asked since all that fluid leaked out has any damage been done or would this affect the performance in the future, was advised no. this car is a lemon. please help me. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 1 | |||
| Defective alternator caused battery to fail. *slc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 01/25/1999 | 25 | 06/15/1998 | |
| Electrical problems since shortly after purchase of vehicle, to dealer 25 times. dashboard light would come on, indicating that headlights were not working when in fact they were. *ak dealer stated vehicle had a bulb and socket problem, taillight bulb failed, signal lights flash very fast, side signals sockets and bulbs shorted, 4 running light contacts melted, front headlight shorted, left front headlight inoperable, and bulb indicator illuminated. door locks inoperable, windows would not go up, master window control switch faulty, and speakers distorted. seat belt plastic part cracked. transmission sticks on lowe gear, happened twice. gas light comes on even when tank is full. washer fluid inidcator illuminated, washer jets inoperable, wiper blads replaced, right side mirror did not adjust all the way out. front and rear brake pads worn, rotors replaced, brakes cause screeching noises. engine light illuminated, cable under engine loose. humming noise while driving, dealer replaced right front hub, left and right front stabilizer links. mudflaps loose. evap valve replaced. *slc | |||
| 3 | |||
| Every 18 months vehicle goes dead suddenly without warning. also, battery has been replaced three times. *ak | |||
| 06/01/1999 | 3 | ||
| Battery failed on three occasions. nlm | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 12 | 01/25/1999 | |
| Vehicle is experiencing problems with the headlights, signals, speakers, and tail lights going out several times, possibly due to an electrical problem, the battery failed. *slc | |||
| 11/17/1998 | 1 | 05/01/1998 | |
| Battery failed. *yc | |||
| 11/01/1997 | 3 | 02/23/1998 | |
| Battery failure. | |||
| 08/01/1998 | |||
| Battery. | |||
| 11/30/1998 | 1 | 11/11/1997 | |
| Battery failed. *yc | |||
| 1 | 03/31/1998 | ||
| Battery failed, would not hold proper charge. | |||
| 11/16/1998 | 04/01/1997 | ||
| Consumer drove car to gas station, pumped gas, turned the key and the battery exploded, smoke underhood and fluid on the ground, acid and holes on the top of the battery dealer contacted and repair work was done. both the dealer and manufacturer refused to investigate and explain. *ak.et. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 05/10/2003 | 3 | ||
| Windows and sunroof failures due to short in circuit breaker, multiple light failures,windshield wiper fluid indicator light always on despite replacement of fluid, light failure indicator lighted then stops. *ak | |||
| 01/25/1999 | 25 | 06/15/1998 | |
| Electrical problems since shortly after purchase of vehicle, to dealer 25 times. dashboard light would come on, indicating that headlights were not working when in fact they were. *ak dealer stated vehicle had a bulb and socket problem, taillight bulb failed, signal lights flash very fast, side signals sockets and bulbs shorted, 4 running light contacts melted, front headlight shorted, left front headlight inoperable, and bulb indicator illuminated. door locks inoperable, windows would not go up, master window control switch faulty, and speakers distorted. seat belt plastic part cracked. transmission sticks on lowe gear, happened twice. gas light comes on even when tank is full. washer fluid inidcator illuminated, washer jets inoperable, wiper blads replaced, right side mirror did not adjust all the way out. front and rear brake pads worn, rotors replaced, brakes cause screeching noises. engine light illuminated, cable under engine loose. humming noise while driving, dealer replaced right front hub, left and right front stabilizer links. mudflaps loose. evap valve replaced. *slc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 11/08/2004 | 136000 | 1 | |
| Ignition locked up while attempting to start the vehicle. it was towed to a dealership and the ignition was replaced. *ak *tc | |||
| 3 | |||
| Every 18 months vehicle goes dead suddenly without warning. also, battery has been replaced three times. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 11/16/2001 | 1 | 07/01/1997 | |
| Over maximum 30 second period, vehicle bucked, then interior lights came on and began blinking, then throttle stuck in full position, then brakes failed completely while black smoke emerged from under hood and wheel wells, then flames visible from from grill over hood of car, then vehicle finally brought to stop using emergency brakes at which time flames were two-three feet high from grill and wheel well(s) area of car - exited immediately - car total loss ..... have since been made aware of another '98 s70 fire with very similar sequence of failure events and result - volvo contacted and claims evidence of animal nest under hood (assistance denied) - cinncinati insurance (my carrier) hired & conducted professional/independent fire investigation with results pending ...... have full set of photos - general comment: if there were an elderly person, diabled person or child strapped in childseat riding in vehicle, unable to react/move so quickly, results could have been catastrophic!!!!! | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 09/28/2001 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| I am aware of 2 other people who own this same vehicle (yr. make and model). all have the same part that has gone bad in the last month. the 2 dealers i've contacted say that there is a long waiting list for this part! you're just supposed to drive the car until they can get it (not knowing if you have abs or not i supposed)! also another deceptive/dangerous part of this problem is that the dash board warning lights are inconsistant. on some trips it comes on and on others it doesn't. it never stays on. you'll never know if you should pump the brakes in an emergency or not!*ak | |||
| 07/11/2001 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| At time of fire, dash board indicator lights were on for light out and that car was in low gear, but car was not being driven in low gear. additionally, air conditioner was on. no iindicator lights were on to indicate any other problems such as engine was overheated or low in any fluids. i attempted to shift through low gears to remove low gear indicator light, but that did not do anything. i put car in park and turned off the engine. when i turned engine back on, at first the low gear indicator light did not come back on, but within ashort distance the low gear indicator light came back on even though car was being driven in normal drive gear and no feeling that car was actually in a low gear. *ak | |||