Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM
226000206/01/1999608294This service bulletin describes how to install a nipple to the drainage hole in the intercooler. *tt11/18/1999
226000206/01/1999606583Information on how to install a nipple in the intercooler. *tt08/27/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
446000803/01/2002635176On some vehicles oil weepage can be found at the bevel gear vent. *tt10/18/2002
002307/01/200200236089468Bulletin describing how to correct condition of oil leakage occurring at one or more of the oil pump retaining screws. *tt this bulletin replaces the previous sb21-0023 dated october 1999. *tt02/03/2000
221001506/01/1999608253Information on adjusting the mechanical camshaft belt tensioner and camshaft belt. *tt11/12/1999
251006/04/1999607363Information regardng pulsed secondary air injection system diagnosis. *tt09/21/1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
284012/21/2001629014Subject regarding engine management system service manual tp2321201. *tt03/26/2002
210902/01/2000613429Some vehicles may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble codes indicating misfires and / or a hard engine start condition. *tt07/13/2000
21000408/20/1998601714A new screw for the engine connecting rod cap has been released. *yc08/20/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER
9711019741F11/01/199753641Various information on a new clutch for turbo engines. *yc03/30/1998
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
223003112/01/1999610425This service bulletin describes replacement of the fuel tank evaporative hoses. *tt04/28/2000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
225001002/01/20002250010610588Subject regarding new routing of wiring for oxygen sensor. *tt05/08/2000
230709/30/19976089534Subject regarding maf sensor dtc 1-2-1 on high and low pressure turbos. *tt02/04/2000
225001006/01/19992250010606269Subject regarding new routing of wiring for oxygen sensors. *tt08/13/1999

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10/09/20041019582
 Consumer 1998 s70 engine has failed on two different occasions, timing belt serpentine belt has been replaced. *ts ***nar*** the consumer believed this was a premature failure. the water pump was leaking. the front spring seat was replaced. *jb
02/06/2005100000112/01/2004
 Failure of cam belt adjuster, at speed with no warning and total loss of engine power and ancillary equipment. *ak
12/30/2004128000108/10/2001
 While driving down i-85 s. on 12/30/04 in my 1998 volvo s-70 the tensioner wheel exploded causing the timing belt to disengage from the engine thus loosing all engine power at 70 mph without warning and doing over 2000.oo dollars worth of engine damage. from examination of the defective part, the goove guides just shattered leaving no grooves for belt guidance.*ak
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM - RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
11/24/20001
 Radiator sits a mere 5 inches above ground and 1 1/2 inches below front bumper, on 11/12/00 while pulling into a parking space, front bumper eclisped curb by 10 to 12 inches, at which point curbing contacted bottom of radiator, radiator lost all fluid, under carriage of newer model volvos has a shield which protects radiator. cj
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE
08/16/201177494
 Apon accelerating up the hill of my street, today, august 16th, 2011, my car, a 1998 volvo s70 , sped up, unaturally, close to the top . i had just driven out of my driveway, as i back into it always, and proceeded up the hill. as usual, the automatic transmission shifted down as the car approached a steeper portion of the hill. when braking for the stop sign at the top, i noticed that the engine was racing. i was unable to stop fully at the stop sign, and after going around the corner to the right, i pulled the floor mat away from the accelerator pedal. my left foot was now firmly planted on the brake pedal, as well as my right foot quickly pumping the accelerator pedal , all in an attempt to have the gas pedal unstick, which it didn't. it just made the car engine continuously race even more. the rpm's increased also the more that the engine raced. unable to fully stop at the next subsequent 2 stop signs, on a straight away, and my left foot to the floor with the brake pedal, i finally decided to place the car in neutral, the engine racing at what seemed a very high rate of speed by evidence of those rpm's. i continued to pump the gas pedal,with the car in neutral, my left foot on the brake, when suddenly the racing ceased, and the rpm's came down to an idle, just below 1000, i believe. i then proceeded to the side of the road, and stopped. after a bit, i placed the car from neutral into park, and then again shifted the auromatic transmission into drive. i began moving down a hill by mere idling speed. i was careful, just coasting now, not to initially place any pressure on the accelerator as i proceeded in drive. i came to a stop at an intersection, for a red signal light, and when it was green, i drove back around a large city block to my driveway. i backed into my driveway with no further issues of sudden acceleration during the final distance driven. this has happened 2 other times recently when setting cruise control going up a hill.
08/21/20071
 Replaced timing belt at 76,000 mi. per volvo maintenance schedule. at 107,000 mi. timing belt tensioner and pulley failure resulting in timing belt slipping off and causing massive valve damage. thankfully, volvo of na service stepped up as did darell waltrip volvo and helped to cover over half of the $4,600 in damage that was caused. still i was stuck with a $2,000 unexpected repair bill. attention - 1998 volvo s70 owners and all interference engine owners with timing belts note replace your tensioners and pulleys when you replace the belt. *jb
02/15/200788000111/15/2001
 I have a 1998 volvo s70 with about 88k miles on it. i had a lot of work done on it dec 20, 2006 including replacing the timing belt. on 2/15, we were driving and the engine suddenly stopped - we lost power steering and braking, etc. we managed to slow the car and get into a parking lot and had the car towed to the dealer, jordan volvo in mishawaka, in. we found that the tensioner had failed causing the timing belt to slip off and cause what appears to be very material (retail around $4k) worth of damage to the engine. volvo recommends replacing the tensioner at 105k miles i believe, but i have found numerous cases on message boards of people having their timing belt but not tensioner replaced and then having catastrophic engine damage. we are fortunate that we were not on a highway when this happened, or along side the road (it was probably 5 degrees out). the dealership has offered to repair the car at 1/2 price, but maintain that they followed volvo's procedures. i called my old mechanic in chicago and he said that 90% of the time he replaces the tensioner to avoid just what happened to me. we were not even warned of the possibility of this happening nor given the option to decline the service. *nm
07/28/200593240211/18/2004
 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
07/27/2005939559
 1998 volvo s70 lost power then stalled multiple times (9) while driving approximately july 27, 2005 . i am concerned about danger of stalling in traffic and getting rear ended or if stalls in intersection. or being stranded. was able to get it to the dealer. they found failing mass air flow sensor. they replaced it and it runs fine now. old part is not available. but service and repair cost $369.20. i noticed that there are other s70 owners with this problem on mycarstats.com and an article in caranddriver.com.*jb
05/12/200511/01/1998
 Dt anti-lock brake system contact states each time the brakes are applied the vehicle is more difficult to stop and the wheels have also locked up. transmission contact states the vehicle make a squeaking nose when parking, the vehicle pulls to the right side when driving at low speed. engine and engine cooling contact states oil moves up through the ignition control. the vehicle has been taken to a service dealer and the mechanic stated the vehicle needed a new engine. *nm *sb
02/06/2005100000112/01/2004
 Failure of cam belt adjuster, at speed with no warning and total loss of engine power and ancillary equipment. *ak
05/01/2001101/01/2001
 I purchased the car jan.26 2001. two days later i had it in for repeated oil leaks. dealer stated they were unable to locate any leaks. also the headlight was out, the foglight was out, the car had mismatched tires, the fuel cap was not attached properly and was tied on with a wire. a month later the o2 sensor went out in the car and was also making a winding noise. dealer came out and told me that the hub was bad and needed to be replaced. the car continued to have oil leaks. dealer stated they could not find anythihg. approx. 1 month later the rear passenger window switch went out. the air guide was also replaced on the car. oil continued to leak. i took it to an outside source an dthey were able to find three oil leaks in a matter of two hours. they reccomended the turbo unit be replaced that it was bad. on vacation this summer the check engine light once more cam on and dealer stated a fuel gasket needed replacing. august this year the fan began to make a noise. i took it to the dealer and was told they could not get it to duplicate the noise so they could not tell me what was wrong. sept. 24 2001, i went to get into the car and it woul dnot turn over. the ignition system had gone out. meanwhile the leather has detached from the intereior of the door as well.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE
07/29/2005600001510/05/2001
 1998 volvo s70 t5-vehicle intermittently, without prior indication will cease to operate while traveling. engine light will come on and engine will hesitate and then shut down. occurs generally 2 or 3 times in a day or two and then maybe not again for a month or so. three different volvo repair shops have been ineffective in diagnosing...failure has occurred on high speed arterial roads as well as while idling/ stopped . *nm
05/09/20051070001
 My wife's car ('98 s70 t5) stop last week. i took it to the dealer and they said that the tensioner seized up. this caused major damage to the engine about $3500 worth. i got the timing belt changed at 71,000 on the recommendation of the dealership so this type of problem would not happen, but it did anyway. the car now has 108,000 miles. volvo's corporate customer service called me today and said the they are not responsible due to the mileage of the car and it is far out of warranty. i am awaiting a response from the dealership. searching the web i have found numerous postings of similar compliants with the tensioner. something must be done to correct this problem.
06/06/2001108/01/1998
 Prior to the 30k mile tune-up the consumer complained to the dealer and the vehicle driving hard, shifting hard, the tachometer reading higher and the smell of burning oil, the dealer check the vehicle and found nothing wrong, while driving with 36k miles on the vehicle it began to smoke under the hood and caught fire, the manufacturer is denying any responsibility. nlm
01/25/19992506/15/1998
 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
1
 Engine failed.*et
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
05/09/20051070001
 My wife's car ('98 s70 t5) stop last week. i took it to the dealer and they said that the tensioner seized up. this caused major damage to the engine about $3500 worth. i got the timing belt changed at 71,000 on the recommendation of the dealership so this type of problem would not happen, but it did anyway. the car now has 108,000 miles. volvo's corporate customer service called me today and said the they are not responsible due to the mileage of the car and it is far out of warranty. i am awaiting a response from the dealership. searching the web i have found numerous postings of similar compliants with the tensioner. something must be done to correct this problem.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - TURBO-CHARGER
09/09/20039000004/16/2003
 Abs/tracs lights comes on and off indicating a brake module malfunction
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM
08/26/200374500306/30/1998
 While braking, the vehicle vibrated. took vehicle to dealership and the mechanic indicated there was a crack in the brake master cylinder.*ak the abs light illuminated, the oxygen sensor was replaced, the vacuum line was replaced, the upper torque arm bushing broke, the door locking system broke, the inside door panel came apart. *jb *nm
01/09/200207/01/1997
 I am reporting this incident, since the repair shop told me that it is third such failure that they have repaired on volvo s70's in the last two weeks. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak
05/18/1999105/01/1997
 Intake vent port blew out, also, lost braking.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL
09/22/20051
 I have a 1998 volvo s 70 which has failed dc inspection because the obd scanner used by the dmv cannot get a readout for catalytic converter, oxygen sensor and a couple of other emissions related items. the car ecu signals not ready. the car runs fine. we have driven the car in accord with volvo's recommended structured drive which is supposed to reset the computer. this did not work. one volvo shop believes the ecu is faulty. another says the ecu is fine and its the scanner's inability to communicate with the ecu that is at fault. this shop also reports that he has seen several similar model volvos over the past month or two with the identical problem. meanwhile dv dmv says they cannot pass this car unless their scanner gets positive and acceptable readings. *nm
05/01/2001101/01/2001
 I purchased the car jan.26 2001. two days later i had it in for repeated oil leaks. dealer stated they were unable to locate any leaks. also the headlight was out, the foglight was out, the car had mismatched tires, the fuel cap was not attached properly and was tied on with a wire. a month later the o2 sensor went out in the car and was also making a winding noise. dealer came out and told me that the hub was bad and needed to be replaced. the car continued to have oil leaks. dealer stated they could not find anythihg. approx. 1 month later the rear passenger window switch went out. the air guide was also replaced on the car. oil continued to leak. i took it to an outside source an dthey were able to find three oil leaks in a matter of two hours. they reccomended the turbo unit be replaced that it was bad. on vacation this summer the check engine light once more cam on and dealer stated a fuel gasket needed replacing. august this year the fan began to make a noise. i took it to the dealer and was told they could not get it to duplicate the noise so they could not tell me what was wrong. sept. 24 2001, i went to get into the car and it woul dnot turn over. the ignition system had gone out. meanwhile the leather has detached from the intereior of the door as well.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
01/25/19992506/15/1998
 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
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
 Exhaust pipe is extended to far out from the vehicle which caused consumer's child to be burned. please give any further details. *ak