Volvo S70 1998 - Exterior lighting - car safety information, failing parts, recalls, bulletins, complaints

Volvo S70 1998

Recalls
Technical Service Bulletins
Defect investigations
Consumer Complaints

Recalls

Campaign	Manufacturer	Manufacturing date	Type	# of units affected	Date Owner notified Mfg	Recall Initiated by	Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products	Report Recieved Date	Record Creation Date
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH
99V235000	VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.	from 01/01/1997 to 02/28/1998	V (Vehicle)	139588	09/15/1999	MFR	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	08/30/1999	08/30/1999
Defect Summary	Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.
Consequence Summary	Driver's could experience a loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the headlight switch.
Notes	Owner notification began september 15, 1999. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
04V504000	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	from 06/05/1997 to 06/08/1999	V (Vehicle)	97000	01/24/2005	ODI	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	10/21/2004	10/21/2004
Defect Summary	On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function.
Consequence Summary	The head lights may not operate properly which could result in intermittent or no headlight function. this could impair a driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Corrective Summary	On vehicles with an original oem switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. all other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary. the recall began on january 24, 2005. owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Notes	Volvo recall no. 142.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL
00V405000	VOLVO CARS OF NA, INC.	from 01/01/1997 to 11/30/2000	V (Vehicle)	245894	03/19/2001	ODI	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	12/06/2000	12/07/2000
Defect Summary	Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. there could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed.
Consequence Summary	This would fail to warn an approaching driver that the vehicle is turning and could lead to a crash.
Corrective Summary	Dealers will replace the left and right front turn signal bulb and socket.
Notes	Owner notification began march 19, 2001.owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact volvo at 1-800-283-0117. also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-dash-2-dot (1-888-327-4236).

Bulletins

Bulletin	Bulletin date	Item no.	Summary	Added
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
3350004	09/01/1999	608048	On some vehicles, the headlamps may vibrate when driving at high speed or when driving on uneven surfaces. *tt	10/28/1999
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL
350012	03/01/2001	619104	On certain vehicles, there may be inadequate contact between the front turn signal bulbs and the sockets. *tt	05/14/2001
3350006	09/01/1999	608049	Concerns with condensation formed on the inside of the front turn signal lenses. *tt	03/29/2000

Investigations

NHTSA ID	Manufacturer	Date open	Date close	Subject	Recall campaign
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
PE00031	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	08/15/2000	12/22/2000	TURN SIGNAL	00V405000
	There is no summary currently available
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
RQ04004	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	06/08/2004	11/05/2004	HEADLIGHT FAILURE	04V504000
	On august 23, 1999, volvo notified nhtsa that it would conduct a safety recall (99v235) on certain 1997 model year (my) 850 vehicles and certain 1998 s/v/c 70 series vehicles for failure of the headlight switch.the defect report stated in part: operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.volvo's remedy for this recall was to replace the headlight switch.this recall query investigation was opened on june 8, 2004, based on 13 reports of headlight failure on 1998 and 1999 s/v/c 70 series vehicles that were not included in the earlier recall.by letter of october 18, 2004, volvo has notified the agency that it will now conduct a safety recall of an additional 97,000 my 1998 through 2000 s70/v70/v70xc and c70 vehicles built from june 5, 1997 through january 11, 2000. volvo dealers will replace the original equipment master light switch with one of an improved design. see safety recall 04v504 for details.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH
RQ04004	VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.	06/08/2004	11/05/2004	HEADLIGHT FAILURE	04V504000
	On august 23, 1999, volvo notified nhtsa that it would conduct a safety recall (99v235) on certain 1997 model year (my) 850 vehicles and certain 1998 s/v/c 70 series vehicles for failure of the headlight switch.the defect report stated in part: operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.volvo's remedy for this recall was to replace the headlight switch.this recall query investigation was opened on june 8, 2004, based on 13 reports of headlight failure on 1998 and 1999 s/v/c 70 series vehicles that were not included in the earlier recall.by letter of october 18, 2004, volvo has notified the agency that it will now conduct a safety recall of an additional 97,000 my 1998 through 2000 s70/v70/v70xc and c70 vehicles built from june 5, 1997 through january 11, 2000. volvo dealers will replace the original equipment master light switch with one of an improved design. see safety recall 04v504 for details.

Consumer Complaints

Fail date	miles	occurences	Purchase date
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
		1
	Front corner light housing was replaced, front turn signal light had gone bad causing the blinker to flash rapidly. *slc
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
		1
	Lights (head, signal,tail) failed.*et
		1	06/01/1998
	Light switch failure. *yc
06/30/1998		1	03/31/1998
	Right front door warning lamp failed.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BACK UP LIGHTS
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
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS

	Without warning rear brake lights do not function. had brake lights replaced. indicator on dashboard illuminated after service was rendered to vehicle.*ak
12/01/1999		15	07/01/1997
	There have been repeated failures of light bulbs (turn signal, brake lights, headlights, etc.)-- 12 documented from dealer, another 4-6 not documented because fixed informally . the dealer claims the failures are due to cheap halogen bulbs now used by volvo rather than an electrical system problem. i notice that many of the complaints filed on this make/model involve similar problems. whether the electrical system or the bulbs are at fault, this is a significant safety problem. *ak
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - FOG LIGHTS
05/01/2001		1	01/01/2001
	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.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS - SWITCH
08/12/1999		5	08/01/1998
	Repeated failure of headlamps, selector switch (lights go out), and turn signal. i need to continuously apply pressure to the selector switch in order to keep the lights on - this makes driving unsafe.
			01/01/1998
	Poor visibility behind vehicle. hazard light switch is inappropriately positioned in front of the automatic shift handle, and is accidentally switched on. remote control for the rear trunk is over-sensitive.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS
05/01/2001		1	01/01/2001
	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.
01/01/1999		8	04/11/1998
	Front turn signals socket housing is burning, causing malfunction in head light. dealer has been contacted.*ak
09/05/1998		20
	I believe the information is self explanatory. thank you. my situation has been escalated to the manufacturer who over the past 6-7 weeks has been extremely unresponsive to my requests to establish meeting. no safety defect listed in summary. *ak
06/01/1998
	Defective turn signals and headlights bulbs going out which may cause visual diffi culty, and could result in a crash. dealer could not determine the cause. please provide further information.*ak
03/01/2000
	Headligths burned out frequently, and they have been replaced 6 times over 2yrs. dealer told consumer that it wasn't uncommon. recall 99v235000. ak ml
12/01/1999		15	07/01/1997
	There have been repeated failures of light bulbs (turn signal, brake lights, headlights, etc.)-- 12 documented from dealer, another 4-6 not documented because fixed informally . the dealer claims the failures are due to cheap halogen bulbs now used by volvo rather than an electrical system problem. i notice that many of the complaints filed on this make/model involve similar problems. whether the electrical system or the bulbs are at fault, this is a significant safety problem. *ak
11/05/1999		3	07/01/1998
	Volvo has known about the excessive failure rate of headlights for a long time (3 burned out in 1 year on my car!)but they make owners pay for replacements as a maintenance item. light bulbs should last at least as long as the manufacturer warranty (e.g. 10,000 hours) under the legal definition of reasonable expectation. c'mon, volvo, 'fess up!
06/01/1998		9
	Headlights are working intermittently and keep burning out, and the consumer replaced the light bulbs eight or nine times. *ak
11/07/1998		1	01/31/1998
	Headlight failed. *yc
09/01/1998		2	11/24/1997
	Headlight bulbs failed.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH
10/19/2003	40000	1
	While driving 25 mph, the headlights went out. the dealer determined that the headlight switch needed to be replaced. please provide further details. *jb
08/27/2003	73000	1
	Volvo customer relations re: vin yv1ls5530w3445749, 1998 s70 sir or madam my wife and i purchased a pre-owned 1998 volvo s70 in 2000. two nights ago as we were driving on a 30-mile rural-stretch home, our headlight switch began to malfunction. with the switch in the on position, the dashboard lights were off and the headlights and taillights would intermittently go out. we pulled off the road and discovered that by pushing the switch inward toward the dash, the dashboard lights, headlights and taillights would stay lit, so long as you were constantly pushing in the switch. yesterday i searched the internet and discovered that this is a problem that has been addressed by nhtsa recall no. 99v235/volvo recall no. 94. i immediately started making phone calls to get this part replaced. volvo of lisle retrieved my cars information and informed me that the switch had already been replaced under the recall on 051799, prior to our purchase of the vehicle. they also informed me that because the original switch had already been replaced according to their records, i would be required to pay for the repair. the recall on the switch was issued by the nhtsa because the problem put the driver at risk of having an accident. obviously, the problem still exists, and to my dismay i am forced to pay for it. i feel that volvo is always responsible for fixing the design, regardless of how many times the part under recall breaks. i expect the nhtsa to investigate this issue, as i am sending them a copy of this letter. i kept the broken switch and i would like a name and address in your warranty department to send it to. i expect to be refunded the costs i incurred for this repair, as well as receiving a new switch installed free of charge, once this problem is fixed. i am looking forward to hearing from you. cc: nhtsa. *ak
09/29/2002		1
	99 v 235 000/headlight switch: consumer states that the head lights went out while driving at night. a recall is on this make & model, but the dealer and the manufacturer informed that the vehicle vin# was not cover under that recall. nlm
07/02/2002
	Headlights will go out while consumer is driving, and the only way to keep headlights on is to hold switch in the on position. contacted dealer. *ak
08/12/1999		5	08/01/1998
	Repeated failure of headlamps, selector switch (lights go out), and turn signal. i need to continuously apply pressure to the selector switch in order to keep the lights on - this makes driving unsafe.
01/01/1998		1	01/01/1998
	Headlight switch failed. *yc
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS
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
	Tail light bulb failure.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL
		1
	Prior to recall notification, consumer experienced problems with defective bulbs, front and rear and is now requesting reimbursement, since the manufacturer is now reconizing the problam as a defect.*jb
		1
	Front corner light housing was replaced, front turn signal light had gone bad causing the blinker to flash rapidly. *slc
04/19/2001		2
	Consumer received recall notification 101a he states work was completed, but still having intermittent turn signal problems. *jb
01/01/1999		8	04/11/1998
	Front turn signals socket housing is burning, causing malfunction in head light. dealer has been contacted.*ak
06/01/1998
	Defective turn signals and headlights bulbs going out which may cause visual diffi culty, and could result in a crash. dealer could not determine the cause. please provide further information.*ak
		1
	Signal light failed. (blinker) yh
12/01/1999		15	07/01/1997
	There have been repeated failures of light bulbs (turn signal, brake lights, headlights, etc.)-- 12 documented from dealer, another 4-6 not documented because fixed informally . the dealer claims the failures are due to cheap halogen bulbs now used by volvo rather than an electrical system problem. i notice that many of the complaints filed on this make/model involve similar problems. whether the electrical system or the bulbs are at fault, this is a significant safety problem. *ak
10/25/1998
	While driving and upon using the front left turn signal the bulb blew, causing the lights to burn out. *ak
08/01/1998		2	07/01/1997
	Left turning signal light failed. *yc
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.
01/29/1999		1	02/01/1998
	Left front turn signal socket began to smoulder and char possible fire could have resulted. other instances reported on www.dejanews.com
05/25/1998		1	07/01/1997
	Turn signnal bulb signal socket was scorched black on inside, melting the plastic.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT
		1	06/01/1997
	Right and left turn signal failed. nlm
EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - SWITCH
08/12/1999		5	08/01/1998
	Repeated failure of headlamps, selector switch (lights go out), and turn signal. i need to continuously apply pressure to the selector switch in order to keep the lights on - this makes driving unsafe.
01/22/1999		0	11/01/1998
	When driver turned on the directional signal light switch to make a turn either left or right, the turn signal switch won't return to place unless the consumer did it manually or made a wider turn. also, when the light is being used to turn to left, consumer has to turn to right so the blinking light can stop. ak ml