Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - FUEL PUMP | |||||
| 23-31 | 04/16/2008 | 10023657 | New fuel pump for starting problems when parked downhill. *nj updated 6/5/08. *nj | 01/22/2008 | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | |||||
| 2316 | 01/11/2001 | 616753 | On some vehicles, it is possible that the fuel gauge will not show a full reading after the car has been filled up with fuel. *tt | 03/09/2001 | |
| 2316 | 01/18/2001 | 2316 | 616751 | This bulletin mentions that due to a change in technical information - dcs 23-16 (fuel gauge does not show full tank) dated 1/11/01 has been deleted and the information is no longer valid. *tt | 03/09/2001 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | |||
| 12/12/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Driving on freeway at night, experienced a sudden loss of power. engine check light came on. fortunately coasted to a stop on an exit ramp. upon stopping observed smoke coming thrugh the edges of the hood. turned off the ignition and exited the car. noticed a flame under the engine compartment. within one minute the front end of the car burst into flames and burned in a brght yellow fireball extimated to be 20 feet high. it burned until the fire trucks arrived 20 minutes later. the heat was extremely intense. the hood vaporized, metal parts of the engine melted, tires exploded. car had a full tank of gas and strongly suspect malfunction of fuel system. had we been trapped in the car on the freeway, there could have been four fatalities. | |||
| 06/12/2011 | 140000 | ||
| Tl. the contact owns a 2000 volvo s80. the contact stated while driving 35 mph the contact smell fuel inside of the vehicle. the contact notice fuel leaking underneath the vehicle. the contact stated fuel would seeps through a crack of the fuel pump to front passenger seat. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer stated the fuel pump needs to be replaced. the contact stated there is a recall for this exact issue # 09v483000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump) but the recall is only for 2001-2005 models. the contact stated the vehicle is unsafe to drive and the vehicle could result in a fire. the failure mileage was 140,000. jo | |||
| 06/20/2011 | 58675 | ||
| On winding downhill road (1500 ft. drop in 2 miles) car went from 45 to non-optional 20 mph due to failure throttle body. part know to suddenly fail was subject of lawsuit about 2005 which settled in limited time free replacement now expired. should have been a recall as now permits safety issue to continue indefinitely in automobile type/model typically driven decades. note: car when slowed backed up downhill traffic on the decent is the major cause fatal and other accidents in the area, and set stage for out-of-control slowing accidents. alternative of pulling off and requesting tow at least as equally hazardous. | |||
| 01/01/2010 | 200000 | ||
| I purchased a 2000 volvo s80 in december 2010 and soon after i noticed that there is a strong gas smell comming from the rear passenger side. you can smell gas all around the car. the fumes are also inside the car and if you are in the car for a long peroid of time you do not feel well later. this problem may have been happening for a long time but i have not spoken with the previous owner. this is the same fuel pump assembly leak that was recalled on the same car from 2001-2004. i have a 2000 volvo s80. | |||
| 05/17/2009 | 115300 | 1 | |
| The vehicle sporadically surge/hesitate and stalls at low revs. this started maybe about half a year ago and has gotten worse with the problems even at high revs. the problem culminated on may 17th 2009 or there about when i nearly got into an accident. i was traveling on the middle at about 60 mph and there was a slower vehicle in front of me. i accelerated to try to pass the vehicle on the fast lane. the vehicle did pick up and all of a sudden went on a limp mode even i stepped on the accelerator. my vehicle was almost just side by side to the slower vehicle when this happened. the next thing i heard was a loud continuous horning and screeching of brakes of a car behind me on the fast lane.. the vehicle is well maintained and perform service well above as what manufacturer recommended. based on various info. sources, the problem is almost identical to car that has an electronic throttle module problem. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2002 | 15726 | 1 | |
| Etm (electric throttle module intake manifold) needs to be replaced! (volvo only has a very limited extended warranty issued on 4/2006. the etm was cleaned 3 different times since 8/8/02; and a software upgrade was completed on 10/19/06. my last 2 complaints to my volvo dealership mechanic has resulted in denial on 10/19/06 and refusal to repair under the extended warranty on 8/18/08 due to unretrievable computer codes (volvo admits the problem was still an etm problem). [this has occurred every year for the last 6 years!!!] on several occasions, accidents almost happened because the vehicle either stalls on the freeway at 55-60mph, or vehicle suddenly surges at a red light or stop sign. according to vexedvolvo.com, the real cause is due to a wearing out of the potentiometer films in the throttle position sensors. a simple etm cleaning will not suffice. *tr | |||
| 06/20/2008 | 111075 | 1 | |
| At the end of june of 2008 i noticed that my 2000 volvo s-80 smelled of gas. subsequently, on 06/20/2008 abby car care (559-438-7181) mechanic kevin determined, per my receipt, that | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 49374 | 1 | 12/23/1999 |
| I want to add my documentation about the failure of the throttle module and subsequent lack of appropriate action. the unit in the 2000 volvo s80 failed to bring the car to a complete halt in traffic in december 2004. subsequent repairs to solve the problem were $845. if volvo sent out a notice for etm repair refunds last winter, i did not receive it despite living at the same address as when i purchased the vehicle in dec 1999. i also want to call your attention to the increasing problem with the dstc system as evidence by activity in the chat rooms. our vehicle shows a persistent dstc service message that the dealer claims can not be adequately diagnosed without first replacing the yaw sensor for $668. others with this problem have turned to buying and self installing rebuilt abs units which the nhtsa should be proactively seeking to understand. the cause of the abs unit failure? some claim it is the vibration and pounding from the entirely inadequate front end suspension and wheel system causing the electronic parts to fail. i can attest to the suspension problem having spent $1790 yesterday to replace front bushings, stabilizer links, struts and spring seats on a car with 64k miles. the front struts previously were replace in jan '04 at a cost of $726 when mileage was 40k. i've also had to replace the ball joints several times already. *jb | |||
| 01/22/2006 | 71000 | 5 | 09/01/2000 |
| I operate a 2000 volvo s-80. it has 70,000 miles. recently it has uneven engine idle problem especially when a/c is on. for two occasions, the car was stranded on the freeway because the engine suddenly stopped. the car was inspected by the local garage, the throttle assembly was cleaned, but the mechanic gave no guarantee because he said the computer which controls the throttle may have the problem and he has no replacement parts. two weeks later, i received a notice from the volvo stating my car might have the ets (electronic throttle system) problem and they offer the refund of repair cost. i submitted my refund request three weeks ago but received no response. currently the car still has the same problem.*jb | |||
| 10/28/2005 | 93898 | 5 | 04/01/2003 |
| Several occurrences of vehicle stalling in traffic, restarting, but not staying started. vehicle surging at idle. after taken to shop (towed), we now have had our fourth electronic throttle body replaced in last 28 months. the dealership has also replaced the maf sensor and has cleaned the throttle on two occasions. my portion of repairs have already exceeded $2,770. dealership has acknowledged this is a known problem. they continue to fix the problem with the same replacement part. *jb | |||
| 07/25/2005 | 83107 | 4 | |
| Vehicle would shut down at highway speeds this happened twice on 1-95 in south florida causing near accidents. second time while in the middle highway lane i called for a tow. before the tow arrived the car started up just fine as if there was no problem. this incident happened an additional 2x before i could get the car to volvo/palm beach, fl where they replaced the etm electronic throttle module at a cost of $1259.00.. *nm | |||
| 05/09/2005 | 65498 | 1 | 06/23/2003 |
| On may 9, 2005 my husband and i were traveling north on the new jersey turnpike near east rutherford, nj when our 2000 volvo s80 sedan lost acceleration. as the vehicle slowed from 60 mph in traffic to 15 mph, the message window read, performance reduced. as my husband negotiated the failing vehicle from the center lane, surrounded by 60 mph traffic, to the shoulder, i phoned our volvo dealership in pa for roadside assistance. they informed me to get the vehicle off the road and to take it to the nearest volvo dealership. as we inched along the shoulder at 15 mph, a nj state trooper spotted us and recognized that we were in trouble. he pulled along side us and then offered to follow us, with lights flashing, into the nearest rest area, which was 8 miles north. as he said, you're a sitting duck. once at the service area, the vehicle would not restart, and we had it towed to kundert volvo in hasbrouck heights, nj. all in all, we were fortunate under the circumstances. it was 10:30 am on a clear spring day. the state trooper's assistance was fortuitous and our car service was completed by 4 pm. at kundert volvo, the service area replaced the throttle body, a gasket and performed an etm reload. total labor and parts was $729.00 plus $150 towing charge. although all is well that ends well, there was great potential for a serious accident during our time unassisted on the nj turnpike, caused by vehicle failure. *nm | |||
| 10/29/2003 | 33888 | 2 | 10/05/1999 |
| The electronic throttle control failed during a left turn to a freeway on-ramp. the car stopped and would not start. i was lucky it was pouring rain and traffic was light because i was in the middle of the road for about 1/2 hour. it was towed to the dealer and the module replaced for approximately $800. the following year the second module exhibited the same symptoms. i drove it to the dealer and had it cleaned for approximately $200. i was told that the module had to be cleaned every year - which i would have to pay for - or it would fail and have to be replaced. i was told this happened to all volvos which predominately were driven in city traffic. i am about due to have the problem this year. *nm | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - CARBURETOR SYSTEM | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 67281 | 1 | 10/09/1999 |
| 2000 volvo s80 4 dr. erratic idling/surging with engine light coming on.leads to stalling out on major highways on many occasions narrowly avoiding life threatening traffic accidents trying to pull dead car to side of road. brought car to volvo dealer and car was repaired for $1332.50. repair included replacement of: electronic throttle body($588.50) with software download($28.00) to allow etm to function along with gasket($4.00). replacement of mass air flow meter($234.21) total labor/parts= $1254.71 + $75.29 tax + $2.50 enviromental fee??= $1332.50 i unfortunately do not have old part. please note that now @ 30,000 miles after replacemnt on 12/1/2003 the electronic throttle body is showing the signs of a need for replacement again. | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY | |||
| 12/12/2006 | 10000 | 3 | 07/20/2005 |
| My 2000 volvo s80 t6 etm they said they would not fix it unless i bought a cem they said car wouldn't work without it. so they fixed it to a tune of $900.00 for cem so i charged it back on my credit card because it's all covered on etm update. in the morning the car still revs more i want volvo to buy this car back from me because no one informed me of this problems. they wouldn't give me old cem i asked. *nm | |||
| 06/15/2005 | 85500 | 1 | 12/03/1999 |
| Loss of power - the electronic throttle control module failed. i had just left home and was still in my sub-division. my auto came to a stop, was still running but had no power. i turned the motor off and then restarted it. problem was resolved but i am concerned when & where it might happen again. *nm | |||
| 05/15/2004 | 67800 | 100 | |
| Shortly after buying a volvo 80, i noticed that the car would surge periodically. i was told that the throttle body needed to be cleaned. after reading up on this, it sounded like a waste of money so i am stuck with a $40+k car that has a sizable defect. the surging is so bad that if you don't hold the brake pedal hard the car will surge forward ie at red lights. nothing was done to correct this failure. i am the second owner. also i had to replace a ball joint on this car after a recalled ball joint was installed at my cost. the dealer said the recall was only a bolt and not the whole joint but i verified that the previous owner had both ball joints replaced via a volvo recall. i believe the recalled joint was defective like the original one. no accidents occured but it put my steering way out of whack and needed an alignment. (all at my cost) | |||
| 10/24/2003 | 79089 | 1 | 03/02/2000 |
| My wife and i noticed that the nhtsa is investigating power loss complaints regarding the s-80 model of the 2000 volvo. we had a quick and complete loss of power on the interstate on october 24, 2003. we were able to drive off the interstate and get to a parking lot. the engine stopped and could not be restarted. we had the car towed to the crown volvo dealership in greensboro, nc (tel: 336 834-7350). crown volvo replaced the electronic throttle module and downloaded new software. the repair cost us $899.48. the mileage on the car was 79,089 miles. in february 2003, the car was stalling repeatedly. when restarted, the engine revved and stalled again. the car was towed to volvo saab of charlotte (tel: 704 563-8816) and a repair was made. the mass air flow sensor was replaced at a cost $443.23. the odometer at the time of the repair was 68,066 miles. the car had no malfunctions between the february and october repairs. the service centers retained all replaced components. the vehicle id is yv1ts94dxy1088452. service reference numbers are the following: crown volvo - invoice c51317 volvo saab of charlotte - invoice vocs190875. *nm | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 67281 | 1 | 10/09/1999 |
| 2000 volvo s80 4 dr. erratic idling/surging with engine light coming on.leads to stalling out on major highways on many occasions narrowly avoiding life threatening traffic accidents trying to pull dead car to side of road. brought car to volvo dealer and car was repaired for $1332.50. repair included replacement of: electronic throttle body($588.50) with software download($28.00) to allow etm to function along with gasket($4.00). replacement of mass air flow meter($234.21) total labor/parts= $1254.71 + $75.29 tax + $2.50 enviromental fee??= $1332.50 i unfortunately do not have old part. please note that now @ 30,000 miles after replacemnt on 12/1/2003 the electronic throttle body is showing the signs of a need for replacement again. | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 55000 | 100 | 06/01/2003 |
| 2000 s80 volvo has defective throttle body according to volvo repair center. this is a know and wide spread defect. it causes the engine to surge sporadically or to die. volvo has issued a bulletin to all service centers advising them of the defect. volvo will not replace or correct the problem for those auto out of warranty. *nm | |||
| 1 | 03/29/2000 | ||
| Failure to start, stalling at idle as a result of a failed computer program. *ph the vehicle failed to start or stalled at idle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the consumer that the vehicle needed to be reprogrammed but that it had to be done at a volvo dealer. the vehicle was then towed to the volvo dealer where they reprogrammed the throttle body software. the consumer request reimbursement for tow cost. *nlm *jb | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | |||
| 09/10/2006 | 65000 | 100 | 08/25/2001 |
| In july i was traveling in traffic at idle speed when my car started to surge then stalled. i was able to restart it, however i had to keep one foot on the gas and the other on the brake to keep it running. i was able to limp it home using this method to keep the rpms up. when the codes were read it said the 4 oxygen sensors were out of range. i tuned up the car, cleaned the throttle body and oxygen sensors and reset the codes. (65,000 miles) after this the car seemed alright until around 79,000 miles. my wife and i were on rte. 1a on the maine coast in traffic . while going around a sharp curve the car stalled. i lost control of my steering and brakes and the car nearly went over the cliff into the ocean. i was able to get it under control and the car restarted with the idle surging. i limped the car home using the gas and brake method. at intersections if i let the car idle the car would surge forward then stall. my mechanic read the codes and told me the map sensor and o2 sensors were bad and replaced them. this seemed to work for a while, however the car reverted back to the same problems. i finally called gallo volvo who had serviced my car under warranty until 60,000 miles and the service manager told me that this was a known problem covered under a hidden recall. once a customer complained they could fix it. i brought my car to them and they reprogrammed the computer to repair the problem. my car no longer stalls, however it surges and hesitates upon acceleration nearly causing people to hit me in traffic. i am still trying to resolve this problem after over $1800 dollars in expenses, multiple near accidents and numerous hours of my time. *nm | |||
| 10/05/2005 | 135000 | 3 | 01/01/2004 |
| 3 independent issues: throttle module - vehicle suddenly and unpredictably surges forward, particularly during idle or low speeds while in forward or reverse either stopped or moving, causing potential safety problems. transmission module - vehicle suddenly and unpredictably looses power, presenting the driving performance of a slipping transmission, causing unpredictable responsiveness to changing traffic conditions, and potential safety problems. front suspension - knocking noise from front suspension component(s), causing lack of driving confidence and concerns of driving safety and performance. all 3 of these problems are widely reported as chronic design, performance, safety and reliability issues for the same model years by other volvo owners. in newer model years, volvo has made manufacturing changes to address these recognized issues, but has not as yet successfully addressed and responded to these safety issues. further, these issues have been reported to nhtsa by other volvo owners. *nm | |||
| 07/07/2005 | 51962 | 5 | 08/27/1999 |
| (1)car stalled in traffic four times over three months. power steering/brakes failed.(2) car stalled and would not maintain idle in drive-limped home to dealer 30 miles away. car would start and run if rpm were over 1500. lower than that would result in stall...and restart to get home. (3) parts required were map sensor, throttle body, etm reload. *jb | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - FILLER PIPE AND CAP | |||
| 10/19/2006 | 119500 | 5 | 07/02/2006 |
| 1) engine idles rough, problem became so bad that car stalls at low speeds, lost power steering & engine dies at low speeds (unsafe!). local mech referred to etm warranty program to re-program faulty etm module. took car to dlr, re-programmed etm car died again! turns out bad battery as well: several hundred $$$ to replace battery. car does not accelerate smoothly, large shudders present when merging onto hwy, during transmission/gear shift. not good! 2) airbag srs-urgent service warning indicator light is on. good local mech. states this is a $1000 repair. 3) check brake light warning indicator light turns on when depressing on brake pedal: good local mech. states that this is normal requires exact matching electrical resistance of all brake lamps to ensure that check brake light warning does not occur (in actuality the brake lights work fine, the built-in-test is faulty). 4) check engine light comes on 2-3 times in last 3 months. major service was required. one fault was isolated to fuel tank gas cap: if not secured properly ecm-4308 (leak diagnostic) large leak occurs...remedied by twisting fuel cap 3 full rotations, after re-fueling gas tank. good local mech. diagnosed the loose gas cap problem, warned me about it, and didn't charge me (nice!). 5) body paint is very susceptible to chipping & scratches. paint or exterior panels are very soft and easily damaged. another shame, this car looks great but does not hold up very well under typical parking lot conditions (i.e. someone parked next to you opens their car door into the side of your car resulting in a large scratch). solution: purchase a fancy car cover and protect the body paint, if you can! 6) parking brake seems loose, upon parking car and engaging parking brake the vehicle rolls almost 30 cm bwds or fwd depending on level or inclined surface. *tr | |||
| 11/23/2001 | 1 | 07/01/2000 | |
| The gas filler was pushed into the body of the car. it is not anchored by anything other than the rubber flange at the fender level( just under). when pushed thru as happened it could cause the tank contents to empty and burn or explode. this is a very unsafe setup on an otherwise safe vehicle. dealer was put on record. *ak | |||
| 5 | 02/01/2000 | ||
| While driving, check engine light illuminated, dealer placed vehicle on diagnostic machine and a code would appear stating the gas cap was not put on tight enough, dealer has had to reset the computer several times due to the light illuminating, consumer states that the light comes on 3 or 4 days after fueling. *slc | |||
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | |||
| 02/02/2011 | 116000 | ||
| I have a 2000 volvo s 80 and it was sold to me by a dealer this car has so many problems and i feel that when i took the car to volvo they tried to charge me 6400 just to fix the problem like abs sensors,stc sensor , throttle etc i feel its un fair i only had the car for 3days what can i do | |||
| 11/12/2007 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 volvo s80. while driving approximately 65 mph on normal road conditions the fuel tank door disengaged without warning. the contact observed the detachment of the fuel tank door after reaching his destination. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact is aware of the safety risk involved. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 161,000. | |||
| 09/27/2005 | 5 | 06/30/2005 | |
| Volvo 2000 s-80 2.9 105,000 miles 1. stalling, lack of acceleration, hesitation at highway speeds and around town 2. complete shut down of engine at speed on route 95 during rush hour 3. throttle module replaced at a cost $1200.00 tasca volvo stated i replace dozens of these. the manufacturer knows about the problem and does nothing. *jb | |||