Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 250023 | 07/01/2001 | 620880 | This service bulletin describes how to clean the electronic throttle module (etm) bore. *tt | 09/04/2001 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||||
| 3202 | 05/09/2005 | 10016648 | Alternator charging problems. *sc | 09/26/2005 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||||
| 0015 | 12/01/2001 | 627799 | B+cable, battery-to-fuse box, replacement. *yd | 02/25/2002 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||||
| 0803 | 01/11/1999 | 604578 | Subject regarding replacing and programming vgla alarm systems and immobilizer control unit. *tt | 05/05/1999 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 01/28/2011 | 103300 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 1999 volvo xc70. the contact stated in 2004 there was a warning light that illuminated for the etc (which is the electronic throttle control system). the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the throttle body system and down load new software. this was a cost to him for $894 and an extended warranty up to 10 years from the year the vehicle was in service which expires in 2008. the warning light was back again illuminating for over two months and the dealer was contacted but states the warranty has expired back in 2008 and he has to pay to repair the failure again. the manufacturer was contacted who informed him there are no more warranties and offered no other assistance. the failure mileage was 103,300...mw | |||
| 05/06/2010 | 80000 | ||
| My volvo v70 has stalled dead repeatedly while driving at both high and low speeds, most recently while just coming onto a long freeway exit ramp with no shoulder. there were cars behind me and i almost got hit from behind. prior stalls (about 5 of them) include total stalling while braking, and while speeding up. i have had the fuel pump, relay, and manifold replaced. and after all that, spending over $1000, it stalled this last time. sometimes the car can start up again after a stall and a 10 minute wait, but it will suddenly stall again. | |||
| 03/22/2010 | 165000 | 8 | |
| Car repeatedly stalls with no explanation. volvo dealership has worked on car 8 times. throttle parts have been replaced, etm, and many other parts. now they say it's the catalytic converter. this is extremely frustrating and scary. there seems to be no rhyme or reason to why the car stalls. sometimes, it will act as if there's a clogged fuel line, then it stalls the next time i have to decelerate. other times, it dies when i'm driving. *dt | |||
| 10/22/2009 | 96300 | 1 | |
| 1999 volvo v70 awd - electronic throttle system failed at ~96,000 miles. required $1500 in repairs because the car was just outside of the extended warranty period. currently negotiating with volvo about at least partial compensation, as ets failures have been a longstanding problem with this model. no resolution yet. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| The indicator light on the gear selector has burnt out. there's a 'signal-orange' colored indicator mark that tracks the gear selector against the slate grey color shift assembly put there as a safety feature so you know what gear you're in and don't accidentally take off in an unintended direction, forward or reverse, or roll into someone while unintentionally finding yourself in neutral. well now at night unless you turn on the interior light, you can just guess what gear you're in because when it's dark in the cab you can't see at all what's what as far a gear selection. i find this remarkable. at age 49, with all the cars we've owned and all i | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 112641 | 2 | 11/17/2004 |
| 1. vehicle sputtered, engine would rev with no change in pressure on gas pedal, followed by nearly complete loss of power and near engine cut off. 2. no complete failure, as soon as symptoms began, it was taken to a dealer 3. volvo dealer and repair shop determined the failure was ecm code 903c, 91a7: throttle internal fault. replaced electronic throttle module. old part is not available. 15 mar 2005 - 1. same symptoms; car was unable to maintain highway speed of 60 mph. 2. engine stalled once before going to dealer repair but started back up without problem. 3. exact failure codes not provided, but was determined to be engine control module fault. electronic throttle module was replaced. covered by volvo parts warranty. old part is not available. *jb | |||
| 03/13/2006 | 117212 | 2 | 02/01/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving, at various speeds, the electronic throttle control module light illuminated followed by the vehicle operating at a reduced speed. the vehicle was seen by an authorized dealership for inspection and replaced the computer, but the problem returned. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the service department replaced the battery. afterwards, the problem persisted and the vehicle was again seen by the dealer. the dealer determined the vehicle needed a new computer and the vehicle is currently at the dealer awaiting this replacement. the consumer stated he is still experiencing stalling problems. the manufacturer will not authorize the replacement of the ets. the dealer stated no codes were showing up. updated 08/25/06. *jb | |||
| 12/05/2005 | 139100 | 2 | 10/01/1999 |
| My volvo v70 will suddenly de-accelerate. i understand this may be due to a faulty electronic throttle system. i have had to pay for replacements parts that are also faulty. this has occurred twice since i purchased the car in 1999. *jb | |||
| 11/09/2005 | 1 | 09/17/1998 | |
| Stalling at low speeds. the etm has been replaced twice, xref 10137600. *ak the mass air flow unit was replaced, the bulbs burned out, the blower motor fan would run constantly, the check engine and abs light would illuminate. the consumer sold the vehicle in may 2005. updated 01/09/06. *jb | |||
| 10/20/2004 | 38000 | 8 | 09/27/1998 |
| I've had numerous electronic problems with my volvo v70 since i bought it in 1998. the vehicle has been brought back to the volvo repair dealer for many repairs (i have organized documents of all the repair orders) clearly identified as lost of power while driving. mostly on small roads and only once on an interstate. originally started under warranty, i was told that the same problem was not covered outside of warranty when i spoke with the president of volvo north america's secretary. i have had many parts replaced trying to correct the situation including two electronic throttle control units (totaling three if you include the one that came with the car). loss of power, stalling at traffic lights, hesitation when pressing on accelerator, an other comments are all documented in the volvo repair shop repair orders. the problems continued until throughout my ownership of the car. i finally gave up and sold it june 05. the repairs that volvo did to my v70 would work for a while and then the lights would soon come back on. i'd put up with it for a while until the car started to become to dangerous to drive (hesitation) and then i'd bring it in for repair. volvo tried different solutions and told me that the computer codes indicated different repairs, but to me it was always the same symptoms. i would be glad to share the entire book of repair orders over the 7 years (and 167,000 miles) that i owned the car. again they were always done at a certified volvo dealership. *jb | |||
| 09/05/2005 | 55000 | 1 | 09/01/2004 |
| I own a 1999 volvo v70 awd wagon with 55,000 miles. we were traveling on the highway at about 70 mph and the car started to surge. the ets light came on. we were able to drive home, but the car was running roughly. i contacted the dealer and made an appointment to bring it in. i was told that the electronic throttle body module needed to be replaced. they also suggested a complete vehicle software upgrade. i have an extended warranty (sold to me by the dealer), but it did not cover this repair. *jb | |||
| 08/31/2005 | 75000 | 3 | 09/10/2002 |
| While driving the car, my wife would experience stalls with our children in the rear seats. when the check engine light came on, our dealer diagnosed the problem of a faulty electronic throttle module on our 1999 v70. *jb | |||
| 04/02/2003 | 59061 | 1 | |
| Ets light on, dealer replaced etm customer pay. receipts faxed to odi, this voq created from e-mail sent by current owner mr. scott. the consumer stated the part failed and was replaced before he purchased the vehicle, but he is sure it will have to replaced again. *jb | |||
| 01/12/2005 | 78000 | 2 | |
| 1999 volvo v-70 lost all power went into limp home mode approx 25 mph w/o warning . this occurred on an interstate with heavy traffic. emt cleaned problem still occurring making for a very unsafe and dangerous and conditions. *jb | |||
| 05/10/2005 | 100000 | 2 | 04/18/1999 |
| Problems with my 1999 volvo v70 incident 5/10/05 1. events leading up to the failure. my car experienced a falter then rough idle and drastically reduced power. in addition the check engine light went on. 2. the car seemed to recover and i was able to make it home. 3. i took my car into my repair shop and had the problem diagnosed. i was told the fault codes registered in the cars computer indicated there was a failing evaporator purge valve along with bad electronic throttle module (etm). the repair cost me $1,070.00. incident 5/24/05 1.after a little over 3 months my car has experienced the same symptoms. falter then rough idle and drastically reduced power. in addition the check engine light went on. 2.i plan to have the car analyzed by the same repair shop that did the previous $1,070.00 worth of work. 3.resolution pending investigation based on the research i have done this issue seems similar to action number: pe05041 that is currently being investigated by nhtsa. nhtsa action number : pe05041 nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a make : volvo model: v70 manufacturer : volvo cars of n.a. llc. year : 2001 component : vehicle speed control date investigation opened : july 26, 2005 date investigation closed : open summary: the office of defects investigation (odi) has received one hundred and thirty-one (131) consumer complaints alleging a variety of concerns resulting from failure of the electronic throttle control module (etm) in the subject vehicles, including a sudden loss of speed and steering assist when driving in highway traffic and sudden and complete stall without warning. in some instances, it has been reported that the vehicles would restart, and in some cases the vehicles were towed. some consumers allege that after having the etm replaced the new component failed in a similar manner. | |||
| 08/13/2005 | 85000 | 1 | 08/13/2002 |
| 1. events leading to failure.... about 3 week prior, experienced hesitation (almost stalling) when slowing from highway speeds to lower and stopping speeds. *nm 2. failure.... finally, it happened. (i had just read an article about this in the paper!) it stalling when slowing down and wouldn't restart until some 2 hours later. luckily it was daytime and in a good neighborhood. 3. what was done... took it into volvo dealer with the symptoms and they replaced the etm. lots of $$$! | |||
| 07/31/2005 | 99675 | 1 | 05/25/2000 |
| I was driving south on i-85 in duluth, ga. this stretch of metro atlanta interstate has six lanes in either direction and traffic was flowing at speeds of around 75 mph. the ets light came on when we were in the far left (fast) lane, the car began losing power. i moved to the right as best i could and got off at the next exit. by the time i got to the exit ramp, the car was skipping and missing badly. my daughter looked up ets in the owner's manual and, based on what the manual said, i cut the car off and waited a few minutes for it to reset. i cranked it back up and we limped the rest of the way home. since then i have only started it once, but it was running rough so i did not go anywhere. considering what we have learned about etm failures since this happened and the amount of traffic in atlanta, i have been scared to drive it. having to cross five lanes of fast-moving traffic in a car rapidly losing power is not a safe situation. *jb | |||
| 06/04/2005 | 85000 | 10 | 06/09/2003 |
| During normal driving conditions the 1999 volvo v70 glt will stall, or die out. other instances that occur along with or alone, are the gauges all being cut off. my wife says they look like they were unplugged. we have been really punished for purchasing this vehicle. volvo has replaced numerous parts and other mechanics have as well (became to costly @dealership-think they are very disreputable). this car has been driven primarily in the city of nashville and kept very clean and serviced regularly. with 117,000 miles on it, the dealership has replaced one throttle body @85000 and it now needs another. these aren't related i don't think but i can explain much better over the phone. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2005 | 98800 | 15 | |
| The electronic throttle module in my volvo v70 fails without warning. often at highway speeds, this results in a sudden loss of speed (almost as if the brakes were suddenly applied). though volvo's owners manual indicates this can happen, and recommends restarting the car (under the section on the ets light), i am convinced the repeated failures constitute a safety hazard. were it to occur when changing lanes or merging, i fear the situation could be quite bad. although volvo recommends replacing the etm for $1000+, i am reluctant to do so, not least because others with the same problem have spent the money to replace the module, and then ended up with the same problem again. recently, the incidents are occurring as often as once very 15 to 30 minutes.*jb | |||
| 11/10/2004 | 97389 | 1 | |
| No events leading to failure. electronic throttle control module failed whiled driving on freeway. forced to make emergency stop and have vehicle towed to repair facility to have the module replaced. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2005 | 98500 | 6 | |
| The electronic throttle module in my 1999 volvo v70 as begun to fail without warning. often the problem will fix itself upon restarting. however, when the module fails (and the ets light comes on in the dash), an extremely sudden loss of power is experienced---enough that it could easily lead to a loss of control. the problem has occurred at least 15 times in the past 2 days, and is a serious safety hazard. volvo, in the owners manual for the car, indicates that this failure may sometimes occur (in the section describing the ets light) and suggest trying to restart the car. while restarting the car does often work, i find this to be an unacceptable and very serious safety hazard. volvo's solution for me is to replace the throttle module at $1000 or more. many have experienced this same problem, though, and the defect seems to be clearly systemic. what's more, there is no evidence that volvo's replacements won't exhibit precisely the same problem. *jb | |||
| 11/29/2002 | 3 | ||
| Dt: the vehicle stalled. the dealer replaced throttle body 3 times. *ak *jb | |||
| 03/17/2005 | 55000 | 3 | 10/20/1998 |
| 11/12/04 mass air flow sensor replaced 12/16/04 map sensor & shut off valve replaced 3/15/05 shut off valve replaced again! 1/18 05 master window switch pack replaced - 5/31/05 master window switch pack replaced again!! 3/17/05 electronic throttle control module replaced!!! 5/9/05 oxygen sensor and abs control unit replaced. when the throttle control module failed in march 2005, my 1999 volvo v70 had only 55,000 miles on it! i was on the expressway when my car lost power and had no way to get back onto the road safely.....i have spent over $4000 in the past year replacing electrical control units in order to make this car safe. the check engine light came multiple times over the past year. i am afraid to drive this car for fear of something else going wrong with the electrical system. i have four small grandchildren who are with me at least three days a week. *nm | |||
| 05/17/2005 | 60117 | 1 | |
| Please include my vehicle incident to nhtsa action # pe05041. while driving on the highway the vehicle ets (electronic throttle system) warning light came on. vehicle was able to drive home. next day vehicle would not start, however, was able to start by bypassing gear selector into neutral and vehicle started and was taken to volvo dealer. volvo replaced the ets unit and reloaded the software under the special ca emissions warranty. since volvo replaced the part with an identical unit, i am concerned the unit will fail again out of warranty and i will have to replace at my cost ($1,000.00). volvo should redesign and replace ets units to volvo owners at no cost. *jb | |||
| 12/03/2004 | 81992 | 1 | 12/23/1998 |
| Incidence 7 of 7 similar. as reported on service invoice: customer states: ever since throttle was done a couple of months ago, feels like it is going in and out of gear while driving- feels for a micro second at various times going in and out of gear. nino can call for more info if necessary. refer to ro 435245 09/17/04 78697 miles - found defect in throttle unit assembly replaced -- technician found codes for etm internal malfunction. replaced etm and performed download. this incident was the 7th of 7 similar problems occurring later that ultimately lead to having the throttle body cleaned twice & then replaced twice. i have reported all the previous incidents in sequence of occurrence on this nhtsa complaint site as well. note that this particular incident seems to be consistent with already-recognized nhtsa action number pe05041 failure of the electronic throttle control module (etm) in the subject vehicles. previously reported incidents: 1) odi #10131200 2) odi #10131206 3) odi #10131207 4) odi #10131208 5) odi #10131209 6) odi #10131213. *jb | |||
| 09/17/2004 | 78697 | 1 | 12/23/1998 |
| Incidence 6 of 7 similar. as reported on service invoice: customer states: ets light came on after driving car at highway speeds. when decelerating down to local (town) speed car has a severe sputtering, hesitation as if it was going to stall. fault traced system with vadis and retrieved codes ecm-532d ecm-9190, ecm-91a7, and ecm-91f0... replaced electronic throttle assembly, and downloaded new software to adapt car. this incident was the 6th of 7 similar problems occurring later that ultimately lead to having the throttle body cleaned twice & then replaced twice. i will be reporting all these subsequent incidents in sequence of occurrence on this nhtsa complaint site as well. note that this particular incident seems to be consistent with already-recognized nhtsa action number pe05041 failure of the electronic throttle control module (etm) in the subject vehicles. previously reported incidents: 1) odi #10131200 2) odi #10131206 3) odi #10131207 4) odi #10131208 5) odi #1013120.*jb | |||
| 06/15/2004 | 73938 | 1 | 12/23/1998 |
| Incidence 5 of 7 similar. as reported on service invoice: customer states: check engine light on. there are drive ability concerns. car cuts out intermittent right after starting - warm or cold start. see attached. access diagnostic codes: ecm 2110 and ecm 720a. replace immobilizer antenna ring and front oxygen sensor. reset adaptation. this incident was the 5th of 7 similar problems occurring later that ultimately lead to having the throttle body cleaned twice & then replaced twice. i will be reporting all these subsequent incidents in sequence of occurrence on this nhtsa complaint site as well. previously reported incidents: 1) odi #10131200 2) odi #10131206 3) odi #10131207 4) odi #10131208. *jb | |||
| 05/28/2004 | 73420 | 1 | 12/23/1998 |
| Incidence 4 of 7 similar. as reported on service invoice: customer reports: 1) when slowing down to a stop tach drops and then picks back up when car comes to a stop. clean throttle housing. 2) was getting 20 miles per gallon now about 17 1/2. perform software upgrade for ecm, tcm and etm. this incident was the 4th of 7 similar problems occurring later that ultimately lead to having the throttle body cleaned twice & then replaced twice. i will be reporting all these subsequent incidents in sequence of occurrence on this nhtsa complaint site as well. previously reported incidents: 1) odi #10131200 2) odi #10131206 3) odi #10131207. *jb | |||
| 06/24/2003 | 60160 | 1 | 12/23/1998 |
| Incidence 3 of 7 similar. as reported on service invoice: [throttle & cruise] customer reports: ets light comes on intermittently - light goes out on restart. access diagnostic codes: ecm 91a7. perform software download & reset adaptations. this incident was the 3rd of 7 similar problems occurring later that ultimately lead to having the throttle body cleaned twice & then replaced twice. i will be reporting all these subsequent incidents in sequence of occurrence on this nhtsa complaint site as well. previously reported incidents: 1) odi #10131200 2) odi #10131206. *jb | |||
| 11/19/2002 | 50314 | 1 | 12/23/1998 |
| Incidence 2 of 7 similar. as reported on service invoice: customer reports; vibration when coming to a stop. shop foreman road tested with customer; felt poor idle at stopping of car. access diagnostic trouble code; none stored. r&r throttle body. clean and adjust throttle unit. this incident was the 2nd of 7 similar problems occurring later that ultimately lead to having the throttle body cleaned twice & then replaced twice. i will be reporting all these subsequent incidents in sequence of occurrence on this nhtsa complaint site as well. previously reported incidents: 1) odi #10131200. *jb | |||
| 04/08/2005 | 97500 | 3 | 05/01/2003 |
| Vehicle quit running unexpectedly. (1) no warning. (2) engine quit in traffic. (3) cleaned idle air control valve. *nm | |||
| 05/26/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1999 volvo v70 experiencing problems with the electronic throttle system.***no answer required*** *mr the ets light (electronic throttle system) would come on and the vehicle would start to buck. several mechanics, dealer and friends of the consumers stated that this was a common problem. *sc *jb | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 3 | ||
| After charging the battery, the car would not start. *bf the incident has happened at least 3 times and the dealer stated there was no fix to the problem. *jb | |||
| 06/18/2000 | 10/01/1998 | ||
| Console and console knobs very hot to the touch - tapes have melted in tape deck - electrical switches malfunction repeatedly but in no apparent pattern - turn signals and headlights burn out on a regular basis - windows have not operated - electrical seat adjustment has failed - air conditioner swithces have failed.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 10/06/2000 | 5 | ||
| 1999 volvo v70 developed a problem with the throttle body sensor resulting in the vehicle stalling. *mr the consumer experienced numerous problems with the vehicle; replacement of defective gear shifter light socket and the driver side window switch, battery leads malfunction causing the battery to fail, the rear window washer pump burned out, and the driver door check strap had broken off. *sc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | |||
| 11/01/1999 | 01/29/1999 | ||
| There was an electrical problem within the turn signal socket which caused the wires to melt, causing the turn signal to be inoperative. consumer has contacted the dealer. dealer stated the turn signal socket needed replacing. also, this was a common problem with this vehicle. *ak | |||
| 06/15/1999 | 1 | 10/01/1998 | |
| On the highway i was signalled by another driver that i had no brake lights. i pulled over to confirm and found that indeed i did not have working brake lights. when i got home i found that i had blown a fuse for the brake light circuit. i replaced the fuse and have not had a problem since. i reported the problem to the dealer at my following service appointment. the service rep confirmed that all 3 lights (2 main & the high mounted 3rd light were on the same fuse. i feel this is a safety issue as 1 fuse going out with seemingly no cause leaves the vehicle and driver vulnerable to a rear end accident.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 11/01/2005 | 50 | ||
| 1999 volvo v70 engine starts and then stops suddenly. sometimes will have to restart engine 3 or 4 times before it continues to run. dealer has been unable to find and/or repair this problem. *jb | |||
| Ignition cap cross threaded. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 05/15/2005 | 116000 | 10 | |
| Our 1999 volvo v70 simply stopped without warning. portland, me dealer reprogrammed the computer and checked. we drove 1500 miles and again it stopped...this time repeatedly. indianapolis dealer kept the car for 3 weeks and reported that they inadvertantly solved whatever the problem was ($435). in the subsequent month & 4500 miles later, all appears to be well. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| Consumer has noticed the dashboard has become very hot at times with tempertures of 191 degrees, causing serval components to melt, such as tapes, etc. consumer contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the cause. please provide any further details. *ak | |||