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 | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||||||||||||
| 06V441000 | VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. | from 07/10/1998 to 05/12/1999 | V (Vehicle) | 170099 | 12/29/2006 | ODI | VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. | 11/15/2006 | 11/20/2006 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain passenger vehicles, a combination of throttle positioning sensor irregularities, a dirty throttle housing, and/or inefficient software calibration may cause a warning lamp to light and the subsequent onset of limp home modes. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | This resulted in a high number of vehicles going into the limp home mode without need. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will install the current software upgrade onto the involved vehicles. the recall began on december 29, 2006. owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Volvo recall no. r155. customers may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||||
| 155 | 03/20/2006 | 10019595 | Electronic throttle system software upgrade. *tt | 03/31/2006 | |
| 149 | 03/16/2006 | 149 | 10019591 | Electronic throttle module (etm) extended warranty. *tt | 03/31/2006 |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||
| EA05021 | VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. | 12/06/2005 | 12/12/2006 | THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION | 06V441000 | |
| On november 14, 2006 volvo submitted a defect information report to nhtsa concerning etm failures in model year (my) 1999 through 2001 volvo models (not including the s40 and v40), my 2002 s60 and v70 with naturally aspirated engines and my 2002 v70s.according to volvo, | ||||||
| PE05041 | VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC. | 07/26/2005 | 12/07/2005 | THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION | ||
| Pe05-041 was opened on july, 26, 2005, based on 136 consumer complaints to odi alleging throttle control malfunctions in the subject vehicles.odi has now received 591 complaints of etm failures which allege symptoms with potential safety related consequences.these include allegations of engine stall, vehicle surging forward without accelerator input, vehicle hesitation upon acceleration and sudden and unexpected transition into reduced performance operation (limp mode).volvo submitted over 2,900 complaints concerning the etm in the subject vehicles during pe05-041.odi's preliminary analysis of a sample the volvo complaints identified approximately 55 percent with one or more of the symptoms described above.odi is continuing its assessment of the information contained in the volvo complaints. in november 2005, to resolve an investigation by the california air resources board, volvo announced that it would extend the warranty coverage to 10 years / 200,000 miles for the etm in approximately 356,000 model year 1999 through 2002 passenger cars sold in the united states and canada.under volvo's policy, vehicles that experience etm failures will receive a variety of repairs including etm cleaning, reprogramming the engine control module and/or replacement of the etm. this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea05-021) to continue to assess the safety consequences of etm failures in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 04/10/2011 | 174000 | 1 | |
| The car went into a limp home mode as i was pulling into traffic, causing several cars to have to swerve to keep from hitting me. i called volvo and they said the 99 & 00 ( which i own both ) models had a recall on the part. i carried the car to the volvo dealership and they said the recall was only to install a software update, not to replace the part itself. well, they did the software upgrade and about half way home, 5 miles or less, the etc light came on again and the car went into the limp home mode again, barely making it home. i called the dealership and they said that the module itself needed to be replaced and was not covered by the recall ????? they told me it would be between $1200-$1300 to replace. this is extremely wrong and dangerous. as much as i can gather from reading complaints on volvo forums, this is a problem volvo has known about since at least 2004 and has affected about 200,000 cars. is there nothing that can be done about this matter ?? please advise.. ps. the vin on my 2000 v70 xc is [xxx] , has 145,000 miles and has the exact same problem as the 1999 model. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr | |||
| 04/10/2011 | 174000 | ||
| The car went into a limp home mode as i was pulling into traffic, causing several cars to have to swerve to keep from hitting me. i called volvo and they said the 99 & 00 ( which i own both ) models had a recall on the part. i carried the car to the volvo dealership and they said the recall was only to install a software update, not to replace the part itself. well, they did the software upgrade and about half way home, 5 miles or less, the etc light came on again and the car went into the limp home mode again, barely making it home. i called the dealership and they said that the module itself needed to be replaced and was not covered by the recall ????? they told me it would be between $1200-$1300 to replace. this is extremely wrong and dangerous. as much as i can gather from reading complaints on volvo forums, this is a problem volvo has known about since at least 2004 and has affected about 200,000 cars. is there nothing that can be done about this matter ?? please advise.. ps. the vin on my 2000 v70 xc is yv1lz56d9y2662468 , has 145,000 miles and has the exact same problem as the 1999 model. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| 1999 volvo xc v70. consumer states vehicle the would hesitate and then suddenly accelerate. *tgw the consumer stated the dealer informed him the vehicle was too old for warranty repairs concerning the etm components. *jb | |||
| 10/16/2006 | 95000 | 1 | 11/22/2002 |
| The abs/trac and brake warning lights are coming on simultaneously and then go off after a few minutes. on other occasions, the speedometer stops working and the orange arrow starts blinking. sometimes when the orange light is blinking, the car shifts to winter mode and you cannot accelerate as you normally would. the dealer told me that it is the abs module and cost of repair would be over $1000. i had the electronic throttle replaced last year. it looks like a poor design, as i have been reading a lot about these problems on volvos. i am requesting nhtsa contact volvo headquarters and demand a recall on this hazardous abs and acceleration safety problem. *jb | |||
| 08/06/2006 | 126000 | 4 | 10/01/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 20mph the vehicle accelerated without warning which caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the vehicle then suddenly slowed, and subsequently would not accelerate beyond 15mph. the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined the problem was caused by the electronic throttle module. the contact expressed there was no brake interference to cause the vehicle to decelerate. the manufacturer was alerted who will be investigating the problem. *ak | |||
| 03/05/2006 | 53000 | 1 | 01/10/1999 |
| Ets warning. prior to this lack of performance and power. soon after purchase it had occurred and dealer reset computer. *nm | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 68038 | 2 | |
| Electronic throttle module (etm) failed twice at 8/1/03 68,000 miles and on 9/8/05 at 76,000 miles. volvo dealership in medford, oregon charged over $800 each time to repair the defect.*ak | |||
| 07/22/2004 | 58635 | 2 | 03/27/2003 |
| This complaint is regarding 2 faulty throttle modules (etm) that have been replaced by volvo dealerships for my 1999 volvo v70 xc. the first/original etm was replaced under warranty with 58,635 miles on 22 may 03. 14 months and 12,474 miles later, that etm failed and i had to replace it at my cost. symptoms included irregular and erratic acceleration and deceleration of the car at highway speeds with the acceleration pedal pressed, but steady. it should also be noted that the two etm's that were installed were both model# 8644347. this shows evidence that volvo is only replacing a failed defective etm with a new defective etm. i urge the nhtsa to look into this matter for the safety of volvo drivers who might get into a future accident due to this defective part. thank you. *jb | |||
| 10/15/2005 | 66000 | 1 | 08/27/2005 |
| 1) ets light and check engine light would illuminate within a few minutes of starting car. check engine light would occasionally turn off while driving, ets stayed on. car began to hesitate and surge, particularly noticeable around 35-mph and 60-mph. 2) all most complete loss of power while driving on side street, under normal conditions. when pressing the accelerator there was very little response. parked the car over night on side of road. next day it was more responsive, though still had the ets and check engine lights on. 3) volvo dealer replace the electronic throttle body. total cost $1300. i asked for the old throttle body, but was told it would cost several hundred dollars, as there was a core charge from volvo. was also told that if there eventually was a recall on this part my receipt would be sufficient for reimbursement. *jb | |||
| 10/12/2005 | 91000 | 1 | |
| Electronic throttle module failure left my family stranded. repair cost $1000. i've read that this issue is very common in my vehicle and that volvo has not made any attempt to rectify. the sputtering that led up to the failure could have easily resulted in a merge accident with my family in the car. the nhtsa and volvo should not wait for further expense and injury to force a recall. *nm | |||
| 10/01/2005 | 64000 | 2 | 10/01/2004 |
| My 1999 volvo v70xc had been performing sluggishly, with inconsistent power at highway speeds when under manual control or cruise. i had an intermittent check engine light. i took my vehicle to a volvo dealership on 8/16/05 where they replaced the air mass meter and evap valve for the charcoal canister. after this service the performance of my vehicle remained the same. on october 1, 2005 i had a potentially dangerous incident. while merging onto an expressway my vehicle sputtered and lost power. the engine all but died and it was difficult to steer to the shoulder. my merging and failure to accelerate caused a very close call with the cars behind me. i pulled over, stopped my engine for a few minutes, and restarted as proscribed in my owner's manual. the vehicle drove as it did previous to the incident for another hour. i did not drive this vehicle again for another week. taking it for a drive on october 9th it again drove fine initially, but i had a similar failure after a few miles. again the engine lost nearly all power and would stall at idle. turning off the engine, waiting, and restarting the engine did not remedy the problem this time. after a few stops and restarts i was able to make it to my house without a tow. i called the volvo dealer where i had the work done in august. after hearing of the symptoms and the previous work they informed me quite quickly that the repair was to replace the etm module and the cost would be approximately $1000. the speed at which they replied made me think is was a common, or at least known problem with this model. i spoke with a non-dealer volvo specialist mechanic (swedish car specialists of schaumburg, il) who said this was a known problem with my model year. also a few internet websites have reported this problem, with one, http://www.vexedvolvo.org going int great detail.*jb | |||
| 05/20/2005 | 11800 | 3 | 01/20/2005 |
| Mileage approx 115,000 when purchased now 120,000 within 8 months. hardly hard use. failure of ecm and o2 sensors, on two occasions the second within 1000 miles and 1 month of first repair. caused the car to surge, if restarted might stall and generally become dangerous to drive. no warning of failure. volvo dealerships well aware of problem and offered immediate and correct diagnosis prior to checking the computer codes, without needing much investigation. 2 dealers worked on the car one don bayer in washington and independence volvo in charlotte. instructed independence volvo dealer to make car safe and roadworthy. uploaded faults and downloaded onto vehicle, new software. within 1 month new symptoms appear. at various times these lights show and reset abs warning, engine warning, traction control warning, speedo failure, check engine, service warning (even though service is just carried out).symptoms include lack of throttle response when pulling away, when speedo fails. no warning of change in status means this happens during turning maneuvers with potentially dangerous or lethal consequences. checking various sources note that abs module failure is common making the car potentially unsafe in emergency, not only for braking but during acceleration as the cars ability to pull at its normal rate is vastly reduced, adding throttle does nothing, but if the system turns back on again no warning, the speedometer just comes back to life ) this can cause unneeded fierce acceleration. i noted one death on the highway of a young woman who appeared to accelerate off the road during a benign maneuver and am concerned that this on/off speedometer/abs transmission problem might have been the cause rather than the ecm currently the focus of the investigation. *nm | |||
| 10/04/2005 | 73000 | 1 | 01/01/2003 |
| I have had intermittent problems with drivability with my 1999 volvo v70. warning lights would come on and off and erratic driving performance were experienced. then the ets light came on and stayed on. drivability worsened to the point of fearing getting stranded in the middle of the intersection or highway. safety seems to be compromised by the unpredictability of the cars performance. in speaking with the dealer it was clear that this was a common problem. it was also extremely expensive and there were no alternatives as this could only be repaired through the dealer. this problem is well documented. this problem is consistent. this problem compromises safety. and with the cost of the repair and lack of alternatives measures, this feels like a manufacturer taking advantage of the customer. lastly, the dealer will replace this faulty component with another faulty component. the root cause of the problem will remain and i can look forward to more problems. *jb | |||
| 07/19/2005 | 1 | ||
| 1999 volvo v70 xc developed problems with the electronic throttle system. *mr recall campaign#10131400. while in motion the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of engine power. the consumer noticed that the ets light had illuminated. *sc | |||
| 09/10/2005 | 114844 | 2 | |
| Dt: the consumer stated that the 1999 volvo v70 had to have the throttle module replaced. the car had all the lights come on before the car lost power. the car would intermittently stop giving any information at all from the dash. there was an arrow in the dash that indicated that there was a throttle problem. the consumer was the second owner of this vehicle, and it cost her $904.00 to replace the throttle. *ak | |||
| 09/10/2005 | 73698 | 1 | 08/26/2002 |
| Initially, i noticed the car would surge upon acceleration in 1st gear. sometimes, maybe 40% of the time, i would start off from a stop, but the car would hesitate before going. also, the car would idle roughly when first started, and would 'shutter' when turned off. once, i turned off the car and removed the key, and the car continued to sputter roughly until i restarted it. it was recommended by my mechanic to use a fuel treatment, and use premium gas with detergents. i did this, and nothing changed. recently, as these symptoms worsened, the ets light began to intermittently come on in my car. the light had been on and off for 3 weeks and i called my mechanic. i took the car to my mechanic, who upon checking the computer codes, found that the ets light was due to a failure in the electronic throttle body unit. he stated that it would need to be replaced by the dealer due to the computer reprogramming necessary for proper installation. on sept 20, 2005 , i had the electronic throttle unit replaced by the volvo dealer at a cost of $1016.33. *nm | |||
| 09/08/2005 | 102000 | 3 | 11/11/2002 |
| Dt: the consumer stopped a traffic light, and after the light changed, the consumer stepped on the accelerator and the car moved forward about ten feet , and there was a decrease in power to the point of stalling. the consumer felt as though it coasted through, she immediately pulled to the side of the road. the electronic throttle system ( ets) light illuminated. she referred to owner's manual, which suggested to turn the engine off and try to restart vehicle. consumer did so, and the vehicle restarted, but the ets as well as the check engine light came on. the consumer called mechanic, who instructed the consumer to turn engine off and restart the vehicle. the consumer did so, and the panel lights came on. about five miles later the problem returned. took vehicle to independent mechanic who suggested that ets failed and replaced it. *nm | |||
| 09/08/2005 | 15 | 3 | 11/11/2002 |
| I own a 1999 volvo v70xc. while driving to work on 9/8/05, suddenly the electronic throttle system (ets) light lit up on my driver control panel, and i lost a considerable amount of acceleration as i was driving through an intersection. i quickly pulled over to the side of the road, and checked my owner's manual. as the manual instructed, i contacted my mechanic from the road and he suggested i bring it in right away. after several stops & driving on the shoulder i made it to my mechanic (15 miles) who was actually surprised i had been able to drive it there at all. he told me the ets would probably need to be replaced at approximately $950 to $1150. i was floored by the news, especially since it seemed to be a safety issue. after some investigating i found out that there is a class action suit against volvo concerning the ets, and i'm going to complain as much and as loudly as i can about this matter. i am extremely frustrated--my car is sitting in the driveway because it is unsafe to drive, and i don't feel i should have to spend $1000 to have it fixed if there is pending litigation for a campaign to recall the car for the ets. my husband and i bought this car because we knew volvo had a reputation for being a very safe car--so much so that we bought a 2001 volvo v70xc--two wagons in one family! now we're considering selling both cars. i'm extremely disgusted about this matter. ellenore pringle. *nm | |||
| 08/17/2005 | 85000 | 3 | 04/16/1999 |
| Electronic throttle module failed and replaced 3 times; 11/03, 12/04, 8/05 on a 1999 volvo v70xc. *nm | |||
| 07/01/2003 | 90000 | 1 | 12/26/2002 |
| Last year, i brought my car to the local volvo dealer (goodwin's in brunswick, me) because the engine was surging. this means that the engine was revving and slowing independent of the accelerator pedal. they told me that this is a defect in the electronic throttle control, that it was dangerous and needed to be fixed, that lots of volvo's up to the year 2003 had it, and then volvo finally managed to engineer a fix. in fact, the service manager said he wouldn't by a volvo car unless it was 2003 model or newer for this reason. when i asked why it wasn't a recall issue since there are so many problems, they simply replied that it wasn't. i was charged about $1000.00 to have it replaced. *nm | |||
| 12/05/2004 | 84000 | 12 | 08/01/1999 |
| Dt: the consumer owns two volvos, a 1999 cross-country and a 1998 cross-country. vehicle stalled and lost power due to the failure of electronic throttle system (ets). *ak | |||
| 11/30/2004 | 10 | ||
| Dt: vehicle stalled/died, and lost power due to throttle body failure. *ak | |||
| 05/01/2005 | 1 | 05/01/2002 | |
| Dt: the contact owned a 1999 volvo v70 xc. she experienced three month of impeded performance. the problem with the vehicle was prudentially hazardous. manufacturer should do a recall and pay the associated expenses. the vehicle stalled/died/ lost power due to throttle body malfunctioning. *ak | |||
| 01/14/2004 | 100000 | 1 | 01/17/2003 |
| I own a 1999 volvo v70 xc. the car suddenly stopped and stalled. i was able to restart it and drive it. i was told that the electronic throttle control module (etm) has failed and needs replacement. i am told that if i do not replace this part, $1000+ repair, that the car can experience a sudden stall again. doing some research on the internet and talking to the mechanic it sounds like this is a very common problem with certain volvo's. it would seem to me that because of the frequency of failure and seriousness of potential safety issues volvo would have addressed the etm problem a long time ago. thank you. *nm | |||
| 04/05/2005 | 46000 | 5 | 01/09/1999 |
| Dt: 1999 volvo wagon vxc. sudden loss of power . the car did not stall except at a stop sign when giving it a lot of gas to get it going. this happened intermittently for two months. took vehicle to dealership, and they said it would cost $1753.00 to fix it. the car is out of warranty. they would put in a new steering rod/ front end alignment/ vehicle speed sensor/ throttle body assembly/ an automatic transmission, and drain and refill the coolant. *ak *jb | |||
| 09/12/2004 | 55000 | 1 | 07/08/2004 |
| Service engine soon (ses) light came on recently purchased this car with 55000 miles on odometer. call to volvo indicated that this usually meant that the etm (electronic throttle module) needs cleaning. call local independant volvo mechanic. he had me check the color of the label on etm. said that i had the original etm and that claing does no good, etm needs replaced as he has seen this issue many times. had independent mechanic replace etm at a cost of ~$800. further investigation on internet found that this is a very common occurance. also noted that i had purchased an extended warranty with car and that the warranty explicitly exluded etm....coincidence? i think not.....the etm failure is not only a safetly hazzard (car can not go > 20mph when ses comes on..) but for a car of the alledged quality of a volvo to have a prt such as a throttle module go bad at 55000 miles is crazy. in addition it appears that the replacement etm will be subject to the same problem in the future...note that the vin of this vehicle is yv1lz56d2x2625163, 1999 volvo v70-xc | |||
| 06/06/2005 | 2 | 12/21/1999 | |
| I am writing after seeing a news article on complaints against volvo. i owned a 1999 xc v70 (which i just traded) yv1lz56dxx2559218 twice simply lost power while driving, and would not allow me to get the car to go faster than 10 miles per hour. the first failure occurred sometime in 2003, was repaired, and then failed again in june of 2005. after spending around $1,000 to fix the problem i traded the car in. i complained to volvo several times but they were unresponsive. *nm | |||
| 07/15/2005 | 1 | 12/05/1998 | |
| My car started riding rough in about 2003. rpm's jump, car thrusts like a gas surge. this can occur while on highway speed or while idling at a stop light. the car was serviced and repaired, but then the problem came back (after the service was no longer under warranty). volvo has not been able to solve the problem sufficiently, but i have been told they are related to mass air control, throttle control, and oxygen sensor. my car is currently at volvoville again for service of this problem. *nm | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 03/09/2007 | 114000 | 1 | |
| Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 1999 volvo v70xc with 114000 failure mileage at 65 mph the ets light turned on and the vehicle began to reduce speed. the contact pressed on the gas pedal, but nothing happened. the speed went down to 35 mph, then the contact pulled to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the mechanic. the mechanic stated that there was a problem with the vehicle speed control. the vehicle had not been repaired. *ak | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES | |||
| 03/07/2005 | 64189 | 1 | 02/15/2005 |
| Electronic throttle module etm failure in 1999 volvo xc70 vin yv1lz56d9x2569903 64189 miles at failure. throttle in car would surge / cut out at speed for week leading up to failure. etm light came on and would not go off. etm unit had to be replaced to fix problem $970. *nm | |||