Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||||
| 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 | ||||||
| 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. | ||||||
| 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, | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 04/05/2011 | 149000 | ||
| Throttle control malfunction nhtsa defect investigation #ea05021 volvo v70xc 2001 placed into service on june 19, 2001. the car displays all symptoms of etm failure as described in the numerous online forums regarding this subject. the car lunges forward with my foot on the brake, lunges forward while slowing down and idles erratically as if i were applying the gas pedal over and over. i believe dyer and dyer volvo is attempting to wait me out until the 10 years has passed for the warranty since there is only two months left on the clock. i purchased this car used and took it to dealer on the very next day with these complaints. they indicated that the car received the recall service software update in 2006. they lied to me and told me that they could replace the etm but only after i paid them $600 to clean replace the pcv flame trap. the technician (sam escobar) literally told me, that if i would pay for the flame trap replacement, then he could get the etm replaced for free under warranty - that this just had to be ruled out to satisfy volvo hq. i next took the car to northpoint volvo and they cleaned the intake under the 10 year warranty but still refused to replace the faulty etm. they indicated that the flame trap did not need to be replaced in order to recieve a repalcement etm but that volvo corporate would not approve a replacement etm - only a cleaning. again i believe i am just being waited out. i also have taken the vehicle to an independent volvo-authorized and certified shop (volvo of gwinnett) who have told me that they are 100% certain that i have a failed etm but that volvo will not reimburse them for the warranty work at all - that they only let their dealers do this work to minimize the # of replacements. every day this car displays these characteristics and volvo refuses to replace the clearly faulty etm. am i going to have to get in a fatal accident and die before volvo does the right thing? | |||
| 07/13/2007 | 86492 | 1 | |
| 2001 volvo v70 xc customer states that the car would not accelerate and was shaking**nar**cc the consumer stated there was recall on this vehicle for vehicle speed control and the consumer was not able to get to the dealer to take corrective action. the consumer stated the car started to shake and would not accelerate while her 2 children were in the vehicle. the consumer did not want to enter the vehicle for fear of an accident. the consumer's vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed the repairs but the mechanic who assisted the consumer in getting the vehicle to the dealer for repairs requested $60 for his time in the matter. the consumer stated would like to be reimbursed for the outpocket $60 paid to the mechanic. the consumer provided a copy of repair invoice. *tr | |||
| 05/30/2007 | 64000 | 3 | 03/01/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2001 volvo v70xc. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer because it was surging and hesitating. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. a week later, she decided to take the vehicle back and the dealer replaced the air hose. however, this did not correct the failure. she received recall notice number 06v441000 (vehicle speed control) from the previous owner of the vehicle. she contacted the dealer and they advised her to bring in the vehicle. the dealer stated that if the vehicle does not trigger the warning light, they will not replace the damaged part. the contact is concerned that they will not repair her vehicle. the vin and engine size were unknown. the current mileage is 71,000 and failure mileage was 64,000. | |||
| 04/03/2006 | 64580 | 1 | 11/22/2004 |
| I purchased a 2001 v70 xc in november 2004, with about 37k miles. it now has about 64k miles and yesterday (monday, april 3, 2006) is when she took a dive. i had just returned from a 1200 mile trip early monday morning. on monday afternoon, i started on an errand; backed out of the driveway and drove about 100 yards to the entrance/exit of our subdivision. this happens to be a busy intersection and difficult at times to get out. i saw a small opening in the traffic and i gave the accelerator a pretty good push.......and almost nothing happened. i just started creeping along at less than 20 mph. on inclines it was even worse. the first warning was reduced performance. i turned on the emergency flashers. at that point i was wondering how to get off this busy road and take a less traveled one to the repair shop. i got off the busy road and down the next hill, but not up. the engine was barely running and pushing on the accelerator didn't do anything. next i backed/coasted down the hill and onto a side street, engine still sort of running. i decided to try shutting the engine off. it was difficult to restart, but eventually would with the same problems. i did this a couple of more times - start/ shut down and after a few more attempts, the engine started to run fine. i headed for my usual repair shop (franklin automotive) and they got about 12 throttle body errors and said i need to take it to the authorized volvo dealer - royal volvo. i am in birmingham, al. i took it straight there. the diagnostic cleared error messages. the check engine light was on and a service engine urgent message was present along with one other message that i can't remember. royal volvo updated the etm software, and reprogrammed the ecm as part of service campaign 155. service advisor said that this should fix the etm problem and it should not require any additional service or need additional repairs. all this was listed under a volvo recall and there were no charges. *nm | |||
| 03/07/2006 | 59022 | 4 | 07/02/2005 |
| The events leading up to the failure was a rough idle (vehicle would surge to 1100 rpm and drop to 500 rpm) while at a stop. the vehicle also stalled twice while idling in park. i contacted the volvo dealership to make an appointment for service. on my way home from work the day before i was to drop the vehicle off at the dealership, the vehicle stalled in an intersection. there was a near collision due to the stall. i was able to restart the vehicle and drive it to the shoulder. i called the dealership and described the problem. i asked the service advisor if it would damage the vehicle if i would continue to drive it. he indicated that they could not make a recommendation. i asked them if they would tow the vehicle to their facility. they referred me to a private towing company. there was no answer to the phone number i was given. i decided to wait for the traffic to subside and drive to the dealership using secondary roads. i was able to keep the vehicle running by putting the vehicle in neutral and applying the gas pedal to keep the idle high whenever i approached a stop. when i was approximately 1 mile from the dealership, the gas pedal stopped functioning altogether. the check engine light came on as well as an emission service required message. i turned the vehicle off and restarted it. the gas pedal resumed working but the check engine light and emission service required message continued. i left the vehicle at the dealership (approx. 7:30 p.m. ⿿ by this time they were closed). the following day, the volvo service advisor informed me that the problem was related to the electronic throttle module (etm). i was told that there was an extended warranty for this part (10-years, 200,000-mile). the service included a cleaning of the part and reloading of software. after learning this, i searched the internet and found this problem was typical to this make and model. it is only a matter of time until your reports will soon show an increase in the injuries. *jb | |||
| 02/15/2006 | 68000 | 10 | 05/26/2004 |
| I have a 2001 volvo v70 xc wagon. the car was revving high for a while when shifting gears, i took it to the dealership, and they told me there wasn't a problem. about a month or so later the etm failed. i was being left stranded at freeway off ramps, and green lights when the car would suddenly die. it's a miracle i wasn't rear-ended! after a terrible experience trying to get the dealership to honor the etm warranty, (they only cleaned the etm they did not replace it-saying it wasn't bad enough!), a month has passed and now my transmission has failed! the dealership gave me a $5300 estimate for replacement as it is unrepairable! i took it to our regular mechanic, and he told me the transmission failure @ 70,000 miles happened because the etm wouldn't allow the torque converter do whatever it is a torque converter does, and that caused the oil to heat up and then the resulting transmission failure. he said there is no one around who will touch my transmission. i have to use a dealer to replace it. i am completely devastated and cannot afford to replace the transmission. the car is a lemon. it has almost caused me to be involved in accidents, and i'd really appreciate it if someone could contact me about what resources i have. you are welcome to test my car! i have read on the internet about others who are experiencing the same problems with their etms and then subsequent transmission failures. please help!*jb | |||
| 02/10/2006 | 74000 | 4 | 05/20/2003 |
| We have experienced the reduced power mode on our 2001 volvo xc70 numerous times between dec '05 and feb '06. the vehicle refused to go over 15 mph until the engine was shut-off and restarted. this occurred twice pulling out of our neighborhood onto a major road, entering the highway while attempting to accelerate to highway speed and while attempting a passing maneuver on the highway around 60 mph. in all situations, we were fortunate that someone was not right behind us (my wife and 2 small children) when this occurred, as the potential for an accident is very high. i took the vehicle to my local volvo dealer, where they diagnosed a problem with the electronic throttle module (etm), but stated there was an extended warranty covering this component. however, instead of replacing it immediately, the procedure called for cleaning the etm and downloading new software. only after this procedure was followed and that the event recurred (storing a code in memory), would they be allowed to replace the etm. i picked up the car the same night and again, when pulling out of the neighborhood, the familiar reduced power mode message was displayed. i do not see why if there is a potential for repeated failure, that volvo would not replace the component immediately, since they are equated with vehicle safety. the etm will now be replaced, but i cannot say that i will be any more comfortable with driving our xc70. *nm | |||
| 08/24/2004 | 1 | ||
| Electronic throttle failure on 2001 volvo v70 xc. automobile exibited surging performance at about 90k miles (out of warranty). dealer diagnosed etm failure as emminent; replaced etm at volvo dealer. cost approximately $1000. *nm | |||
| 11/09/2005 | 2 | ||
| 2001 volvo xc70 lost power in evening traffic in early november and was unable to drive / was towed for repair that night and next day car started without incident at auto repair shop / repair shop ran diagnostics and was unable to identify a problem (at a cost to me of $119) / about two weeks later auto began to lose power again so i drove to another local repair shop / ran diagnostics and determined that etm throttle was cause of problem and suggested i have volvo dealer do repair since part is expected to have warrant extended due to number of failures (at a cost to me of $79) / local dealer replaced part and would not address potential warranty extension (at a cost to me of $1200). *nm | |||
| 12/05/2005 | 40000 | 8 | 04/10/2004 |
| On eight different occasions while driving on the freeway at 65 - 75 mph with cruise control on, my volvo v70xc, 2001, has experienced unrecoverable reduced power to idle. i had to make emergency lane changes to get to the side of the road before the car completely stopped. i found if i turned off the ignition and started it again it would run normally. i think there is something wrong with the electronic throttle control module. the check engine light comes on intermittantly. *nm | |||
| 11/16/2005 | 100138 | 7 | 09/10/2005 |
| During accelaration or a downshift to accelarate the on-board computer reads performance reduced and the car looses all power. you must pull over to the side of the road since the car looses all power and shut the car off. once it is off for a few minutes you can start again and resume driving as normal. this has happened several times in the last few weeks. no repair has yet been made. *nm | |||
| 02/14/2005 | 62228 | 1 | 03/09/2001 |
| I was driving at approx 50 mph on a major thoroughfare up a hill when my vehicle suddenly lost power. the computer displayed a reduced power message. i pulled to the right, and continued to drive about 1/8 mile at significantly reduced power until i could pull completely off the road (my children were with me and i wanted to be off the road). i pulled into a parking lot, turned off my vehicle. after a two phone calls, i attempted to turn the vehicle on. it seemed to run fine. i continued on, dropped my children at school, and drove to the volvo dealer. their notes indicate: ...found that etm is defective and had internal faults in it. also found that the codes were set for maf sensor reading out of range. removed etm and found that it was cover with oil. checked banjo fitting and found it to be plugged, clean out banjo fitting, replaced etm and maf sensor down loaded new software into car. cleared all old dtcs and test drove car. car now driving to volvo's specs. cost of repairs: $1332.47 ouch! the lost of power occurred first -- the additional problems were, i believe, a result of the etm failure or due to the fact that i needed to continue driving a short distance to find a safe stopping place. replaced: throttle body, gasket, mass air flow, etm reload. *nm | |||
| 10/15/2005 | 73500 | 1 | 05/05/2004 |
| My 2001 volvo v70xc has experienced severe surging at cruising speeds and at low speed accelerations. numerous times in a couple weeks the performance reduced warning light appeared during some of the surging episodes. one episode caused the car to stall. after restarting i made it home. searching the internet i found many similar stories and lengthy discussions about the etm (electronic throttle module) problems. due to the potential of complete failure and being stranded, i replaced the etm at a local dealer (the dealer recommended the etm replacement based on the engine history codes). the car now runs very well, but i'm skeptical because the same designed part has been installed that is troublesome. *jb | |||
| 06/10/2003 | 49000 | 1 | 09/01/2001 |
| Engine running rough, performance reduced message. brought to smythe volvo in san jose - no problem found. one week later, engine ran rough and stalled while driving in the mountains (middle of dangerous blind curve!), performance reduced message. restarted engine, was able to drive home with several more performance reduced rough running engine episodes. returned to smythe volvo, electronic throttle module (etm) replaced under warranty. *nm | |||
| 11/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| Dt: recently while driving 2001 volvo xc 70 along with elderly mother from oregon to california had a very unpleasant experience that could have cost their lives. all of a sudden vehicle lost t power. had to sit on a very busy freeway for 2 hours in 100 degree heat,and was unable to run the air conditioner or get out of the vehicle due to heavy truck traffic. the contact and mother were finally towed for 70 miles to the nearest volvo dealer. they were told that electronic throttle module (etm) failed, a $1200.00 repair. but they would fix the part at no cost to the contact because of california emission laws. when the contact got home he decided to do a little research into the matter, and discovered that volvo was well aware of this problem ,but have never tried to fix it. in fact, the contact claimed that he was fortunate to break down in california or being stuck with a $1200.00 repair bill because this showed that volvo was dishonest about safety and design since the part replaced in california was simply more of the same faulty equipment that volvo originally installed, and were now under investigation about it. *ak | |||
| 06/15/2005 | 97000 | 6 | 05/19/2001 |
| My volvo 2001 v70xc began to have a rough idle and would stall or bog down when starting out from intersections. this led to our being stuck pulling out into traffic and suddenly having a stalled engine or a car with minimal performance and a performance reduced message. i took the car to the dealer, he replaced the etm for about $1200. car runs fine now. this event happened numerous times, first in early 2005, part replaced in oct 2005. *jb | |||
| 10/09/2005 | 93000 | 1 | 02/15/2005 |
| Dt:the contact complained about the electronic throttle body modulator. while driving the vehicle slowed from 60 mph to 15 mph without warning. there were a lot of noises, vibration, and exhaust smells coming from the engine. the car was pulled off the road without incident. the vehicle was left running initially. the hood was opened to see what the problem was. she could not identify the problem; the vehicle was then turned off. about five minutes later the vehicle was restarted and drove home. the vehicle was taken to a dealership for repairs at her expense. the dealership stated he could not guarantee this would not happen again, even after repairs. the contact was not the original owner. however the vehicle has been regularly maintained by the dealership. *ak updated 1/25/2006 - *nm | |||
| 10/13/2005 | 57133 | 8 | 09/07/2005 |
| While being driven, the car continuously went out of gear, lost power and had to be pulled over to the side of the road. the throttle needed to be replaced. car was out of warranty and after negotiation volvo offered to pay 50% of parts and labor to replace the defective throttle. *nm | |||
| 10/22/2005 | 55120 | 1 | |
| 2001 volvo v70xc check engine light came on and a warning signal stating emission system service required. i took it in to the dealer and the electronic throttle module and the accelerator position sensor was bad. these repairs were over $1100.00 the car only has 55000 miles . i have read that these electronic throttle module systems can fail at any time and can be dangerous.. thankfully i was able to go to the dealer right away. i am going on a long trip at the end of november so i elected to do the repair. the car was running ok when it happened . the warning indicator signal was the only indication of damage. it seems to me that this part should not be failing. for sure it should not fail this soon. *jb | |||
| 06/01/2005 | 70 | 180 | |
| Engine surges stalls at highway speeds. fuel throttle body found to be faulty requiring replacement. attempt to clean component unsuccessfully. *nm | |||
| 10/09/2005 | 62089 | 1 | 01/31/2001 |
| Car had a sudden loss of speed when driving on the highway. when the vehicle was restarted it would drive a little bit and then stall again. this happened several times. we were on a busy highway and i was with my 2 young children. it was slowly driven to the volvo dealer and was immediately diagnosed to be the throttle. the throttle,gasket and hose clamp was replaced. *nm | |||
| 07/27/2005 | 82000 | 07/25/2005 | |
| I recently purchased a used 2001 volvo xc v70. since the second or third day of ownership i have had ongoing problems with the electronic throttle module. the car will often idle very low and then die, and when this happens, sometimes it won't restart for a while. sometimes the car will start, idle up to about 2000 rpms then die. when this happens, the car usually won't start for hours. the car often lurches forward when it is downshifting from 3rd to 2nd and 2nd to 1st gears. the idle speed will jump as it is downshifting, often causing brief loss of control of the vehicle for a short distance. this is particularly frightening pulling into a parking space. when any of these issues are occuring with the vehicle, it makes driving a very tense and frightening experience. in addition, this particular problem is not something that can be detected with an electronic diagnostic test (which the volvo dealer charges a minimum $108 diagnostic charge). volvo knows this is a serious issue with the etm. please hold them responsible for this defective part. i know there are many many people who have this ongoing problem with their cars. | |||
| 10/08/2005 | 61800 | 1 | 09/30/2005 |
| Dt: the contact stated that 2001 volvo v70 xc experienced sudden loss of power while driving. at 70 mph. it lost power and decelerated to 5 mph in fast lane due to throttle module failure. *ak | |||
| 09/14/2005 | 60961 | 1 | 05/11/2001 |
| Traveling along i10 i just crossed the la border into texas in my 2001 volvo cross country with 60,000 miles on it. the car gives me a message of performance reduced and slows to 10 miles an hour. this is considered a limp mode as i learned later. i was in la taking a friend out of new orleans after hurricane katrina. traffic on i10 was filled with military and semi tractors. i put on my flashers and went 10 miles an hour for some time until i could get to an exit in beaumont, tx. i pulled over on a side street and the car died altogether. i was towed to a service station and hooked up to a computer. i was told it was the throttle body unit and i would need to be towed to houston to the dealer. the following codes were exhibited on my cars computer - ecm-9150 throttle unit internal fault ecm 9160 same ecm- 904c mil requested by throttle unit ecm 904d pedal sensor fault ecm 982a control module internal fault and ecm 903f throttle unit internal fault. both the mechanic in beaumont and the volvo staff at the dealer admitted they see this often. i called volvo today and they admitted that an investigation was pending. i want my case noted as myself and my friend i was evacuating from new orleans were in great danger as we limped along i10 in post hurricane traffic. just the night before we had traveled from baton rouge in the dark over i10 which is an elevated highway over the swaps. i can't imagine what would have happened if we had broken down then. volvo could not assure me that the new part they put in for nearly $1200 would not fail in the future. i bought the car because i thought it was one of the safest i could drive my family in. i am not so sure at this point if i made a good choice.*jb | |||
| 03/21/2005 | 56000 | 3 | 09/26/2000 |
| My wife was driving our volvo xc (2001) back from the grocery store. in exiting the store parking lot she had make a left turn onto rt. 24w in mendham, nj from a stop sign. as she got on to the single lane highway the car stalled leaving her without power in the middle of a single lane highway with our 2 year old son in the back seat. incoming traffic suddenly had to come to a stop in order not to hit her car. she was able to move the car to the side of the road and restart it and make the 5 minute trip back home. the car was not able to make the slight incline up the driveway. the next morning i was able to start the car and take it to the volvo dealer. all along the trip the felt like it was going to stall any minute. i kept a constant speed and did not take any chances with sudden acceleration or passing. after the dealer service department looked at the car i was informed that the throttle assembly needed to be replaced. the repair cost me $1004.52. (i kept the repair invoice) the car had 56157 miles on it and had just come off the manufacturers warranty. i called volvo north america to complain and they said somebody would get back to me. i then got a call from the dealer. apparently volvo passed the buck the dealer and all they told me was that they simply repaired my car. after reading about your probe of volvo cars specific to the kind of problem we had i decided to file a complaint. *nm | |||
| 07/20/2005 | 76643 | 1 | 06/28/2005 |
| Electronice throttle module failure. while driving on a busy main street the car suddenly went into a limp mode. took it to our independant volvo mechanic and he hooked it up to vadis. then told us that it was an etm failure. i called volvo and they said there was ntohing that they could do since the car was bought used. i paid over one thousand dollars to get the etm replaced. | |||
| 08/28/2005 | 64000 | 1 | 08/26/2005 |
| Only 2 days after purchasing our 2001 v70 xc with 64,000 miles with excellent dealer servicing and oil changes, it started idling very erratically, and would stall several times after trying to start it. even when warmed up, the idle was all over the place, running very rough. when driving, especially at lower speeds, we have to maintain a foot on the brake due to the surging and erratic idle so that we do not unintentionally hit the vehicles that are in front of us or at times must keep a foot on the gas pedal to keep the rpm's up so that it won't stall. the check engine light has been on since the first idle symptoms and the problem has been diagnosed as an etm failure. since the vehicle is no longer under warranty, we have not yet had the problem fixed. we feel this poses a safety risk and should not be an issue with just 64000 miles on the car. *ak | |||
| 08/30/2005 | 65000 | 1 | 01/01/2001 |
| The electronic throttle was creating surges to the engine causing a back and forth motion. apparently we caught it before it got worse and dangerous. *nm | |||
| 07/18/2005 | 112500 | 1 | 10/27/2000 |
| My daughter was killed while driving my volvo when it malfunctioned and she lost control. per the accident report, she was changing lanes from the far right to middle lane when she accelerated into the left lane, hit and bounded off the left guardrail, collided with a car in the center lane, proceeded over the right guardrail of a bridge, through a treetop, dropped 30 feet, landed upside down, and rolled repeatedly, eventually stopping in a concrete creek bank. she was wearing her seat belt but killed instantly upon impact. it appears she was not speeding significantly prior to the accident but unexpectedly began accelerating as she was changing lanes and lost control of the vehicle. i have had similar problems with the car previously but believed they had been corrected by volvo when they replaced the electronic throttle module. there were no other contributing factors in the accident -- weather was clear, visibility was good, roads were dry, traffic was moderate and flowing well, and it was early afternoon and my daughter was fine prior to the accident. i have had an accident reconstruction expert look at the accident report and available evidence and he believes it was caused by mechanical failure. *jb | |||
| 08/11/2005 | 82000 | 3 | 04/19/2005 |
| I got my car back from the volvo dealer yesterday after having them look at it yesterday because it wasn't running well. they told me that i might need to replace the electronic throttle module, but not to do it yet. today i went to drive the car, warning lights came on saying check engine and performance reduced the car would not idle after driving less than two miles and had to be brought back to the dealer (portland volvo, south portland, me). *nm | |||
| 07/07/2005 | 1 | 02/18/2001 | |
| Volvo throttle body failure. 2001 v70xc. *nm | |||
| 10/04/2004 | 80000 | 10 | 03/01/2000 |
| Dt: 2001 volvo v70. b.vehicle intermittently stalled and lost power when speed was reduced. this was caused by a faulty throttle body. *ak *nm | |||
| 08/01/2005 | 67200 | 1 | |
| Hello, i have a 2001 volvo v70xc w/ approx 67,000 miles. the engine stalled when pulling out into traffic and i was almost killed by a fully loaded dump truck that did not have the distance to stop. i have since had the failure repaired and it was the etm - electronic throttle module. this is a known defective component by volvo as they are replacing them in sweden - but have not announced anything here in north america. i was fortunate enough to make enough phone calls to volvo to get them to replace the defective etm at no cost; however the new replacement will eventually fail due to the current / existing design. the etm needs to be re-engineered and replaced in every 1999- 2001 volvo. if you have any questions, please call me. thanks. *nm | |||
| 07/09/2005 | 49000 | 1 | 05/05/2005 |
| (1) vehicle is 2001 volvo v70 xc cross country. this vehicle uses an electronic throttle module (etm) manufactured for volvo by magneti marelli. the etm replaces a traditional throttle cable and controls engine speed when pushing on the gas pedal. (2) on july 9, 2005, the electronic throttle module in my 2001 volvo failed as i was entering a highway from a complete stop at an intersecting street. traffic on this highway operates at or above the posted speed limit of 55 mph. i was accelerating at or near wide open throttle when the etm failed. the failure resulted in the etm going into limp home mode, which caused the throttle to only operate around idle speed (approximately 800 rpm), and not allowing me to continue to accelerate to avoid being hit by approaching traffic. moving forward at idle speed, i was able to maneuver the car between approaching vehicles and coasted onto a grass barrier separating an entrance ramp from the main lanes of traffic. the car then stalled. the car's computer readout on the dashboard displayed reduced engine performance and then engine system failure. this failure occurred without warning, and i was fortunate to not have been involved in a rear end collision. (3) don beyer volvo in falls church, va informed me that the etm had failed after only 49,000 miles. it is my understanding that volvo cars is well aware of this defect and is currently the subject of various investigations and lawsuits surrounding this issue. volvo has reported to the california clean air resources board that up to 94% of etms will fail before the vehicle reaches 100,000 miles. there is no regular maintenance to be performed on the etm. volvo technicians cannot determine when an etm is about to fail. drivers simply have to wait to be unexpectedly stranded. the replacement part is identical or nearly identical to the original etm, making another unexpected and premature failure very likely. *nm | |||
| 06/28/2005 | 50654 | 2 | 01/15/2001 |
| Driving on i-80 in california in busy traffic when throttle response on my 2001 volvo v70 xc suddenly vanished. avoided several cars colliding with mine and pulled over to the side. restarting the car cleared the problem; however, 30 min later the same problem happened. on the fist event, the car displayed reduced performance, and on the second event, the car displayed critical engine fault. the car was brought 90 miles on a flatbed truck to reno, nv, where a electronic throttle control mechanism was replaced. my concern is the sudden, and complete, failure of engine power in busy traffic on a 8+ lane interstate highway ... a serious accident was narrowly missed. *nm | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 10/05/2001 | 2 | 01/03/2001 | |
| While traveling at high speed on an interstate my car lost power completely. i was able to get to the shoulder safely and call volvo roadside assistance. my car was towed to the nearest dealership where it sat for a month because the problem couldn't be determined. the car was returned to me. about six months later the same experience occurred, once again while traveling at a high speed on an interstate highway. the problem was fixed again. my car has been in and out of the dealership for various reasons for years. when i was finally fed up with it and decided to sell it, it needed more electrical work. the service manager at a dealership listened to the problems i had with the car over the years and felt that it warranted a call to the volvo rep. i gave him all work orders which i have from the purchase date of the car. he was told by the volvo rep that since all repair work had not been done at a volvo dealership they couldn't help me. normal work such as oil changes, etc. were done by a mechanic who only works on saabs and volvos. upon looking for the names of volvo execs that i could write a letter to i stumbled on a website about volvo problems and people who were trying to hold the company accountable for mechanical failures of any type. i wrote to the individual who started the website and he suggested that i send my e-mail to stephen mchenry at nhtsa which i did. after trying for many days to do so and failing to connect because of some problem with the message trying to reach mr. mchenry i just let it go. we need to sell the car because we can't afford to fix all that needs to be repaired. the problem is how do i sell a car that needs over a thousand dollars of work? i am forwarding the e-mail i tried to send to stephen mchenry to your e-mail address. what can i do? am i too late in reporting this? what do you advise me to do? thank you for your consideration. susan k. luxem *tr | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||
| 01/23/2005 | 70000 | 100 | 03/12/2001 |
| Car hesitates, reduces performance, and stalls during operation, cruise control also becomes inactive. *jb | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - LINKAGES | |||
| 04/13/2005 | 52000 | 30 | 03/03/2002 |
| We are having problems with our vehicle as identified in a newspaper article with our volvo. the dealer we purchased the vehicle from originally refused to correct the problem of the loss of power, stalling and other defects with my vehicle under warranty (they claims to have been advised by volvo that they could not fix the problem without a reduced performance light coming on) until i told them that if i was killed (the last time this happened, i lost power as i was entering i-95 north during rush hour and was nearly broadsided by a construction vehicle merging from the opposite direction) it would cost them a lot more than simply a repair. after threatening a lawsuit, they agreed to download some software to correct the problem. while the issue is not as prevalent as it was, we still have occasions when we get power surges, lose power and the electrical systems do not work properly in the vehicle. i do not feel safe driving this vehicle. the transmission/air flow problem is just one of many issues we have had with this vehicle - many of them safety related. we were told by the dealer that they were aware of the problem through a notice they received from volvo - a notice was the kind that notified the dealers of the problem were not required to advise customers unless customers complained (this was the same issue with an internal engine fan which apparently can catch fire without warning - the dealers got notice about that, but the customers did not - if we complained about issues with the fan, depending on the kind of fan it was, it would be fixed under warranty - otherwise, we would be responsible for replacing the fan at the cost of over $500 - our fan, after we complained that it came on for no reason while the vehicle was parked, was finally replaced last summer by the dealer but they had to get special permission from volvo to do it. apparently, these fans can come on and cause the engine to overheat, and there have been fires because of it. *jb | |||