Througout this cars history (from the first year 20 + years ago through to today) the engine randomly cuts out without warning, though this happens when usally while declerating and braking to round a street corner. Once it cuts out, of course power steering and brakes are virtually inoperative. However, by simply putting in neutral and turning the key the care always immediately restarts.
The worst 1999 Volvo V70 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Acceleration53
- Electrical43
- Engine23
- Fuel system22
- Brakes13
- Visibility9
- Transmission8
- Lights6
- Airbags5
- Body5
- Tires5
- Locks4
- Seat belts4
- Suspension4
- Driver assistance2
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1999 Volvo V70
Stalling 44Loss of power 23Check engine light 17ABS 8Hesitation 6Headlights 5Misfire 5
Recalls 4
Vehicle speed control
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- This resulted in a high number of vehicles going into the limp home mode without need.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 06V441000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights: switch
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, over an extended period of time, the headlight switch may cease to function.
- Risk
- The head lights may not operate properly which could result in intermittent or no headlight function. This could impair a driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- On vehicles with an original oem switch, dealers will replace the headlight switch. All other vehicles will be inspected to determine if the switch has een damaged and replace only if necessary. The recall began on january 24, 2005. Owners should contact volvo at 1‑800‑458‑1552.
Recall number 04V504000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: turn signal
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. There could be inadequate contact between the bulb and socket which could cause the front turn signal not to function as designed.
- Risk
- This would fail to warn an approaching driver that the vehicle is turning and could lead to a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left and right front turn signal bulb and socket.
Recall number 00V405000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: station wagons equipped with third seats. Users of the third seat, when exiting the vehicle, can come in contact with the tailpipe.
- Risk
- Contact with the tailpipe can result in personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the length of the vehicle's tailpipe and, if necessary, repair the tailpipe.
Recall number 98V254000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 1999 Volvo V70
Defect investigations
Throttle control malfunction
On november 14, 2006 volvo submitted a defect information report to the federal safety agency 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, ?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.volvo further stated that,this resulted in a high number of these vehicles going into limp home mode without need.?volvo indicated that this was the most severe consequence of an etm fault in the subject vehicles.the recall remedy is a software upgrade introduced by volvo on march 16, 2006 in a customer satisfaction program.at the time of the notification 161,202 vehicles of the population of 331,301 had already had the software uploaded and were therefore not included in the population count of the recall. Odi?s analysis of complaints to odi and volvo, volvo field reports and warranty data found that etm failure could result in (1) engine stall; (2) mechanical limp mode; (3) lunging forward during low-speed driving maneuvers; and (4) faltering during high speed merges or when crossing traffic.odi identified 12 crashes related to etm failure, with 6 caused by lunging incidents, 3 caused by stalling incidents, 2 caused by mechanical limp mode and 1 from the faltering condition.odi's analysis of complaint data and information obtained from consumer interviews identified 1,289 incidents with safety related consequences (389.1 per 100,000 vehicles), including 479 involving engine stall (144.6 per 100,000 vehicles) and 729 involving mechanical limp mode (220.0 per 100,000 vehicles).odi's analysis of warranty claim narrative text shows at least 14,965 warranty claims with codes indicating an etm fault resulting in vehicle operation in mechanical limp mode (4.5% of the subject vehicles). Volvo?s recall addresses odi?s safety concerns with etm failures.odi will continue to monitor the subject vehicles to determine if additional action is required.this engineering analysis is closed.
EA05021
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.
PE05041
Headlight failure
On august 23, 1999, volvo notified the federal safety agency that it would conduct a safety recall (99v235) on certain 1997 model year (my) 850 vehicles and certain 1998 s/v/c 70 series vehicles for failure of the headlight switch.the defect report stated in part: operation of the headlight switch, over an extended period of time, can result in inconsistent operation of the switch.volvo's remedy for this recall was to replace the headlight switch.this recall query investigation was opened on june 8, 2004, based on 13 reports of headlight failure on 1998 and 1999 s/v/c 70 series vehicles that were not included in the earlier recall.by letter of october 18, 2004, volvo has notified the agency that it will now conduct a safety recall of an additional 97,000 my 1998 through 2000 s70/v70/v70xc and c70 vehicles built from june 5, 1997 through january 11, 2000. Volvo dealers will replace the original equipment master light switch with one of an improved design. See safety recall 04v504 for details.
RQ04004
Turn signal
There is no summary currently available
PE00031
Inadvertent side air bag deployment
PE99040
Technical service bulletins for the 1999 Volvo V70 217
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Complimentary upgrade C00009 description.
- Rubber cushion
- The Deutronic DBL-1200 is an advanced battery maintainer/charger with the flexibility to be updated as...
- ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations
- Vida qr
- Shipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery Solutions (GBS)
- Volvo?s Warranty Department tracks Retailer warranty spending by utilizing the Warranty Retailer...
- Mandatory Tool List bulletin: Volvo mandatory Special Tools are necessary for technicians to properly...
- This is a Service Manager Bulletin: Volvo Lithium-ion Hybrid Battery Packs shipping and handling to Volvo...
- Effective immediately, all 12V batteries may be tested using the hand held battery tester 9513030 (BT3300)
1999 Volvo V70 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 5‑cyl | FWD | 18-19 | 25-26 | 20-21 |
| 2.3L 5‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 25 | 20 |
| 2.3L 5‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
| 2.4L 5‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
What 1999 Volvo V70 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Car surges randomly at lower speeds. Car also loses power on freeway and acceleration fluctuates uncontrollably at times. All symptoms happening while car is in motion, mostly at speeds over 50mph. I brought the car to my local dealership where there were open recalls on the model I own. After recall was performed, the symptoms have increased and worsened. Dealership is refusing to take any responsibility.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volvo v70. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly reduced speed drastically without warning. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for further inspection, diagnostic testing, and repair. The failure mileage was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volvo v70. While driving 30 MPH, the engine stalled and the check engine and transmission range warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the electronic throttle control needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 171,550.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volvo v70. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled intermittently. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the etm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 06v441000 (vehicle speed control); however, the manufacturer and local dealer indicated that the timeframe had expired to receive the recall repair, even if the mileage was less than 200,000. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.
Traveling in town at appr. 45 MPH. Car went into limp mode, etm check light came on.
As I was driving home the car started running very rough and was not able to get it above 25 MPH. It also started to lunge forward sporadically and it seemed like it was going to stall at any moment. I contacted volvo directly and they called it "limp home mode" and that's exactly what it was, horrable!!. I consider myself lucky that my children were not with me. Apparently volvo recognizes the problem but are no longer fixing this ongoing problem. Volvo estimated that the fix would be on the low end $900.00 up to about $1400.00. Volvo is not taking anymore responsibility and now it's up to the consumer to absorb the cost.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volvo v70. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the rpms decreased and the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that the check engine, ECM and the limp home mode warning messages illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle had surpassed the statute of limitations for repairs under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 06v441000 (vehicle speed control). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 156,000 and the current mileage was 158,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volvo v70. The contact stated that the electronic throttle positioning sensor warning light would illuminate constantly, causing the vehicle to run slow and sluggish. The vehicle would have to be turned off and restarted whenever the failure occurred in order for the vehicle to reset. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was repaired for the failure in 2006 under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 06v441000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 93,877.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 volvo xc70 (n/a). The contact stated that the electronic throttle control system warning light was illuminated in 2004. The dealer replaced the throttle body system and made updates to the vehicle computer. The contact was offered an extended warranty to cover the failure for up to ten years from the date of service. Most recently, the warning light was illuminated again and the dealer was contacted. The dealer advised the contact that the warranty had expired in 2008 and any repairs would be at the contacts expense. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 103,300.
Compare the 1999 Volvo V70
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Questions about the 1999 Volvo V70
Is the 1999 Volvo V70 reliable?
Owners have filed 169 complaints about the 1999 Volvo V70, 8.0 times a typical V70 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Volvo V70?
Acceleration and speed control, with 53 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles. Next is electrical (43).
How many recalls does the 1999 Volvo V70 have?
4 recalls, covering vehicle speed control, exterior lighting and engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Volvo V70 acceleration?
Yes, 1 recall: 06V441000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Volvo V70 have the most acceleration problems?
The Volvo V70 model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2001 (61 complaints), 1999 (53 complaints) and 2000 (23 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1999 Volvo V70 get?
Official estimates for the 1999 Volvo V70 range from 19 to 21 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 5-cyl, FWD) gets 18-19 city and 25-26 highway.
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