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2001 Volvo V70 acceleration complaints

Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 61, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2001 Volvo V70 acceleration problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Aug 15, 2006 · Acceleration, Engine · CA

I own a 2001 volvo v70 .. And have had repeated experiences with the vehicle either stalling while in gear and / or "surging" forward while at a stop with the brake pedal depressed ... The vehicle has been brought to an authorized volvo repair shop and to the dealer for these problems a minimum of 4 times upon the return of my vehicle to me the vehicle exhibited the same problems .. The most recent event having taken place on 08.08.06 at this most recent incident I had my two granddaughters in my vehicle and I believe that this event put all our lives in danger .. This is definitely a safety issue / hazard ! I placed a call to the dealership only to be given the "run-around" from jon, tony, and gloria ... Jon burnham suggested that I let them have my vehicle to drive until the "problem" is duplicated .. Gloria masterly said I should not take my car to my local volvo approved repair shop ... That I should have it towed to them, instead both thru asc at no charge ... And at my expense numerous times> tony rivas told me that he had to make a call and that he would get back to me ... No one got back to me ... Nor has anyone issues with the magnate marelli etm and am appalled at the devil may care attitude that volvo is taking towards this whole affair I bought volvo because of their reputation for safety ! I am now afraid to drive my car ... And am receiving no assistance from any volvo advisors or representatives I am nearly 80 years old .. And would hate to lose what years I do have left to an avoidable problem which may very well take my life

Filed Aug 7, 2006 · Acceleration · 60,667 miles · CA

On 6/2/06 I was driving on the freeway ( at about 60 MPH), and suddenly my car slowed down and I could not accelerate, fortunately I was in the right hand lane and able to exit the freeway and slowly move to the side of the road, a warning light was on stating" engine performance reduced". I turned off the ignition and waited a few minutes. I restarted the engine and the warning light was not on, however, I was very concerned and called the dealer and was told to bring the car in. The car was a little hesitant at first but I was able to drive slowly on side streets, to the dealer. He kept the car overnight and diagnosed a problem with the etm, he cleaned the etm and downloaded new software. It was $20 for the parts and $307.00 for the labor! I have not had a recurrence of this problem with the etm. However, I have become aware of numerous complaints about this etm and spoke to the service department at my dealer, who had never mentioned it to me, and had never offered to check or clean the etm before this happened. He was aware of the etm failures. I asked about the extended the warranty volvo has put in place on the etm but the dealer says that is only for service after the cleaning is tried once. This means I will have to have another dangerous failure of the system before they will replace and pay for the service! I feel that volvo should have warned the car owners about this possible problem and should give the warranty to all their cars.

Filed May 7, 2006 · Acceleration · 67,276 miles · NC

On the way to an appointment my wife was driving our volvo v70 t5 on a major highway when suddenly the car lost power and a message stating "performance reduction" was visible on the console. The car felt like it was about to stall at any minute and was only able to be driven at 20 MPH. She was able to pull the car over to the hard shoulder but as she was about to enter a section where road works had removed any hard shoulder she decided to stop and call for help. We arranged for a tow truck to pick the car up and take it to our nearest volvo dealer. When we arrived there and explained what had happened the first question asked by the service rep was "have you had the etm recall performed ?" I stated that we were not aware of any recall and had not received any letter from volvo of north america. 2 days latter once the car had been diagnosed by the dealer it was discovered that it had been caused by an etm/ECM failure. The replacement part number was 30785453. I also spoke with volvo of north america and was informed that there was no recall but a warranty extension on that particular part. I asked why I had not received a letter yet concerning it and was informed that they we still in the process of sending them out. Since then I have discover evidence that the letter was available since november 2005.

Filed Apr 26, 2006 · Acceleration · OR

Etm cleaned & adjusted at 48,474 miles for stalling and engine surging: 10/13/03 etm replaced for stalling; 4/13/05 engine surging diagnosed as etm at 79,386, 4/27/05 software update to correct surging, did not help. 5/26/05 etm replaced for surging idle and trans banging into gear, also software updated; 4/24/06 etm software upgrade for engine surging and being in limp home mode twice [s.mch from e-mail]

Filed Mar 31, 2006 · Acceleration · 75,400 miles · CA

Electronic throttle module failed on 2001 volvo v70 t5 at 75,400 miles. Failures of this component are common due to poor design of etm. Vehicle goes into "limp home" mode at unpredictable times. Most recent failure was as my wife was merging with traffic onto freeway. From 55 MPH vehicle suddenly lost power and reduced speed to 20 MPH in traffic!. My wife crept over to the shoulder and called a tow truck.

Filed Mar 28, 2006 · Acceleration · 65,000 miles · CO

Failure of "electronic throttle module (etm)". Loss of power while driving with no advanced warning or other indication immanent failure. Car went into "limp home mode" which provides enough power for the vehicle to be driven, but because the engine management computer attempts to keep a fixed, somewhat above idle, throttle setting, releasing the throttle does not result in engine braking as normal for a manual transmission vehicle. Neither situation, loss of power or loss of throttle control, is acceptable and could cause an accident. The sudden loss of power nearly resulted in my being rear ended, luckily the driver behind me reacted quickly enough to avoid hitting me. The dealer installed new software in the etm in an attempt to rectify the problem.

Filed Feb 9, 2006 · Acceleration, Brakes · NY

2001 v70 did not shift properly and clunked in and out of gear. Consumer was told that the stabilizer motor mount was faulty. *ts the throttle body, cam shaft sensor and vacuum boost sensor needed to be replaced.

Filed Jan 10, 2006 · Acceleration · 44,000 miles · CA

My wife was on one of the busiest freeways in southern california during rush hour traffic, when our 2001 v-70 began missing and losing power. By the time she limped home to the next off ramp, she was traveling at approximately 20 miles an hour, in traffic moving nearly 60 miles an hour. Obviously, this created a significant safety hazard for my wife and other travelers. She was able to drive the car to the dealer, calabasas volvo, at about 20-30 miles per hour. At the dealer, she was informed that the gas pedal linkage required replacement at approximately $300 (copy enclosed), and that the etm would be cleaned. I had already found information on the web that showed cleaning was ineffective, and the likelihood of continued safety risk. In fact, the information on the web explained that volvo has agreed to an extension of the warranty on this part to 200,000 miles or 10 years. I, frankly, was stunned that a car manufacturer would acknowledge such a fundamental design flaw and commit to such a long period of time for replacements for the effective life of the car. It appears that someone at volvo does recognize that the etm failure could cause injury or even death of the vehicle operator and occupants. I called the service department and urged them to replace the etm. To my absolute surprise, they explained that volvo has directed dealers to clean first, replace later, although they agreed that the etm would probably fail within a short period of time. Now my wife is much nicer than me, and since I had some discussions with the calabasas volvo service department regarding their incompetence with the fan recall, they chose to give her the car back after the cleaning and she accepted it. Within two miles, the car was experiencing the exact same symptoms that it had earlier in the day. In other words, volvo policy has placed my wife and family at risk of death or injury.

Filed Jan 2, 2006 · Acceleration · GA

Warmed up car for 2 minutes; drove 2 miles to drug store--let engine idle while wife in the store; drove .1 mile and engine began acting very erratic! Sputtering and stalling and no engine power car died into parking lot; very light traffic in midtown allowed me limp car to drop family at transit station and left volvo at office .3 miles away; after returning from vacation car ran ok--check engine lights still on + two urgent error messages. Dealership refused to replace etm despite the check engine light being on.

Filed Dec 27, 2005 · Acceleration · NJ

Dt: the contact stated while driving the vehicle lost speed. When stopping at a stop sign or at a red light the engine stalled. She contacted the dealership, and they said the throttle module needed to be replaced. Also, she contacted the manufacturer. They stated this problem was under investigation. No repairs have been made.

Filed Dec 22, 2005 · Acceleration · 42,000 miles · OH

Reference 10143655 for second etm replacement, first replaced at 42,000 miles, was stalling , hesitating, rough id. E. Hard to start after stalls. Smch

Filed Dec 21, 2005 · Acceleration · 87,000 miles · WA

I have a 2001 volvo v70 t5. This car has the high failure rate electronic throttle module component. During highway driving, I experienced a sudden loss of power while in passing lane of a 2 lane highway. The message window on the dash flashed "performance reduced" this occurred during while passing a semi with other cars following closely behind in a caravan. It was in pouring rain with water from the semi splashing over the windshield. Needlesstosay, this was a nervous moment when power was suddenly lost. I was able to slow down and pull off to the next exit ramp where the engine was sputtering while idling. Shutting off the engine and restarting made the problem disappear. About 3 months later, I'm getting "performance reduced" message nearly every day. Finally trace it down to the etm internal fault using a obdii reader I purchased to diagnose this problem. Volvo dealer confirmed the finding and replaced the etm.

Filed Dec 13, 2005 · Acceleration · 48,585 miles · MD

2001 volvo v70 - traveling on major highway in this vehicle, it lost acceleration and started to reduce power, eventually resulting in complete stalling. Caught between trucks and cars going approximately 65 - 75 MPH. I felt hopeless to help myself, fearing I would be killed by traffic.

Filed Nov 25, 2005 · Acceleration, Electrical · 42,855 miles · OH

Dt: the contact stated the electronic throttle module (etm) failed. The engine idle dropped, and surged upon starting the vehicle. While driving the vehicle it surged and then lost power. The vehicle stalled while at a stop light and would not immediately start back. The vehicle started again after the fourth attempt. The etm was replaced approximately a year ago, but now the vehicle experienced the same problems again. *ak after the repairs the consumer continued to experience problems. Updated 01/04/06.

Filed Nov 21, 2005 · Acceleration · MD

While driving on I-695 near baltimore experienced six episodes of sudden deceleration ,and a almost stalling. Also, was almost rear ended by a dump truck on one occasion ,and on another occasion by an 18-wheeler before the contact could cross slowly through lanes to the side of the road. To make matters worse, due to road construction, during two of these unplanned stops, there was no shoulder and the contact blocked a lane of traffic. The message on the dashboard read reduced engine performance. The contact turned the car off, and then a few times, noted a very rough idle and the same message. Then , turned the car off for a few minutes ,and instead of the reduced engine performance warning received a needed immediate repair service or some similar message, and the check engine light was on. He drove a few miles at 60-65 MPH, but the engine was running very rough. This whole episode repeated by itself 5 times during 50 miles drive. The contact made it home safely with three young children in the back seat. These problems were exactly those documented with the defective electronic throttle (etm) in most 1999-2001 volvos. Has an appointment with local dealer, and he will be charged the usual $1000-$1200 to replace the etm module. Unfortunately, the replacement module was not better than the original module.

Filed Nov 14, 2005 · Acceleration · 50,000 miles · MN

Dt: the contact stated vehicle was losing power while accelerating and would only go 15 MPH. He would coast to the side of the road and turn the vehicle off and back on. This happened daily. He took the vehicle to the dealership, and the throttle box was replaced. The problem has not come back since the repairs. *ak updated 12/27/05.

Filed Nov 9, 2005 · Acceleration · 59,500 miles · MA

When driving the vehicle, the following warning comes on the dash board "performance reduction". Car starts to shudder, slows down and does not respond when pressing on the gas.

Filed Nov 7, 2005 · Acceleration, Steering · 57,431 miles · 00

Consumer complaint regarding volvo electronic throttle defect. *ts updated 11/7/2005 - while driving the performance reduced light and ses light illuminated on the dash. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the electronic throttle needed to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor manufacturer agree to replaced the throttle free of charge because the vehicle was out of warranty. During inspection the technician found the front control arm and upper spring seat broken. The power steering fluid leaked due to a faulty hose clamp.

Filed Nov 7, 2005 · Acceleration · 113,500 miles · WI

Dt: contact stated while driving a message appeared that read engine system service required which internally made the cruise control fail. He took the vehicle to volvo, and also a private mechanic. The problem was the electronic throttle module .the vehicle repairs will be at the contact's expense. The consequence of not having this repair made could result in the vehicle lurching forward at any speed or it could cause the vehicle to stall out at any time. He is currently not experiencing any problems, however the vehicle is parked at this time.*ak updated 11/30/2005 - volvo cover the cost of the new part and has extended the warranty on the part to 200000 miles or 10 years.

Filed Nov 7, 2005 · Acceleration · 52,500 miles · OH · crash

I have volvo v70 t5 wagon with reduced performance and unexpected acceleration and reduction of acceleration. The vehicle stopped on traffic and I was almost rear ended. The vehicle accelerated while entering the garage and causing damage to the body of the vehicle. Additionally, the climate control in the car stopped working. My dealer ed schmidt volvo in perrysburg,ohio now saids that I need to replace my throottle module ($1300) and the processor for the climate control ($1400). The vehicle is only three thousand miles beyond warranty. I have a dangerous lemon in my hands and there is nothing I can do. I thank god that my young children where not near the garage when the car accelearted out of control. Please feel free to contact me. This car should not be on the road in its present condition.

Filed Nov 7, 2005 · Acceleration, Electrical · 45,000 miles · NY · crash

Dt: the contact stated vehicle surged forward after placing it into gear. She tried to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes, but they would not work. She lost control of the vehicle and struck a pole. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the problem. *ak updated 11/29/2005 - the few weeks prior to this accident the vehicle had a computer problem and the passenger door, window and turn signal were inoperative. These problems were fixed by the dealer.

Filed Nov 1, 2005 · Acceleration · 45,000 miles · KY · crash

Initially noticed erratic acceleration, then my wife was accelerating from a stop light and the vehicle actually lost acceleration and she was hit behind by a pickup truck. The dash readout showed the message "performance reduced". Our insurance paid for the $2600 in damages. Our volvo mechanic determined that the problem was in the electronic throttle module and said that this was a fairly common occurrence in this year model.

Filed Oct 24, 2005 · Acceleration · 72,256 miles · PA

Since the car was purchased there have been rough start and rough idle issues and acceleration issues. The issues were raised to the dealer on three occasions all with no resolution. The dealer has now identified the issue as a failure in the etm after the service engine light came on and remained lit. Dealer quotes repair costs of $1,100.

Filed Oct 23, 2005 · Acceleration · 70,000 miles · DC

Faulty electronic throttle module needed cleaning and the mechanic fears it will ultimately fail, as he is seeing them fail at high rates at his volvo garage. Car was surging and stalling at stops, and just stalling immediately after starting.

Filed Oct 18, 2005 · Acceleration · 52,900 miles · MA

Dt: the caller said on july 19, 2005 after driving two hours the reduced performance warning light came on. The vehicle started shaking and had no acceleration. The caller said the reduced performance light came on again on the way home. She got vehicle off the road and waited a few minutes and the vehicle started back up. Vehicle was taken to the dealer and the throttle was replaced. The caller just wanted to let the federal safety agency know about the failure. The caller said dealer was very nice about the repair work. *ak

Filed Oct 17, 2005 · Acceleration · CO

Dt: 2001 volvo v70 all wheel drive cross-country the throttle module failed and it had to be replaced. The consumer done research and found that volvo models 1999- 2001, and between 40,000-60000 miles the throttle module has to be replaced on all those vehicles. Consumer's vehicle t wa sowed over 100 miles to nearest dealership. They said the throttle module malfunctioned and needed replacement. Also, said that if a recall ever came out in the future on the 2001 volvos for this same problem the consumer would be reimbursed. There have been no accidents.

Filed Oct 11, 2005 · Acceleration · 82,000 miles · MA

While driving the car at highway speed (approximately 65 MPH) the volvo v70 t5 lost power and began running extremely rough. Car had to be pulled over immediately to the break down lane. On the dash, the indicator panel stated performance reduced. After turning engine off and restarting, car began to run fine again only to happen again a few miles down the road. Car had to be limped to the dealer. Dealer replace the engine throttle module (etm) at cost of $1032.00.

Filed Oct 9, 2005 · Acceleration, Engine · 66,000 miles · OH

1) normal driving 65 MPH westbound on I-25/I-40 intersection, passing a semi-truck on the left. 2)engine warning light came on, car slowed to 20 MPH, swerved to avoid all traffic due to substantial loss of speed 3)towed to volvo dealership, replaced electronic brake sensor, throttle body assembly, and had to buy new coding for computer:$1300 repair cost. Old parts at corroley volvo, albuquerque, nm.

Filed Oct 6, 2005 · Acceleration · 70,000 miles · NC

Volvo v70 2001 when using cruise control accelerates on its on to excessive speeds and does not respond to either braking or turning off cruise control.

Filed Sep 27, 2005 · Acceleration · UT

The vehicle experiences sudden, unexpected, deceleration and accelerations while driving under normal conditions. Must turnoff vehicle and attempt to re-start. Doesn't always restart immediately.

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