Transmission has had problems for about three years. We were traveling on the hwy and the car started shaking, then stopped. We had to have it towed to our mechanic. Needs new transmission and alternator which would cost more than it is worth. Our mechanic has seen a number of 2001s with problematic transmissions. We are very disappointed in volvo for not fixing this problem. Now this beautiful car is sitting in our driveway unused.
Volvo V70 transmission failure problems
34 of the 934 owner complaints about the Volvo V70 describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2001 model year.
- owner complaints
- 34
- worst model year
- 2001
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,000
- typical mileage
- 100,000
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Slipping 6Jerking 6Hesitation 4Harsh shifting 3Stalling 2Loss of power 2Check engine light 2Sudden acceleration 1
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo v70. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The contact stated that he attempted to accelerate and the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that he was on a hill and coasted to his house and parked his vehicle for a year. The vehicle was eventually taken to the dealer for inspection they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo v70. The contact stated that while braking to a stop, the vehicle erroneously shifted into neutral and then returned to drive independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that they needed to replace the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 135,000 and the current mileage was 178,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 volvo v70. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the transmission failed. The transmission service required light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they informed the contact that the transmission needed replacing. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 170,000.
I had just purchased my 2001 volvo v70 used from a reputable dealer when my wife noticed that the transmission would occasionally "slip" in and out of gear. I did not drive the car very often, so I did not experience the problem for another month or so. When you take you foot off the gas to coast or slow down for a turn the transmission completely disengages. When you push on the gas expecting to continue to keep going the engine revs - because there is no transmission engaged- and then suddenly "slams' back into gear. This condition has been with us now for several years. The car has been to the volvo shop twice and they claimed there were no codes showing up on their test equipment...and by the way that'll be another $300! I've learned to baby the car, and drive with this dangerous condition because I know a new transmission for this car would cost more than the car is worth. After checking with edmuds, I have come to realize there are dozens if not hundreds of people out there with the exact same problem as mine, and volvo appears to either be clueless, or not willing to do anything about it. My car has been acting this way since I purchased it with only 70,000 miles.
1st indication of transmission failures. Multiple issues since. No possible fix other than replacement @ approximately $4000.00 .
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 volvo v70. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the transmission hesitated excessively and the warning indicator began to illuminate on the instrument panel. The warning indicator remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 126,549. Updated 02/22/12*lj the dealer replaced the transmission. Updated 03/12/12
I am now the owner of a 2001 volvo v70 t5. I bought the car from its original owner. The car has had the automatic transmission replaced 2 times by the original owner and now I am forced to replace the transmission as well. We (original owner and myself) have had the volvo recommended software updates, fluid flushing, and still we have been forced to change three transmissions. I have spoken with numerous volvo mechanics and they have informed me that they are aware that their is a problem but volvo is offering to do nothing to fix it. I am in the us army and stationed in germany, I have spoken to the volvo mechanics here in germany and they have informed me that they can replace the transmission for 4100 euro but that they will offer no warranty as volvo knows it is a problem. The first transmission was replaced at 51000 miles, the second at 128567 and now again I must do it at 203000. At what point will the federal safety agency step up to protect us as the consumer? I have scanned the message boards and forums online and there are huge complaint pools with everyone having the same issue with the transmission. I have called volvo na 18 times and am yet to talk to a person. Their system routes you to a dead end and then hangs up. I have even gone the route of calling volvo in gothenburg sweden and they at least talked to me. I was told that since my car was manufactured while volvo was owned by ford that they (volvo) are not responsible.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volvo v70. The contact stated that the vehicle would lunge while driving. The dealer diagnosed that the vehicle would need a new transmission. The manufacturer was notified and negotiated to pay for a percentage of the parts. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 65,000.
Automatic transmission issue. At approximately 75,000 miles, shifting between gear 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 is accompanied by high rpms into neutral before engaging gear. Results in a hard shift when gear engages. Initial dealer solution was software downloads. When problem persisted and a "transmission service required" message began displaying, the dealer solution is to replace the transmission at a cost of $7500 with no explanation of what the actual underlying problem is. This is very similar to numerous complaints in the federal safety agency database and other web-based volvo forums.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Volvo V70 transmission failure
Which Volvo V70 years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2001 (17 complaints), 2002 (9 complaints) and 2005 (2 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Volvo V70?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,000 (median of 9 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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