NHTSA Complaint #10096086 — 2000 VOLVO S80

AT 70MPH MY CAR SAID REDUCED PERFORMANCE, AND WITHIN 30 SEC. MY CRUISE CONTROL FAILED, THE CAR REDUCED TO 5MPH, AND THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION. I WAS IN 5 LANES OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC DOING 70-80MPH. AN EIGHTEEN WHEELER SKIDDED APPROX. 50 FEET IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING ME. HE THEN HAD TO BLOCK OFF TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO ASSIST ME TO THE SHOULDER. MY CAR WOULD ONLY COAST. IT WAS A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE FOR ME. I'M THANKFUL MY CHILDREN WERE NOT WITH ME. AFTER BEING TURNED OFF OVER NIGHT, MY HUSBAND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP. HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS DUE TO A COMPUTER CHIP MALFUNCTION. A CHIP WHICH CONTROLS THE THROTTLE, FUEL-INJECTION, AND CRUISE CONTROL. WOW! THE SERVICE REP. "WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANYMORE PROBLEMS AFTER REPLACING THE CHIP". WE ASKED WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN RECALLED. THE REP. SAID "THERE HAVE TO BE SO MANY ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES REPORTED, BEFORE THEY WILL RECALL IT". THIS HAS LEFT ME VERY DISTURBED, AND RELUCTANT TO EVER DRIVE A VOLVO AGAIN. I FEEL SURE IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR MY QUICK USE OF THE HAZARD LIGHTS, IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. THE TRUCK DRIVER ALSO CONCURRED. I DO NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. THEY MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY.