NHTSA Complaint #10133281 — 2000 VOLVO S70

EVER SINCE PURCHASING OUR VOLVO, THERE HAS BEEN POWER REDUCTION AND SURGES OF WHICH I'VE BROUGHT UP TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED. MY HUSBAND HAS ASKED WHAT MAY CAUSE THIS SORT OF THING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE THE TRANSMISSION. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS PART OF THE WAY A VOLVO WORKS. THE INCIDENT THAT LED TO IT HAVING TO BE REPAIRED WAS WHEN WE RETURNED FROM AN HOUR AND HALF DRIVE AND PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE THE ENGINE STARTED REVVING CONTINUOUSLY. A LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH, ESL. THE ONLY THING IN THE MANUAL I COULD FIND WAS WHAT THE INITIALS STOOD FOR-ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SYSTEM. WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME AFTER SHORT WHILE BECAUSE OF A SAFETY DEVISE IN THE VEHICLE THAT ALLOWS THIS APPARENTLY. THE NEXT DAY MY HUSBAND CALLED OUR DEALERSHIP WHO WE BOUGHT IT FROM AND WAS TOLD WE HAD TO TAKE IT TO A GARAGE 50 MILES AWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES WITH THE EQUIPMENT TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. WE CONTINUED OUR QUESTIONING OF THE SITUATION AND 3 MECHANICS IN 3 DIFFERENT GARAGES TOLD US THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL (YET). HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND FROM AN ACQUAINTANCE NOW THAT THE REPAIR IS ONLY A BAND AID AND THE PROBLEM WILL RETURN BECAUSE A COMPONENT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE COST FOR THIS REPAIR WHICH IS ULTIMATELY A COMPUTER CHIP REPLACEMENT AND DOWNLOAD IS APPROXIMATELY $1100. THE GARAGE PERFORMING THE REPAIR HAS ALSO ALERTED US OF A HEAD LIGHT DEFECT THAT COST $55 TO REPAIR AND SUGGESTED WE TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE THE HEADLIGHTS MIGHT JUST STOP WORKING AT ANY GIVEN TIME. *JB