NHTSA Complaint #10134893 — 2001 VOLVO V70

INITIALLY, I TOOK MY 2001 VOLVO V70 STATION WAGON TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTION WAS NOT WORKING AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER CHECK AND TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING CAME BACK FINE -EVEN THOUGH IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT WORKING WHEN WE DROVE IT AROUND THE LOT. THEY SAID THAT IF THE COMPUTER DID NOT DETECT AN ERROR THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO FIX ANYTHING, ALTHOUGH THEY SUSPECTED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MIGHT BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. THEY RESET THE COMPUTER SO THAT THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WENT OFF. A MONTH LATER, I WAS PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM MY DRIVEWAY WITH MY THREE-YEAR OLD IN THE BACK SEAT AND LOST ALL POWER. THE MAX SPEED I COULD GO WAS ABOUT 10 MPH. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT IS A VERY BUSY UNCONTROLLED ACCESS - I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THERE WASN'T MORE TRAFFIC AS AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATION THAT THIS WAS GOING TO OCCUR - IT JUST STOPPED. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. THE CAR HAD 72,000 MILES ON IT. I EXPRESSED MY DISAPPOINTMENT THAT A CAR WITH A REPUTATION FOR SAFETY WOULD FAIL IN SUCH A WAY THAT COULD CAUSE A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I ALSO LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH VOLVO CUSTOMER SERVICE. RECENTLY, I HEARD ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION ON THIS SAME ISSUE. I WAS DIRECTED TO YOUR WEBSITE WHEN I SEARCHED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET. *JB