NHTSA Complaint #10135879 — 2001 VOLVO V70XC

ON SEPTEMBER 7, 2005, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2001 VOLVO V70XC IN THE LEFT LANE OF A BUSY FOUR-LANE STREET DURING RUSH HOUR. WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. FORTUNATELY, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE CAR ACROSS THE LANES OF ON-COMING TRAFFIC INTO A PARKING LOT. IN IDLE, THE CAR WAS SHUDDERING. ONCE TURNED OFF, THE CARE WOULD NOT INITIALLY RESTART. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS, THE CAR DID RESTART AND WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP (PEDERSON VOLVO). IN THE INTERIM, MY WIFE TALKED WITH A SERVICE MANAGER WHO SAID HE WAS ALMOST CERTAIN THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM). SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS AT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THAT THE ETM HAD FAILED AND WOULD REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. WHEN QUESTIONED, THE SERVICE MANAGER ADMITTED THAT THE FAILURE OF ETMS WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT WE WOULD BE REIMBURSED SHOULD A RECALL BE ISSUED. *NM