NHTSA Complaint #10140084 — 1995 VOLVO 854

(1) DRIVING NORMALLY DOWN THE ROAD, SUDDENLY (2) THE CAR HAD NO POWER (COULD NOT ACCELERATE, IT FELT LIKE THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE GONE), BUT THE ENGINE APPEARED TO BE RUNNING (I COULD STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND CHANGE THE ENGINE RPMS), BUT DIDN'T GENERATE ANY POWER (IMPROPER AIR/FUEL RATIO?). ONCE I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE STALLED. (3) I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. IF I STARTED THE CAR NORMALLY, IT WOULD TURN OVER, BUT NOT START--IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS FLOODED. HOWEVER, BY STOMPING HARD ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHILE STARTING THE CAR ALLOWED IT TO START NORMALLY AND I COULD CONTINUE. THIS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF 5 TIMES DURING APPROXIMATELY 50 MINUTES OF DRIVING IN 3 DIFFERENT SEGMENTS. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY PARKED THE CAR AND HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE. I WAS VERY LUCKY, AS THE SITUATIONS IN WHICH THE CAR EXHIBITED THIS PROBLEM ALLOWED ME TO SAFELY GET OFF THE ROAD. I CAN IMAGINE MANY SITUATIONS IN WHICH I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, HENCE I HAVE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR. *JB