NHTSA Complaint #10140385 — 2000 VOLVO S70

AT APPROX. 80K MILES, MY 2000 VOLVO S70 COMPUTER SYSTEM BEGAN RETURNING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALONG WITH A ETS LIGHT ON SEVERAL INCIDENTS. WHEN THOSE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT HOLD A STEADY CURB IDLE. RPMS WAVERED FROM 500 TO 1500 AND CAUSED A DANGEROUS SURGING AT STOP SIGNS AND STOP LIGHTS. CHECKING THE OWNERS MANUAL ON THE ETS LIGHT, IT SAID TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF THEN BACK ON, IF THE LIGHT WENT OUT-FINE. IF NOT, GO TO THE DEALER. THE INCIDENCE THIS HAPPENING GOT MORE AND MORE FREQUEST UNTIL FINALLY THE ETS LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OUT AND THE CAR COULD NOT BE SAFELY DRIVEN. RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ETM OR ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE, ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR AND THAT THE ONLY THE DEALER COULD REPLACE IT. SO, I WENT TO THE DEALER AND HAD THEM REPLACE THE ETM ON AUG 19, 2005 AT THE EXCESSIVE COST OF $917.91. (IT WAS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN AN ACCIDENT.) EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM SINCE, I EXPECT THAT THE PROBLEM WILL REOCCUR SOME 50 TO 80K MILES IN THE FUTURE SINCE THE DEFECTIVE PART WAS JUST REPLACED WITH A NEW PART WITH THE SAME FLAWED DESIGN. I FEEL THAT VOLVO SHOULD RECALL THIS PART IMMEDIATELY AND MAKE REPARATIONS TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED. I FEEL THAT THEY KNEW THAT THE PART WAS FLAWED AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURE. WHY ELSE WOULD THEIR OWNER'S MANUAL EXPLAIN THE ETS ERROR AND THE TEMPORARY FIX LIKE IT DOES? THE "TURN THE ENGINE OFF" FIX JUST POSTPONES THE REPAIR UNTIL AFTER THE WARRANTED MILEAGE HAS PAST. *NM