NHTSA Complaint #10141212 — 1999 VOLVO S70

SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND FAULT CODES FOR THE ENGINE HAVE BEEN ENTERED. I EVEN HAD THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED DURING ONE OF THESE EPISODES. BUT DURING THE PAST 7 MONTHS I'VE HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE AFFECTED THE DRIVEABILITY OF THE VEHICLE. PERIODICALLY, AFTER THE ENGINE HAS BEEN RUNNING FOR 30+ MINUTES, THE VEHICLE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS IDLING (FEELS LIKE IT WILL STALL) AND THEN BLACK SMOKE WILL START EMITTING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON DURING THIS PROCESS BUT ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS ONCE AGAIN RUNNING NORMAL. THIS PROBLEM IS AN INTERMITTENT ONE. THE VEHICLE WILL RUN FINE FOR 2 WEEKS AND THEN SUDDENLY THE PROBLEM WILL REAPPEAR. SINCE THIS PROBLEM BEGAN, I'VE HAD THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED (TWICE--THREE TIMES IN TOTAL SINCE OWING THIS CAR), O2 SENSOR REPLACED (TWICE), CLEANING OF INTAKE AND THROTTLE PLATE, THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, UPGRADED SOFTWARE FOR THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) AND SPARK PLUG REPLACEMENT. NONE OF THESE HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD MY CAR FOR DAYS AT A TIME. THEY HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM BUT THE COMPUTER READINGS ARE NOT SHOWING ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE COMPONENTS. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED. *JB