NHTSA Complaint #10143299 — 2001 VOLVO V70

CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE ON INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH. DROVE CAR ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES TO GET HOME. FOLLOWED ON-DASH & OWNER'S MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS TO GET CHECKED AT EARLIEST CONVENIENCE. CAR BROKE DOWN NEXT DAY ON WAY TO MECHANIC. CAR BUCKED AND SURGED, DECELERATING AND ACCULTURATING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. CEL CAME ON. DISPLAY READ "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". COULD GO NO FASTER THAN 20-25 MPH. IN NO POSITION TO STOP VEHICLE. ON BUSY ROAD WITH NO USABLE SHOULDER. CAR REQUIRED TOWING. ONBOARD DIAGNOSTICS (OBD) SAID THERMOSTAT WAS BAD, BUT MECHANIC SUSPECTED FAILED ETM. HE SAID THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH CAR. THE THERMOSTAT WAS REPLACED. CAR WAS DRIVABLE. USED APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES MORE. CAR BROKE DOWN ON WAY HOME, STRANDING ME IN INTERSECTION. SAME ISSUE. CAR WENT INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE. SHUT IT OFF. AFTER FIVE MINUTES, CAR RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK TO MECHANIC. THIS TIME OBD REPORTED TELL-TALE CODES FOR FAILED ETM. ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE WAS REPLACED AT TOTAL COST OF $1200. I PHONED STILLMAN VOLVO WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR. THEY DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF ANY WIDESPREAD, WELL-KNOWN ISSUE REGARDING ETM ON 2001 VOLVOS. I CALLED VOLVO AMERICA CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED A NHTSA INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY AND THAT THEY HOPED TO HAVE A RESOLUTION IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE REPRESENTATIVE, HOWEVER, TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE UNLIKELY THAT I WOULD GET ANY COST ASSISTANCE FROM VOLVO OR MY VOLVO DEALERSHIP SINCE I HAD THE WORK DONE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON-LINE WITH OTHER VOLVO OWNERS. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT VOLVO AMERICA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE FOR YEARS AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. I AM UPSET REGARDING THEIR STATEMENT REGARDING INDEPENDENT MECHANICS. BUT I AM FURIOUS THAT THIS CAR MANUFACTURER WOULD RISK THE LIVES OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR PASSENGERS BY FAILING TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ISSUE. *JB