NHTSA Complaint #10147375 — 2001 VOLVO V70

MY WIFE WAS ON ONE OF THE BUSIEST FREEWAYS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, WHEN OUR 2001 V-70 BEGAN MISSING AND LOSING POWER. BY THE TIME SHE LIMPED HOME TO THE NEXT OFF RAMP, SHE WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AN HOUR, IN TRAFFIC MOVING NEARLY 60 MILES AN HOUR. OBVIOUSLY, THIS CREATED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD FOR MY WIFE AND OTHER TRAVELERS. SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER, CALABASAS VOLVO, AT ABOUT 20-30 MILES PER HOUR. AT THE DEALER, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE GAS PEDAL LINKAGE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY $300 (COPY ENCLOSED), AND THAT THE ETM WOULD BE CLEANED. I HAD ALREADY FOUND INFORMATION ON THE WEB THAT SHOWED CLEANING WAS INEFFECTIVE, AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONTINUED SAFETY RISK. IN FACT, THE INFORMATION ON THE WEB EXPLAINED THAT VOLVO HAS AGREED TO AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY ON THIS PART TO 200,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS. I, FRANKLY, WAS STUNNED THAT A CAR MANUFACTURER WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE SUCH A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN FLAW AND COMMIT TO SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME FOR REPLACEMENTS FOR THE EFFECTIVE LIFE OF THE CAR. IT APPEARS THAT SOMEONE AT VOLVO DOES RECOGNIZE THAT THE ETM FAILURE COULD CAUSE INJURY OR EVEN DEATH OF THE VEHICLE OPERATOR AND OCCUPANTS. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND URGED THEM TO REPLACE THE ETM. TO MY ABSOLUTE SURPRISE, THEY EXPLAINED THAT VOLVO HAS DIRECTED DEALERS TO CLEAN FIRST, REPLACE LATER, ALTHOUGH THEY AGREED THAT THE ETM WOULD PROBABLY FAIL WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. NOW MY WIFE IS MUCH NICER THAN ME, AND SINCE I HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CALABASAS VOLVO SERVICE DEPARTMENT REGARDING THEIR INCOMPETENCE WITH THE FAN RECALL, THEY CHOSE TO GIVE HER THE CAR BACK AFTER THE CLEANING AND SHE ACCEPTED IT. WITHIN TWO MILES, THE CAR WAS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS THAT IT HAD EARLIER IN THE DAY. IN OTHER WORDS, VOLVO POLICY HAS PLACED MY WIFE AND FAMILY AT RISK OF DEATH OR INJURY. *JB