NHTSA Complaint #10153289 — 2000 VOLVO S80

RE: VOVLO S80 2000 MODEL YEAR; CAR INDEPENDENTLY ACCELLERATED WHILE BEING DRIVEN THE CAR SURGED WHEN IN IDLE, THEN WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELLERATED WITHOUT MY PRESSING THE GAS. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR USING THE BRAKE. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR AGAIN ACCELLERATED. I STOPPED THE CAR AGAIN, AND WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE IT ACCELLERATED A THIRD TIME. I TURNED THE CAR OFF. AS I WAS IN AN OPEN PARKING LOT, I TURNED THE CAR ON AGAIN TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM WAS REPEATABLE. THE CAR AGAIN SURGED IN IDE, THEN ACCELLERATED SOON AFTER MY PUTTING IT IN DRIVE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, AND THE PROBLEM REPEATED A THIRD TIME. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE CAR WAS STARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE VOLVO DEALER, WHERE THE MECHANICS REPEATEDLY TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT SUCCESS. WE LEFT THE CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR EIGHT WEEKS, BASICALLY REFUSING TO PICK UP THE CAR UNTIL THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND CORRECTED IT. VOLVO HAD A SPECIALIST LOOK AT THE CAR, AND THE SPECIALIST WAS ULTIMATELY ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE SPECIALIST NOTED THAT THE CAR WAS INCREASING, INSTEAD OF DECREASING, RPM'S AS IT CAME TO A STOP. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE MODULE AND UPDATED THE SOFTWARE FOR THE THROTTLE MECHANISM. WE LOOKED INTO VOLVO'S KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL AND FOUND THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM) HAS FREQUENTLY FAILED, CAUSING CARS TO STALL AND ACCELLERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. WE OBTAINED THE SERVICE RECORDS OF OUR (RECENTLY PURCHASED, USED) CAR AND FOUND THAT THE ETM HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED DUE TO PROBLEMS REPORTED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER IN 2003. ONE WEEK AGO, WHEN THE CAR STALLED. THE INCIDENT DATE ENTERED BELOW IS APPROXIMATE, BUT I CAN FIND OUT THE EXACT DATE IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. *NM