NHTSA Complaint #10154577 — 2001 VOLVO V70XC

I PURCHASED A 2001 V70 XC IN NOVEMBER 2004, WITH ABOUT 37K MILES. IT NOW HAS ABOUT 64K MILES AND YESTERDAY (MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2006) IS WHEN SHE TOOK A DIVE. I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A 1200 MILE TRIP EARLY MONDAY MORNING. ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, I STARTED ON AN ERRAND; BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND DROVE ABOUT 100 YARDS TO THE ENTRANCE/EXIT OF OUR SUBDIVISION. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A BUSY INTERSECTION AND DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO GET OUT. I SAW A SMALL OPENING IN THE TRAFFIC AND I GAVE THE ACCELERATOR A PRETTY GOOD PUSH.......AND ALMOST NOTHING HAPPENED. I JUST STARTED CREEPING ALONG AT LESS THAN 20 MPH. ON INCLINES IT WAS EVEN WORSE. THE FIRST WARNING WAS "REDUCED PERFORMANCE." I TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS. AT THAT POINT I WAS WONDERING HOW TO GET OFF THIS BUSY ROAD AND TAKE A LESS TRAVELED ONE TO THE REPAIR SHOP. I GOT OFF THE BUSY ROAD AND DOWN THE NEXT HILL, BUT NOT UP. THE ENGINE WAS BARELY RUNNING AND PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. NEXT I BACKED/COASTED DOWN THE HILL AND ONTO A SIDE STREET, ENGINE STILL SORT OF RUNNING. I DECIDED TO TRY SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO RESTART, BUT EVENTUALLY WOULD WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS. I DID THIS A COUPLE OF MORE TIMES - START/ SHUT DOWN AND AFTER A FEW MORE ATTEMPTS, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN FINE. I HEADED FOR MY USUAL REPAIR SHOP (FRANKLIN AUTOMOTIVE) AND THEY GOT ABOUT 12 THROTTLE BODY ERRORS AND SAID I NEED TO TAKE IT TO THE AUTHORIZED VOLVO DEALER - ROYAL VOLVO. I AM IN BIRMINGHAM, AL. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT THERE. THE DIAGNOSTIC CLEARED ERROR MESSAGES. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT WAS ON AND A "SERVICE ENGINE URGENT" MESSAGE WAS PRESENT ALONG WITH ONE OTHER MESSAGE THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER. ROYAL VOLVO UPDATED THE ETM SOFTWARE, AND REPROGRAMMED THE ECM AS PART OF SERVICE CAMPAIGN 155. SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THAT THIS SHOULD FIX THE ETM PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD NOT REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICE OR NEED ADDITIONAL REPAIRS. ALL THIS WAS LISTED UNDER A VOLVO RECALL AND THERE WERE NO CHARGES. *NM