NHTSA Complaint #10157224 — 2000 VOLVO S80

IN OCT 04, WE PURCHASED A VOLVO 2000 S80, [XXX]. WE WERE SATISFIED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CAR FOR THE MOST PART. SHORTLY AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VOLVO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND AFTER HAVING THE CODES CHECK, THE OXYGEN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE CAR WAS RUNNING SMOOTH AND W/AGREEMENT OF MY MECHANIC, I DID NOT HAVE THE OS REPLACED. IN MARCH 2006, ANOTHER MSG CAME ON THE MSG CTR, URGENT TRANSMISSION SERVICE REQ'D. AFTER HAVING THE PROBLEM CHECK OUT, I WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE COMPLETELY OVERHAULED. MY TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL COST $1300. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, ACCORDING TO TRANSMISSION TECHNICIAN, WAS WITH THE OVERDRIVE CLUTCH HUB AND TWO SHIFT SOLENOIDS WERE DEFECTIVE. AFTER THE REPAIR THE CAR WAS RUNNING GREAT. ANOTHER PROBLEM CAME UP ON THE MSG CTR, STATING URGENT ENGINE SERVICE REQ'D. WE HAD DRIVEN LESS THAN THE 100 MI WHEN ANOTHER MSG APPEARED. AFTER CHECKING W/MY MECHANIC AND ANOTHER OWNER OF A 2000 S80 VOLVO, WHO HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM, IT WAS DETERMINED WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ETM (ELECT THROTTLE MOD), WHICH WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VOLVO. L. AFTER MORE INVESTIGATING, I FOUND OUT THAT THE WARRANTY ON THE ETM HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO 200,000 MILES, MY CAR HAD A LITTLE OVER 125,000 MILES. I SCHEDULED MY CAR FOR REPAIR AT MY LOCAL VOLVO DEALERSHIP, TIM MARBURGER VOLVO OF BRISTOL, TN, FOR REPAIR UNDER A WARRANTY PROBLEM. MY CAR WAS REPAIRED/UPGRADED TO FIX THE ISSUE WITH THE ETM. MY VOLVO IS CURRENTLY RUNNING MUCH BETTER THAN IT'S RUN SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ONCE THE MSG CAME ON REGARDING THE ENGINE NEEDING SERVICE, THE PERFORMANCE WAS MARGINAL AT BEST, FORTUNATELY WE WERE NOT IN A SITUATION THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, THAT HIS HAPPEN IN TRAFFIC, WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED. IT SEEMS THAT VOLVO KNOWS THEY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ETM, WHY HAVEN'T THEY DONE SOMETHING TO NOTIFY THEIR VOLVO OWNER OF THIS PROBLEM??? THIS IS PROVIDED FOR YOUR INFO/ACTION. *NM *JS