NHTSA Complaint #10192943 — 2000 VOLVO S70

I OWN A 2000 VOLVO S70 AND AM WAS EXPERIENCING RPM SURGING. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN INDEPENDENT VOLVO REPAIR SPECIALIST, SOUTHWEST AUTOMOTIVE, WHO IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE OF THE SURGING AS AN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE PROBLEM, AND THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE CAR TO A VOLVO DEALERSHIP. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP,VOLVO OF RICHARDSON, WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE ETM HAD BEEN REPLACED UNDER VOLVO?S WARRANTY, AND THAT THE SOFTWARE HAD BEEN UPGRADED. VOLVO OF RICHARDSON RECOMMENDED A REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE POWER SURGING IS CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION. I AM OF THE BELIEF THAT A SOFTWARE UPGRADE HAS LOWERED THE TRIGGER POINTS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE A DIAGNOSTIC CODE THAT WOULD INDICATE A MALFUNCTIONING ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. IN THIS CASE, THE PARAMETERS HAVE BEEN RECONFIGURED SO LOW AS TO NOT PRESENT A CODE THAT WOULD IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM IS ETM, EVEN WHEN SURGING IS PRESENT TO THE EXTENT OF VISUALLY WATCHING THE TACHOMETER MOVE BY 50 TO 100 RPM'S DURING STEADY TO MINOR ACCELERATION. SINCE MODIFYING THE SOFTWARE PARAMETERS DOES NOT FIX A POWER SURGE ISSUE, THEN LOGIC WOULD INDICATE THAT THE MODIFICATION IS AN ATTEMPT TO HIDE FAILURES IN A METHODOLOGY THAT VOLVO IS NOT BEING DAMNED BY THE CAR?S OWN DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM! IN THIS CASE, VOLVO IS DENYING THE EXISTENCE OF AN ISSUE BY THE SIMPLE EXPEDIENT OF NOT REPORTING THEM. IF FACTUAL, THIS ACTION PROVES INTENTIONAL FRAUD. THE ONLY RESULT IS A LONGER TIME TO REPLACEMENT AT FINAL ETM FAILURE. WHICH I SUSPECT VOLVO IS HOPING WILL BE AFTER THE WARRANTY EXTENSION, TO VOLVO?S ILLICIT BENEFIT. I SUSPECT THAT THE RESULT OF THIS THROTTLE SURGING BEHAVIOR IS (1) A SAFETY ISSUE, (2) CAUSES PREMATURE WEAR AND STRESS ON THE VEHICLE, (3) PRODUCES LOWER FUEL MILEAGE AND THE CHANGE IN SOFTWARE HAS PRODUCED AN UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCE OF PUTTING VOLVO DEALERS IN A POSITION OF EXPLOITING VOLVO OWNERS INTO REPAIR COSTS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARY THROUGH SIMPLE MISIDENTIFICATION OR FRAUD.*AK