NHTSA Complaint #10285720 — 2004 VOLVO S80

MY 2004 VOLVO S80 HAS STALLED DOZENS OF TIMES OVER THE PAST 2 1/3 YEARS. SOMETIMES IT STALLS WHILE COASTING TO A STOP. IT WILL GENERALLY RESTART AND YOU CAN LIMP HOME. THIS IS A SEVERE INCONVENIENCE, BUT NOT A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, IT ALSO HAS LOST POWER AND SPUTTERED ALONG AT A VERY LOW SPEED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER REFUSE TO DRIVE THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN TO A VOLVO DEALER 6 TIMES SINCE MAY 2007 FOR THIS PROBLEM. MANY TIMES THE PROBLEMS WAS MIS-DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED WHICH DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IN MAY 2007, THE CAR WAS GIVEN A TUNEUP AND SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. IN JUNE 2007, THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) WAS REPLACED. MY TOTAL COST WAS $1,165 WHILE THE DEALER SUPPLIED THE ECM PART AS A GOODWILL GESTURE. SAME PROBLEM IN MAY 2008. DEALER REPLACED TERMINAL ENDS IN WIRING ON ECM AT A COST OF $215. SAME PROBLEM IN SEPT 2008. DEALER REPLACED THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR FOR $525. SAME PROBLEM IN DEC 2008. DEALER REPLACED WIRING FROM ECM TO THROTTLE ACTUATOR AND COVERED THE COST AS A GOODWILL GESTURE. SAME PROBLEM IN JULY 2009. DEALER REPLACED THE ECM AT A COST $500; PART WAS COVERED AS A GOODWILL GESTURE. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM COVERED BY NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE05041 FOR 1999 TO 2001 MODEL YEARS. IN THAT CASE, VOLVO EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS AND 200,000 MILES FOR THE ECM. THAT APPEARS TO BE AN APPROPRIATE REMEDY FOR 2004 MODEL YEARS AS WELL. *TR