NHTSA Complaint #10289881 — 1999 VOLVO V70XC

FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE ASSEMBLY CAUSING VERY POOR DRIVABLE. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND SEVERE THAT THE CAR CAN NOT SAFELY BE DRIVEN IN TRAFFIC WITHOUT A RISK OF ACCIDENT. BRIEF CHRONOLOGY: I HAVE A VERY EARLY PRODUCTION 1999 VOLVO V70XC. IT HAD DRIVABLE PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT. NEVER WAS FIXED. (SUPPOSEDLY) REPLACED ETM THE FIRST TIME IN ~ 2004, USING PART WHOSE DESIGN WAS KNOWN TO BE FAULTY. LATER DID SOFTWARE UPDATE (CAMPAIGN 155). DRIVABLE IMPROVED SLIGHTLY, BUT WAS NEVER CORRECT. REPLACEMENT MODULE IS NOW FAILING. CAR CAN NOT BE DRIVEN SAFELY. ENGINE RUNS POORLY, RPM LIMITED TO < 2000, ALWAYS IN "LIMP HOME MODE". YOU ARE AWARE (I BELIEVE) THAT THERE IS A RECALL/REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY FOR THIS PART. HOWEVER, THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS THE SAME DESIGN FLAW AS THE ORIGINAL. (I AM ALREADY ON A "SUPPOSEDLY" REPLACED MODULE). VOLVO IS PRETENDING TO HONOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WHILE EITHER: 1) CHANGING THE MODULE'S SOFTWARE TO POSTPONE OR HIDE THE ACTUAL (MECHANICAL) FAILURE MECHANISM. 2) REPLACING A FAILED MODULE WITH ONE HAVING THE SAME FLAWED DESIGN WHICH HAS THE SAME POTENTIAL FOR FAILURE AS BEFORE. THIS RESULTS IN A SERIOUS POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE BEING QUITE LIKELY TO OCCUR TO A CUSTOMER LIKE MYSELF IN THE FUTURE. WORSE YET, THIS IS OCCURRING JUST AS A NUMBER OF THE VEHICLES ARE NEARING THE END OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE END RESULT OF THIS IS THEY LEAVE A SERIOUS DRIVEABILITY PROBLEM UNSOLVED, AND DUCK THE ACTUAL PROBLEM BY USING A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO GET THE CUSTOMER JUST PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. IN CONCLUSION, THEY ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPLY UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE PARTS UNDER THE GUISE OF HAVING PROVIDED A SAFE, RELIABLE, AND WARRANTED REPAIR. THEY NEED TO BE FORCED TO: ISSUE A FULL RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES USING THE CURRENT ETM DESIGN, ANNOUNCE A FULL RECALL FOR ALL CARS USING THIS DESIGN, AND SUPPLY ONLY A RE-DESIGNED ETM AS PART OF ALL FUTURE REPAIRS. *TR