NHTSA Complaint #10318180 — 2000 VOLVO V70XC

WHILE DRIVING OUR 2000 VOLVO V70 XC, THE THROTTLE BEGAN ACTING STRANGE, REQUIRING US TO PRESS MUCH MORE THAN USUAL ON THE THROTTLE TO AVOID THE ENGINE CUTTING OUT, WHILE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE, AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE PART WAS ORDERED, AND IN EARLY JANUARY 2010, I RETURNED TO THE DEALER FOR INSTALLATION. THE CAR HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE, AND WE HAVE COME VERY CLOSE TO HAVING AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE FAULTY DESIGN. WHEN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER FOR THE WARRANTY REPAIR, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE CAR WAS 'WARRANTY EXCLUDED', AND WOULD NOT BE COVERED, DUE TO THE STATUS OF THE TITLE. MY RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM, WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL TO RECALIBRATE THE THROTTLE, BUT NO RECALL TO ADDRESS THE ACTUAL FAILURE. THIS SEEMS ODD THAT VOLVO WOULD NOT HONOR THE SPIRIT OF THE RECALL. *TR