Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Volvo S70 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 48 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 48, in the owner's own words
WHILE DRIVING SPEED NEEDLE GOES BACK TO ZERO AS IF YOU ARE NOT MOVIN, SHOW NO MILEAGE NUMBERS N MILES YOU HAVE GONE OR ZERO TRIP MILES, MANY LIGHTON BREAKS, ABS ECT.ALL WHILE DRIVINGIF STOP WHEN TIME TO GO CAR THINKS IT IS IN PARK ALL THIS IS WHILE IN TRAFFICHAVE PIC CAN NOT DOWN LOAD BE GLAD TO SEND
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION AND WAS ABLE TO TURN IN A COMPLETE CIRCLE CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO SEIZE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S70. WHILE TRAVELING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ETS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE UPGRADED. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 133,000. UPDATED 04/11/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE CAMSHAFT SEAL, IDLER PULLEY, TENSIONER AND WATER PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
I HAD NOT DRIVEN THIS CAR FOR ABOUT A YEAR BECAUSE I BOUGHT A 2008 C70 THAT I WAS DRIVING. I DECIDED TO START DRIVING THIS ONE FOR THE WINTER. ON A RAINY MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, MY WINDOWS FROSTED UP INSIDE SO BAD THAT I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT TO WORK. MY DEFROSTER FAILED. I JUST TRIED MY CAR AGAIN AND THE DEFROSTER SEEMED TO WORK - ONLY SLOWER- BUT NOW MY DASHBOARD IS SHOWING ME A LIGHT THAT SAYS ETC. FROM READING ON-LINE, IT SOUNDS LIKE I SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ABOUT THIS.. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DID NOT. IS VOLVO GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER - SINCE I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER OR KNEW THAT THERE WAS SUCH A PROBLEM? *TR
1999 VOLVO S70. CONSUMER STATES MECHANICAL PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL WITH NO WARNING, USUALLY IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT OFTEN IT WOULD GO NO MORE THAN 20-30 MPH. ALSO, SOME OF THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF. THE CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT LEAST SIXTEEN TIMES. *JB UPDATED 10/28/10. *JB THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE UPON ACCELERATION. UPDATED 11/12/10*JB
VOLVO S70 WITH ACCELERATION, DECELERATION AND STALLING ISSUES. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE ETM WAS REPLACED ON AUGUST 26, 2008 UNDER WARRANTY. SINCE THEN, THE CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING, FORCING HER TO MAKE REPEATED TRIPS TO THE DEALER IN AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE HAS STALLED AND DECELERATED ON THE FREEWAY. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN UNRELIABLE SINCE AUGUST 2008. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE AND PULLED ALL THE CODES, TO NO AVAIL. *JB
THE VOLVO S70 ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL IS ACTING UP. THE CAR WHEN STARTED IDLES ERRATICALLY. *TR
ONGOING PROBLEMS SINCE AUGUST 2008: ENGINE STALLS, DECELERATES, WON'T START, SOMETIMES ENGINE SURGES BADLY, ENGINE LIGHTS GO ON, THROTTLE GETS DIRTY EVEN WITH NEW PART ETM PROBLEMS ARE OCCURRING AND NOW VEHICLE WILL NOT START OR DRIVE AT ALL. *TR
I OWN A 1999 VOLVO S70 T5. IT STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AND AT TIMES WONT EVEN START. THIS IS VERY INCONVENIENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM REPAIRED. WHENEVER I BRING IT IN THE PROBLEM IS NEVER DIAGNOSED AND I GET STUCK WITH SOME OTHER PROBLEM THEY THINK COULD BE THE PROBLEM. I WOULD ALWAYS END UP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, CAR STALLS OUT COMPLETELY AND AT TIMES WONT EVEN START. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR
I PURCHASED A 1999 S70 VOLVO IN MARCH OF 1999 I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD GET THE SAME WARRANTY AS A NEW CAR. THE DEALER HAD PUT 5000 MILES ON THE CAR. AFTER THE CAR WAS APPROX. 4 YRS OLD IT STARTED TO LOOSE POWER THE SPEED WOULD DROP TO ZERO THE CAR WOULD REDUCE SPEED. IN 2006 IT STARTED TO SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. EACH TIME I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER NEVER SPOKE TO ME REF THE ETM. THEY WOULD DIAG. SOME OTHER PROBLEM. THEY REPAIRED IT ON OCT. 8, 2008, IT SHUT DOWN AGAIN IN NOV 2008, I TOOK IT BACK AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR WAS FINE. THE CAR SHUT DOWN AGAIN JUNE 19, 2009. NOW I AM TOLD THAT IT IS THE ETM. O'STEEN VOLVO WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S70. IN 2001, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED AND DISPLAYED ZERO WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 10 MPH. EVENTUALLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC AND WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 60-65 MPH. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SENSORS SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE SENSORS WERE REPLACED AGAIN. SHE WAS UNSURE ABOUT THE NAME OF THE SENSOR; HOWEVER, THE FAILURES CONTINUED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. RECENTLY, IN JUNE OF 2009, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THEY STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE FAILED AND THE BATTERY CABLE WAS CORRODED. THE REPAIR COST WAS ESTIMATED AT $1,021. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,842 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 189,000.
WE OWN A 1999 VOLVO S70. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IT STARTED TO SURGE WHILE AT A STOP WITHOUT AND FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AT ALL. WHILE TRYING TO PULL OUT FROM A STOP SIGN THE CAR HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. IT DID WHAT IT WANTED TOO WITHOUT MY CONTROLLING IT. THE GAS PEDAL WENT UP AND DOWN ALL BY ITSELF. THE CAR THEN STALLED AND WOULD NOT START AND RUN. A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A ETS LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKY WE WHERE NOT ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND WHERE ABLE TO PULL OVER. WE HAD TO GET A TOW TRUCK TO BRING IT HOME. I CALLED A VOLVO DEALER IN OUR AREA. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FIND OUT THIS WAS A PROBLEM IN ALL 99 TO 2001 VOLVO'S. A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE VOLVO DEALER WILL ONLY UPGRADE A SOFTWARE ISSUE. IF THE PART { ETM} FAILS THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT. WE NEVER HAD A CAR THAT THE GAS PEDAL IS CONTROLLED BY THIS SYSTEM. AFTER GETTING OUT CAR BACK FROM THE DEALER THE SAME DAY IT DID IT AGAIN. WE TOOK THE CAR BACK AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR MEETS THE RECALL REQUIREMENTS THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT THE ETM. NOW WE HAVE A CAR THAT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A INTERSTATE WE COULD HAVE BEEN REARENDED OR RAN INTO SOMEONE ELSE. PLEASE HELP. *TR
THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE TAIL-LIGHTS AND INTERIOR PANEL. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO S-70 GLT. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE, THE ETS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, AND THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WAITED APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE RESTARTED, BUT IT STILL CONTINUED TO VIBRATE. THE CONSUMER STATES THIS EVENT OCCURRED 3-4 TIMES IN AUGUST 2005. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THE ETS MODULE SHOULD BE REPLACED. APPROXIMATELY SEVEN YEARS LATER THE VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SOFTWARE MODULE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE VEHICLE REMAINS AT THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 70,000.*AK UPDATE 4/30/07 *TR
TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS A 1999 VOLVO S70, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC ,AND HE INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE THROTTLE BODY ,AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A VOLVO DEALER. THE VOLVO DEALER PERFORMED A COMPUTER DOWNLOAD. THE CONTACT STATED SHE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. OCCASIONALLY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TURN ON. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED HER THAT SHE NEEDED NEW SPARK PLUGS AND A NEW 02 SENSOR. THE ENGINE SIZE AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN BY THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE PROBLEMWAS RELATED TO RECALL # 06V441000. *AK UPDATED 02/16/07. *JB
FAILED ETM, THROTTLE BODY. NO ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES OCCURRED. DEALER SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHY IT IS OCCURING. THE PART HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $900. PART # 8644347. *JB
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT 1999 VOLVO S70 EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH STALLING WHILE DRIVING UNDER 40 MPH. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS COMING ON AND THE CAR WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CAR WOULD SHAKE AND JERK, SPEED AHEAD AND SLOW DOWN. T THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE FUEL THROTTLE BODY, PUT IN NEW SPARK PLUGS, AND REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER. THE CAR HAS SINCE THEN RAN WELL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS HAPPENED A YEAR AGO. THE REPAIR COST FOR THE CONTACT WAS ALMOST $1,000.00. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH VOLVO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT RECALL. THE VOLVO MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CAR, AND TO CALL THE NHTSA. THE CONTACT HAS ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VOLVO.*AK
CONSUMER HAS HAD PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE STALLING. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE MODULE. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT EVENTUALLY THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN. *JB
WE HAVE 1999 VOLVO GLT. DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OUR MECHANIC NOTED THAT OUR ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULATOR (?) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON MANY 1999-2001 VOLVOS. THE CLUE FOR HIM WAS THE IRREGULAR AND HIGH IDLE OF THE CAR. IT COST APPROXIMATELY $1000.00 TO REPAIR. THE CAR ONLY HAS 54K MILES. *JB
THIS IS THE SECOND SUBMISSION (PART TWO, ACTUALLY) OF COMPLAINT # 10137311, REGARDING VOLVO THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE AND CRUISE CONTROL. I HAD TO DIVIDE THE DESCRIPTION INTO TWO SECTIONS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS. PART TWO OF ODI # 10137311: MAY 2004 (45,000 MILE SERVICE) -CAR IDLING ROUGHLY, NOT ACCELERATING SMOOTHLY, AND CLUNKING SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING. UPPER ENGINE TORQUE MOUNT. CLUNKING NOISE DISAPPEARED. CAR SEEMED TO ACCELERATE MORE NORMALLY AFTER SERVICING. SUMMER 2004- CAR CUTTING OFF WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER TURNING AND WARNING LIGHT(S) ON. CRUISE CONTROL CONTINUES CUTTING OFF, CAUSING DECELERATION; CAR CONTINUES TO IDLE ROUGHLY AND ACCELERATE UN-SMOOTHLY. WHEN IT IS TIME FOR ENGINE TO AUTOMATICALLY BE GIVEN A LITTLE MORE GAS (SUCH AS GOING UP A HILL), THE CRUISE CONTROL SHUTS OFF AND THE "ABS" LIGHT COMES ON. SOMETIMES "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON, EITHER ALONE OR IN ADDITION TO THE ABS WARNING LIGHT. SEPTEMBER 20, 2005--WARRANTY EXPIRED--67,500 MILE SERVICE- AGAIN REPORTED CRUISE CONTROL/WARNING LIGHT PROBLEM TO DEALERSHIP,SUPPOSEDLY NEED NEW CONTROL MODULE, COSTING $1,000. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED REPEATEDLY WHILE CAR UNDER WARRANTY; DON'T REPAIR AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE PROBLEM DEVELOPED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. USING CELL PHONE WHILE CONVERSING WITH DEALERSHIP. WOMAN IN SAME STORE OVERHEARD CONVERSATION, TOLD ME OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN DECELERATION, AND GAVE ME YOUR URL. [XXX]. VIN [XXX] (1999 S70) THROTTLE CONTROL NOT YET REPLACED. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
REGARDING VOLVO THROTTLE CONTROL JULY 2001-PURCHASED 1999 S70 WITH 22,600 MILES; CRUISE CONTROL QUIT, WARNING LIGHTS LIT, CAR BEGAN DECELERATING. DEALERSHIP SAID CHECK GAS CAP SECURELY-FITTING. AFTER RESTARTING, CRUISE CONTROL WORKED AND WARNING LIGHTS OFF. 30,000 MILE SERVICE- TOLD AGAIN TO CHECK GAS CAP WHENEVER CRUISE PROBLEM OCCURRED. AUGUST 2002-USING CRUISE CONTROL, ACCELERATION WITHOUT REASON. IMMEDIATELY, CRUISE CONTROL QUIT, CAR DECELERATED, WARNING LIGHTS ON. NORMAL FUNCTION WITH MANUAL ACCELERATION. BY THIS TIME, I HAD "LEARNED" TO RESTART CAR TO GET WARNING LIGHTS TO TURN OFF OR TO GET CRUISE CONTROL TO START WORKING. AT DESTINATION, CAR WOULDN'T RESTART. TOW TRUCK DRIVER JUMP-STARTED BATTERY. ETS WARNING LIGHT STILL ON. WROTE TO DEALERSHIP OCTOBER 28, 2003, REGARDING ETS WARNING LIGHT. AT 37,500 MILE CHECK-UP, I WAS TOLD CAR REQUIRED ONLY NORMAL SERVICING. WHEN I LEFT DEALERSHIP, ETS LIGHT NO LONGER ON. LATER CAR BEGAN IDLING ROUGHLY AND DIDN'T ACCELERATE AS SMOOTHLY. AFTER 37,500 MILE SERVICE, CAR OPERATED MORE AS EXPECTED. WITHIN WEEKS, AGAIN IDLING ROUGHLY AND NOT ACCELERATING PROPERLY AFTER TURNING CORNERS. DEC. 31, 2003 (38,695 MILES), VOLVO TOWED TO DEALERSHIP BECAUSE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN TURNING, CAR BARELY MOVED FORWARD. ALSO, MOTOR STALLING OUT DURING ACCELERATION AFTER TURNING. NOISE SOUNDED LIKE IT EMANATED FROM POWER STEERING. POWER STEERING RACK REPLACED. AFTER SERVICING, ENGINE'S ACCELERATION BETTER FOR FEW MONTHS. (DID DEALERSHIP CLEANED THROTTLE DURING SERVICE?) REST OF THIS SENT IN SEPARATE DESCRIPTION DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS. *JB
1999 VOLVO S70 T5, DURING 2004 CAR STARTED AN IDLE/SURGE PROBLEM. TOOK IT TO DEALER WHO SAID THE MASS AIR FLOW CONTROL REGULATOR NEEDED CLEANING. PAID AROUND $200 AND CAR SEEMED FINE FOR AWHILE. IN JAN 2005 THE PROBLEM RETURNED, BUT WORSE. TOOK IT TO TWO DIFFERENT VOLVO CERTIFIED MECHANICS WHO SAID THERE WERE NO CODES IN COMPUTER, THEY COULD SEE THERE WAS A PROBLEM BUT HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS CAUSING IT, JUST OPINIONS ON A COUPLE OF PART WE COULD TRY REPLACING. IN MARCH 05 THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, RESTARTED AND SEEMED TO RUN FINE, ASIDE FROM THE SURGING. HOWEVER, SURGING CONTINUED AND STALLING, IN TRAFFIC, OCCURRED AGAIN TWO WEEKS AGO. DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I'M NOW FINDING THIS IS A KNOWN AND DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. DUE TO FINANCIAL RESTRAINTS AT THIS MOMENT, I CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE AND SO MY CAR MOSTLY SITS, BEING DRIVEN ONLY IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. LUCKILY WE HAVE A SECOND VEHICLE. WE PURCHASED OUR VOLVO, DESPITE THE REPUTATION FOR PRICEY MAINTENANCE, WITH FAITH IN VOLVO'S REPUTATION FOR SAFETY AND RELIABILITY. A REPUTATION BUILT, IN PART, BY RATINGS SUPPLIED BY SEVERAL CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES, INCLUDING YOUR OWN. THE MANUFACTURER NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT, AND CONSUMER ADVOCACY AGENCIES SHOULD SEE TO IT THAT THEY DO. *NM
ROUGH IDLE ETS LIGHT CAME ON CAR DIED REPLACED ETM. *NM
ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO FAILURE. THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR REPEATEDLY JERKED DURING DRIVING. DEALER ASSESSED SITUATION AND HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE. *JB
ST: VEHICLE STALLED/DIED/LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH. DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE BODY. *AK *JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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