Problems with 2000 Volvo S80 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Dt: 2000 volvo s80. the vehicle stalled/ died and lost power due to throttle module failure. *ak .

In july, 2005 i took my 2000 s80 in for service complaining of general performance problems including surging when stopped, particularly when the a/c is running. sometimes i saw the tachometer jumping during the surge activity. red bank volvo, my regular service facility, advised me that the problem required software upgrades for ecm and etm, and if it persisted that my alternator would need cleaning. they never mentioned an etm defect. based upon the etm complaints listed on nhtsa's website, my early problems seem similar. *nm

I get performance reduced messages on my 2000 volvo s80 message console, and the car will slow down almost to a stop. this has happened more than 100 times to me - even at highway speeds. i have to put the hazard lights on, and make my way off of the road on to the shoulder. if i turn the car off, and restart the car, (often several times), the car seems to "reset" and i can often drive on. westside volvo of cleveland, ohio has quoted me between $1,200 and $2,000 to fix this problem, and has told me it is the "etm". my car has 106,000 miles on it. the dealer has told me that the unit was "designed only to last until 100,000" miles, and that only a volvo dealer can replace it - because of computer software that must be encoded on the part. i purchased this car used with 59,000 miles on it, thinking i would get a car that might last me ("volvo - for life..." happens to be the company's marketing slogan). however, i cannot currently afford the repair, and i cannot afford to get another car. i am forced to drive this car and it is unsafe. i have had more than 5 incidents where there was almost a crash - mostly due to this "performance reduced" happening at highway speeds on multiple lane highways in heavy traffic. please do something about this - please help me. thank you. *jb

My 2000 s80 volvo a few weeks ago had a sudden loss of speed on highway. message screen said to shut off engine and restart. this was at 65 mph. after pulling over and restarting car it would not go above 2k rpms. after 20 minutes it started and i brought it to dealer. they replaced the electronic throttle control module and also strongly recommended and i did upgrade software on another controller. i am very concerned after reading article today that the problem could happen again. i was lucky to be able to get to side of road. *nm

My wife was driving on a busy 4 lane highway when the car stalled while in motion. she was unable to restart it when it was in neutral. she came very close to an accident as it was a very busy street. had the car towed to volvo of fife and they could find nothing wrong with it. said nothing registered on the computer. i told them this had happened to me once and seemed like a vapor lock. i was told that there was a part that has gone out on some of the early model s80's but it's $1,300.00 to replace and they didn't want to do that unless they knew for sure. the part hasn't been replaced and my wife is very concerned about what will happen if it stalls when she's doing 65 mph down the freeway. *nm

In early jul 05, i experienced electronic throttle system (ets) problems with my 2000 volvo s80. particularly concerning to me from a safety standpoint was that several times, including when i was in highway driving situations, the car on its own suddenly accelerated and decelerated, hesitated on acceleration or would not accelerate, and displayed engine stall symptoms. the computer indicated degraded engine performance (limp mode). i lined up a service appointment with lovering volvo of meredith. after lovering's first attempt at repairs, the car was still not operating normally and i took it back to the dealer a second time. i paid a total of $2,074.42 for repairs, $1,741.44 the first time and $332.98 during the second visit. in accordance with a june 2006 volvo letter, i took my s80 back to lovering for inspection and ets software upgrade. i submitted to volvo a claim for reimbursement for ets repairs. the advertising checking bureau (acb), which administers the ets warranty rebate program on behalf of volvo, sent me a check for $747.93 for the ets repairs. acb said it was authorized to reimburse me only the $587.93 cost of electronic throttle body, electronic throttle module reload, and gasket, and associated $160.00 labor cost. acb advised me to contact the volvo customer care center. a volvo customer care representative confirmed that acb had done as instructed and suggested that i take up the matter of the remaining repair costs with lovering. the lovering invoices, dated july 26, 2005 and august 8, 2005, indicate that a $295.65 portion of the initial $1,741.44 repair bill had to do with totally unrelated steering/suspension and engine mount repairs. still questionable in my mind are the oxygen sensor repairs which added up to $897.86 and the subsequent mass air flow sensor repairs which came to $332.98. i suspect the problems are all ets-related and i am currently pursuing the matter with the dealership. *nm

the contact owns a 2000, volvo s80. vehicle stalled/died, and lost power three time while driving. due to throttle body failure. *ak

2000 volvo s80 suffered from a faulty throttle control module. *mr there was a pending lawsuit in california regarding these modules and their premature failure rates. *sc *jb

The consumer stated that the vehicle stalled. there was an issue with surging when the air was on. the on board computer display suggested that the performance was reduced. *jb the engine failure exhibited an engine surge or rpm bump when at idle. normal idle way 700 rpm. the engine would rev up to about 1000 rpm, then drop back to 700 rpm. *sc the throttle unit was replaced. *jb

1. wife and child driving vehicle on straight section of freeway at approx 60 mph. 2. vehicle suddenly decelerated abruptly causing wife to quickly change lanes and eventually exit freeway via off ramp. vehicle continued to run at "limp home"mode (approx. 20 mph) off off ramp, onto freeway feeder, at idle, and then for another approx 20 miles on freeway feeder roads and city roads to residence. 3. vehicle towed to volvo dealership for diagnostics and replacement of electronic throttle module. old part is no longer available. *nm *ak 11/02/05 *jb

Dt:the problem began in april at stop light. the owner stated the car began to rev. owner noticed the rpms rising. the car did not have any engine lights on. the car stalled in april. the husband was driving when it stalled. the wife has never been driving when it stalled and so she really can't give further details about the stalling. the owner was driving to work in d.c. when it stalled completely out. then she took it to dealership. dealership replaced the etm on may 20. the dealership kept the car for about 10 days. the owner did not want to pay for a repair. volvo of america agreed to pay for the part if the owner paid for labor.so the work was done at a cost of about 700 dollars to owner. the problem continued for the next couple of weeks before it was repaired.*ak a.consumer''s e-mail address if they have one see onwer information b.did the vehicle completely stall out and die or did it lose power and operate at a reduced speed? the car completely stalled out and restarted. c.if no crashes or injuries were there any ''near-misses'' caused by the problem? there was no near misses in this case. d.has the person taken the vehicle to a dealer for repair, did the consumer pay for the entire repair or did volvo/the dealership assist in the cost of the repair? the volvo dealership did not want to pay for repair, but volvo of america authorized payment of the part if owner paid for labor. e.has the same component been replaced more than once, or have they had similar problems after the component was replaced? the component was replaced but no similar problems have returned.

I own a 2000 volvo s-80. the electronic throttle module failed suddenly resulting in the inability to operate the vehicle at normal speed. this resulted in immediate uncontrolled deceleration and limited vehicle control. the vehicle was repaired by an authorized volvo dealer. volvo is aware of the problem with this part (reference the center for auto safety, see www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=119&did817) and is involved in a pending lawsuit in california, in addition to state and federal agencies being involved.

Car cuts off unexpectedly while driving on freeway. loses all power and shuts down. i have to put the car in park and start engine again. car will also cut off when pulling into parking lots while trying to park. this has been going on since car was purchased in march of 2005. *nm

While driving the vehicle goes into "limp" mode and a error message saying "safely pull over and restart vehicle" goes on. the vehicle wouldn't exceed 5 mph with traffic behind me. it is a potentially dangerous situation, which has happened several times. but i've finally brought the car to the dealership and apparently the electronic throttle body module, and the anti-lock brake module both have to be replaced. then after checking several forums this seems to be an epidemic for the volvo s80.

Dt: while driving at 65 mphicle stalled/hesitated, and operated at reduced speed of 20 mph. the throttle module malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to stall. the throttle module was replaced. *ak

Electronic throttle system the problem is not being handled responsibly and the dealers use intimidation and then bully their clients into paying for other services. they refuse to address this life threatening issue. they are withholding valuable information. i own both volvo s70 and s80 and they have shut down in highway traffic. *this is a direct quote i received from a master volvo mechanic when i posted a question concerning electronic throttle system. " your ets light is a little more severe then that this is a very common problem the manufacture knows this and will not stand behind problem . however the problem is the throttle unit, it has a malfunction and needs to be replaced the dealer will probably tell you it needs a download,that is unfortunately only going to fix problem for a short while.". *nm

When merging onto hwy. car lost power while trying to accelerate to enter lane. car behind me almost hit me and swerved into the other lane where he was almost hit by another car. the electronic throttle system of my car failed. volvo is replacing these per an extended warranty. had i known about this problem, i would have had the car repaired before there was a problem. i had to have the car towed and was then told this was a common problem with this car. why has there been no recall. i am the only private owner of this vehicle, having purchased it from a dealership. yet when i called volvo about this problem, they found my neighbor's car in their database, but not mine. i feel there are others being put at risk due to the autos throttle system failure. i have seen a letter sent to a television station stating that these cars have a problem they call, "limp home mode" . well, mine was almost "dead in the road mode" i hope there are no deaths due to this problem. i have had my car fixed, because i could not drive it unless i did. i will not purchase any more volvos, due to the omission of the truth concerning this vehicle. thank you. brenda tilley. *nm

Consumer was driving at approximately 60 mph and vehicle slowed down. the dashboard indicated to stop safely and restart. another message came on stating engine service required. consumer drove the vehicle to the dealership to have it serviced. dealer replaced the throttle unit, and down loaded software.*ak..........*ak

December 2004, etm / speed control fails on expressway. car slows dangerously - uncontrollable throttle. taken to dealer, two weeks out of warranty - all repairs $1,000,out of my pocket - no assistance by volvo - complained to north america hq - no response. told at service desk this was not an issue with other vehicles - after reading several news articles and the various issues surrounding this s -80 component - it is apparent there is a major issue with this component at volvo. *jb

In october 2001 while driving at night my lights went off. the following day while i was crossing the street my car stalled. approximately ten minutes later i was able to start the car at the same time lights went on. car was under warranty-repair throttle body & gasket. in june 2004 car stalled again. replaced sway links and program download-$338.19. in dec 2004 car stall on the road again. it was towed to the repair shop- replaced:throttle body, mass air flow, mfi module- cost 2098.96. i do not take this car on any longer trip. do to few stalls on the road and frequent loss of head lights and numerous other mechanical problems i believe this car is unsafe to be on the road. *nm

Our volvo was serviced regularly by our dealer. we complained about the car hesitating and was told that the problem was corrected. we left nj for a thanksgiving holiday trip to myrtle beach sc. about 30 miles from our destination, the car began to decelerate from 65 mph and would not go any faster than 20 mph. we proceed to pull off the highway and let the car cool down. after approx. 30 minutes we tried to restart the car and it did start so we continued onto myrtle beach at no more than 30 mph as that was as fast as the car would go. the next morning it was taken to the local volvo dealer approx. 5 miles away and it again refused to accelerate above 20-30 mph. beach volvo of myrtle beach, sc said the problem was the throttle control modular. a new throttle body was installed at a cost of $871.51. the car had 53,481 miles on it just over the 50,000 mileage warranty period. the car is a 2000 s80 vin [xxx]. when told of the problem by the dealer he said when the part goes, it goes without warning and there isn't anything you can do but replace it. i am glad we broke down late at night when there was no traffic around us because we were in the high speed lane doing 65 mph when it just quite and slowed to barely a crawl. if we had been on a busy corridor someone could have hit us from the rear and caused a terrible accident. volvo should be held accountable for this defect in design. *nm updated 07/19/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt: the vehicle stalled/died, and lost power due to throttle body failure. the consumer was involved in several near misses. *ak *nm

Dt: beginning last year, while driving in the neighborhood rpms would go way up and fall back down over and over for about 5 minutes. then ,the engine cut off. the vehicle started right back up. then, right away the problem would occur again. the car was taken to the dealership. the air intake valve was replaced. the problem stopped for a while. then, the exact problem happened again on june 15 2005. the car would stop in traffic. the rmps would go up and down for about 5 minutes, and tthere was electrical power. there was no power steering or brakes when the car shut completely down.*ak

Dt: 2000 volvo s80. vehicle stalled/died, and lost power. dealership replaced throttle body three times. *ak *nm

Electronic throttle module (etm) failed while vehicle traveling in traffic approximately 40 mph; caution lights and service engine urgent message displayed; unable to accelerate above 20 mph to get out of traffic; then fault cleared and vehicle ran ok; attempted to return home and etm failed again; then fault cleared again. no warning lights; vehicle drives ok, suspected loose gas cap; tightened and drove again; ran ok, then experienced same problem later in the day, this time left car to be towed. failure of etm and warnings misleading true severity of failure. volvo should change warning to "do not drive" is vehicle failure makes driving unsafe. etm failure makes vehicle unsafe to drive in any conditions. reported incident to volvo customer care. *la

Consumer request reimbursement for previously repaired recall for electronic throttle system. *ts the dealer replaced the wiper blades. the strut spring was replaced. *jb

I read recently of your inquiry into a stalling problem with certain volvo models. i had that problem with my 2000 volvo s80. for no apparent reason, the car started stalling without any warning. sometimes it would restart immediately, sometimes not. i managed to figure out that, if i always kept the engine revs up (meaning i had to always have my right foot on the throttle and keep the revs above @1500 rpm), i could prevent the stalling most of the time. i called my volvo dealer, betten imports, who unfortunately is 120 miles away in grand rapids. i was able to drive the car there, but it was a long, nerve-wracking trip. they seemed to be familiar with the problem and replaced the throttle body under warranty. my concern, after reading several articles being reported in the online press, is that other people who have had this repair have experienced a re-occurrence of this problem. in recent days i've noticed an unusual "hesitation" under mild acceleration sometimes, but nothing worse - so far. below, the "number of failures" is a best guess on my part. also, the "incident date" i've used below is actually the day the dealer repaired the car, as i don't have a record of when the problem actually began. it had been going on for several weeks before i could get the car repaired, though.

As the consumer parked the vehicle, it placed itself in reverse, the engine revved and accelerated across a median, and then had come to rest against two other vehicles and an abutment. *ak *sc

It was a stall. when the vehicle stalls, it would shut off, be able to restarted, but not stay started without stalling, x-ref voq 10141399 and e-mail, seperate incident with previous etm

I owned a 2000 volvo s-80 sedan that had a throttle body failure on 08/13/03 while traveling on i-35 in iowa. the engine stalled on the interstate. the car had 53,487 miles on it. i understand that you have had a number of complaints about volvo throttle body failures and thought you should be informed. i considered the car to dangerous to drive and sold it within a month of the incident. the car was repaired with a new throttle body and accessories at betts auto campus in des moines, iowa at a cost of $895.50. *nm

Over the course of ownership of a 2000 volvo s80 (i.e., four years), i have the transmission overhauled at 67,000 miles;had the throttle replaced when my car choked ( luckily on a side street); had a bar on the sunroof drop off; engine mounts broken; wheel stops broken; and, most recently replaced an abs panel. not withstanding in any of these incidents is the cooling fan and ball joint replaced due to recall. truly this car has been more expensive than any other known to be driven. every trip to the dealership is easily $1000 plus. at the time of purchase, the research was scant in terms of problems. i have truly been dismayed by volvo's commitment to its product and is design flaws and/or defects. after, the transmission was corrected at the dealership, i went to trade the car in---to purchase another car. the dealership where i purchased the car basically would not give money on its trade. after several thousand dollars later in repairs, i am still fuming over a car that was purchased solely for the "historical" volvo standard and its commitment to safety. *jb

Nar 1/15/2003. the consumer was charged 185.61 for a possible defect of the throttle body. when the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, the vehicle was not exhibiting any symptoms so the claim was denied, however there consumer located a technical service bulletin which stated how claims could be submitted for reimbursement. *jb

Dt: the contact states the vehicle surged and lurched when stopping. the electronic throttle module (etm) was replaced in the vehicle once, two years ago. the problem recurred. a certified dealer was contacted, who completed diagnostic testing, but captured no codes. after several failed attempts while the etm was under warranty the dealership could not diagnosis the problem. now, after the warranty on the etm expired, the dealership has diagnosed the problem, the etm needed to be replaced again at the contact's expense. the contact was not the original owner of the vehicle. no repairs further have been made.*ak

Etm (electric throttle module intake manifold) needs to be replaced! (volvo only has a very limited extended warranty issued on 4/2006. the etm was cleaned 3 different times since 8/8/02; and a software upgrade was completed on 10/19/06. my last 2 complaints to my volvo dealership mechanic has resulted in denial on 10/19/06 and refusal to repair under the extended warranty on 8/18/08 due to unretrievable computer codes (volvo admits the problem was still an etm problem). [this has occurred every year for the last 6 years!!!] on several occasions, accidents almost happened because the vehicle either stalls on the freeway at 55-60mph, or vehicle suddenly surges at a red light or stop sign. according to vexedvolvo.com, the real cause is due to a wearing out of the "potentiometer films in the throttle position sensors". a simple etm "cleaning" will not suffice. *tr

Etm failed on my 2000, volvo s80 in the summer of 2002. lost power on an expressway in florida. i was able to proceed safely to the tampa airport parking lot, rented a car to get home. next day had the car towed to a dealer near the airport, etm replaced under warranty. no recurring problem,traded the car in feb 2003. *nm

In october 2001 while driving at night headlights went off. the following day while crossing the street the car stalled. approximately ten minutes later was able to start the car, and at the same time headlights came on. car was under warranty, and the mechanic repaired the throttle body & gasket. in june 2004 car stalled again. replaced sway links and program down load $338.19. in december 2004, car staled on the road again. it was towed to the repair shop, they replaced the throttle body, mass air flow, mfi module- at cost of 2098.96. the contact did not take this car on any longer trip. due to stalling on the road, frequent loss of headlights and numerous other mechanical problems the contact believed this car was unsafe to be on the road. 11-16 e-mail ; first time the car would not respond to the accelerator pedal. stopped turn the car off and tried to restart it again. after few attempts the contact was able to restart the car. *ak the right door mirror failed and the abs control module was replaced. updated 02/07/06. *jb

I am the owner of a 2000 volvo s80. i purchased it under an extended warranty "certified" used car program from clayton volvo in knoxville tenn. in april 2001. several months later, while the car was still under warranty, the car died in the middle on an intersection. after towing it to the dealer it was discovered the electronic throttle module was fouled up with carbon. that unit was replaced under warranty. a couple years later, the car again died. this time it happened in a parking lot. thankfully, in both cases it happened in a "safe" situation. again, the etm was determine to be the problem. but by this time, the warranty had expired. the dealer and the manufacturer refused to recognize that the problem was an on-going issue. this time i was forced to pay nearly $1000 in repairs. it is my understanding that you are collecting information on this problem, so i felt compelled to add my complaint. although i don't have specific dates available to me here, i can check my records and provide them if necessary. *nm

Dt: the vehicle cut off. when getting ready to park the vehicle lunged forward. did the same thing when sitting at a light if let ting up from the brakes. the engine revved. when turning steering wheel to make a left or right hand turns its wa shard to get it to go back forward. this started back in 2000 but it became worse. *ak

Volvo usa involved over 18 months without result. car extremely dangerous. will sometimes refuse to accelerate on turns. wife pregnant. *ak

Engine revs up (100-300 rpm) when coming to a stop. you have to step on the brakes really hard so that it will not move. i have brought it to the shop 4 times and complaint about it but was told that they know that the car revs up but the rpm will not make it run. it does and i even called volvo customer service to get help but got nowhere.the dealership knows about the problem but was told that they cannot change the sensor because the compute does not lod a code and they will not be reimburse by volvo.please help... i know the car is defective but nobody is helping me to correct this problem. i even complained about the suspension being bad at the same time that i brought the car for the jerking problem but was told it was fine. brought it 4 times and complained about the suspension but nothing. last month volvo had a recall on the balljoints and that tells me that i was right complaining about the suspension. the car is getting worst. at times it just moves in a jerking motion when you put it in reverse or drive. need your help and i don't know if you have received complaints from this. i would sincerely appreciate help since i have the car used by my kids. right now i have not used it for a month bec. of the problem. i got into an accident in ny when i nudge a pedestrian during a stop since the car jerks and i was not able to step on the brakes really to stop it from moving..the person was really mad and all i had to do is apologize.*ak