Volvo safety problem cover-up?
Right in my backyard, Denver TV station KMGH claims to have
exposed a serious safety problem in late
model Volvos, a problem that the company seems to have been aware of for at least seven years.
According to Don Wilson, a retired Colorado engineer who started
VexedVolvo.org to publicize his research into the issue, the problem
apparently lies in a failure of the throttle position sensors in the car's fly-by-wire electronic throttle system. When
the accelerator is fully depressed (pulling out to pass, for example), the throttle flaw can cause a complete stall
without warning, sudden loss of power, or erratic acceleration. Since starting its investigation, KMGH has received
complaints from Volvo drivers in at least 24 states and 12 countries. The U.S. NHTSA has received more than 130 similar
complaints.
Follow the jump to learn more about what the Denver station uncovered and let us know if you own a Volvo that could be affected and whether or not you've experienced any issues.
Recently, KMGH obtained internal Volvo documents in which Volvo clearly indicates the company was aware of the
problem as early as May, 1998.
In California, a class-action lawsuit has been launched against Volvo, citing an internal Volvo document that
predicted a 94 percent failure rate of the electronic throttle modules in some models at or before 100,000
miles.
The electronic throttle module in question is on all gasoline-powered 60-, 70-, and 80-series Volvos from 1999 to
2001. Full technical info can be found here.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eurotrasher 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
Typical, immoral Europeon behavior. I am sure they will find some way to blame America.
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Justin 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
You'll note the Euro-elitist snobbery of this blog don't comment on this. Were this GM, Ford, or Chrysler, they would be up in arms about safety, and making comments about why the US sucks at making cars.
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md 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
You are absolutally correct Jusin, and had it been an Asian manufacturer those same people would probably be bashing Don Wilson for trying to steal or extort from those "great" companies.
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Greg Koenig 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
I leased a Volvo S40 in May and it is the worst car I've ever owned. My dealer has been a nightmare, but the vehicle itself is full of numerous, minor design flaws that add up to make for a frustrating overall ownership experience. The center stack console, while attractive, places a thin strip of plastic right where I tend to rest my knee in sharp corners or long drives. The steering wheel radio volume controls are on the inboard side of the wheel, making them utterly pointless (the main radio volume knob is only 2" away). The gas and brake pedals are way too close together and my foot sometimes gets stuck under the brake pedal when coming off of the gas- I asked Volvo for a solution or to give us guidance to work within the warranty to modify the pedals so I could use the car properly and they told us- "the vehicle is within specification" and "we are not in a position to discuss the matter further." The rear view mirrors cannot be adjusted far enough outwards to confine with proper mirror placement so the vehicle has a significant blind spot. (See: http://www.motorists.com/issues/safety/adjust_mirrors.html )
To add insult to injury, the motor had a main bearing failure at only 4100 miles. I was blamed for this and it was only after serious argument that Volvo covered the $7500 repair under warranty. Even so, the work order clearly states that this was performed as a "Onetime goodwill gesture." Volvo will not clarify what would happen should the new motor have a bearing failure (it required new camshaft seals and a new rear main seal within 1000 miles, thankfully under warranty without complaint from Volvo).
I am in the process of starting up a company and I wanted to save some money after my lease on a BMW 325 ended. With the S40, I knew I was trading some coolness and performance for price but the reason the Volvo was the car I selected was because of the company's reputation for building quality cars, customer service and their "People First" mentality. Volvo has utterly failed to live up to any of those promises.
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Mal Fuller 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
Sounds to me Greg as if you can count yourself lucky you weren't blamed for abusing your Volvo's camshaft seals!
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iQuack 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
A friend had an '01 Volvo S60 that was a very good car which I drove enough to like.
This safety problem is a surprise to me because I'd hoped that Ford's ownership of Volvo wouldn't ruin the car. Maybe Ford isn't to blame at all, but......
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Phil 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
I own a 2005 Volvo V50 wagon and cannot be more happy with it. It is based on the same platform as the S40. It's quick, handles well and is comfortable. Although I do agree that the brake pedal is a little too close to the transmission tunnel. I am fairly tall and have no problems with the center console being in the way. Try driving a Audi A4 and feel what right leg knee pain is all about. I also have no problems with the mirrors other than I wish they were a little bigger.
I already have close to 20,000 hard driven miles on the car and haven't had one problem. For $27,200 I have a V50, T5, AWD, Passion Red, Black T-Tec, Geartronic, Select, Climate, Premium Sound, Cold weather, 17" Sagittas and Bi-Xenon headlights. For this price, what other choices do you have from other auto manufacturers with these options? Subaru comes close but I'd rather be driving my Volvo rather than a Legacy any-day.
It's my opinion that if you buy anything other than a Japanese vehicle you are taking a chance that you will get a lemon. And I think the chances are even better if you buy European.
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Nino 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
That's a nice car. I would like one :)
http://www.referatde.com/referate/Informatik/2/Informatik3.php
http://www.referatde.com/referate/Informatik/3/Informatik3.php
http://www.referatde.com/referate/Informatik/4/Informatik3.php
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Gardiner Westbound 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
It looks like Ford is working its special magic again.
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Jon 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
#7 You must've gotten a heck of a deal. I just priced a V50 with those option on the volvo.com and it came to $35,400. I sure hope you wouldn't have gotten a Legacy for that.
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Robin 10:49PM (12/18/2005)
I own a 2001 V70 with 98K miles on it and, thank goodness, bought the extended warranty because I experienced serious issues with the throttle module. My car died on a Friday night, stranding my daughter and me 150 miles from home, after having spent the day at the dealership. The dealership eventually towed it back to the shop and repaired something, but less than 3 months later the exact thing happened again. Because of the warranty, they replaced the throttle system, but now I'm worried that it could happen again and I doubt I'll find either a warranty or a buyer for a car with 100K miles and a known problem. Volvo needs to take care of their once-loyal customers. My confidence in my car is shattered.
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