Volvo

My wife drives our 2001 Volvo V-70. Last week when temperatures dropped, she turned on the seat heater and all the sudden it got very hot. She then realized the seat was catching on fire. She immediately turned the seat heater off and put the burning out with her hand. I just called the nearest Volvo dealer to see if there are any recalls for the heat element and there are none. This is a safety issue which could potentially have caused my wife's life or having an accident and hurting someone else.

The 2002 Volvo S60 AWD is just not very well designed or durable. I am the sole owner and purchased it new in 2002. It has about 78,000 miles and I maintain it religiously in accordance with the owner's manual. After I get the next expensive problem fixed, I'm trading it in for an American or Japanese model. I would avoid pricey European cars like the plague - nice to look at, but pure money pits. I could fill two pages here with all the oddball things that have gone wrong with this car. The dealer network is very spotty and the quality of their mechanics is even spottier. There are a few good ones, but more mediocre to bad ones. Their consumer complaint office has one objective - make you go away as there are so many calls they would go out of business handling your problem in a fair manner. Your only recourse is to never buy another Volvo.

After spending $3,000 at a dealership to replace everything from the fuel pump to the timing belt, I was told that the occasional binding being experienced in my rear wheels was due to my entire AWD system being defective and needing a $5,000 replacement (for a car only worth about $7000!). I have taken it to a local mechanic who replaced the rear differential fluid and who now thinks the problem is with the left axle bearing not getting enough grease. He thinks the AWD system is fine, so I may get away with just a $1000 repair. I was hoping to get at least 100,000 miles out of the car, but I now believe it will require more huge maintenance expenditures - time to trade it in and cut my losses. The only way to fight back is to (1) fill out consumer reports info sheets on the car and tell the truth and (2) never buy another Volvo and tell everyone you know to never buy another Volvo.

Volvo XC90 - Do not buy this car. I bought one brand new from the Ontario dealer. I have had one problem after another. Most were minor, but annoying since my closest dealer is 1 1/2 hours away and they don't offer authorized repair anywhere but at a Volvo dealership. Now at just 60,000 miles, the transmission and drive shaft have to be replaced to the tune of $5000+. If the dealer does the repairs, it is $8000 and Volvo won't help one bit. Talking to my local mechanic and reading the blogs, the Volvo SUV have had a lot of major mechanical problems. Do your research, do not buy a Volvo SUV. You will be sorry.

My cooling van has failed. It won't shut off and is causing my battery to drain all the way down. There was a recall for this problem; but according to the "experts", my car, a 2002 Volvo S60, doesn't qualify. I've read over a dozen blogs about this same problem on Volvos from years other than the 1999-2001 models recalled. It seems to me the problem goes beyond the models Volvo of North America is saying. How many failed cooling systems does it take to admit it's a prevalent problem?

I have only had this Volvo XC90 for two months. It's a 2006 with 55,000 miles on it when I purchased it. I'm the second owner and the car has a clean record. After so many trips into service, I am now at 58,000 miles. I have been in five times in two months for multiple issues. Some of which were issues before I drove it off the lot which should have been caught, such as a burned out front lamp, a broken Sunroof visor door. Windshield fluid valves were turned underside the hood. Cruise control button would disengage during driving, faulty brakes, 5-year old recalls for wiper arms and tie rods.

When I finished my last service, they told me I had two more problems to fix which can wait until my 60,000 mile major maintenance. Both are hoses, one which I have to pay out of my pocket. One and a half weeks later, now I have two alarm messages: "anti-skid service required" and "anti-skid has been temporarily turned off," meaning that I have either no ABS function or no AWD function. I am truly disgusted. I wish I never bought this car even though I really love it. I feel like the dealer did not do a 22-point check for a non-lemon car. I bought this car for its high safety standards and the crossover midsize for a family of 6. I really did not get this for mass repair and high costs. I will not buy another Volvo even if it's brand new.

My husband and I purchased a 2001 S40 Turbo with 113,000 miles. It's a very well kept car with no signs of oxidation on the exterior paint and the inside was well preserved. We knew it was an older vehicle, so we checked out its history with CARFAX. We were pleasantly surprised with the history being nothing but just the basic maintenance. We had test drove it and also tested its acceleration on the freeway before purchasing. All was great until 4 days later. I was at a drive thru with the vehicle in park mode when all of a sudden the car started to accelerate to 1500 to 2000 rpm! It totally made me uncomfortable to drive it back to my home, which was about 6 miles away.

On the way home I was coming to a traffic light and the car accelerated on its own again, so I stepped on the brakes and it was still accelerating almost making me hit the car in front of me! I made it back home and told my husband the problem that occurred. I was scared to drive it after that. My husband and I took it out for a test drive and the vehicle accelerated on its own again. We took it to 2 authorized Volvo repair businesses. The first one said the throttle needs to be cleaned for $145.00. The second repair man said he would have to change the ETM for $600.00 and for us to only use one repair shop to do all the maintenance and repairs—don't go to more than one shop.

My husband is the only one working right now for our family of 5, so he has been working overtime to get the $600.00 for repairs. One night, on the way to get some dinner (1 week of owning the vehicle), the car started to accelerate in park mode again, but this time it was staying accelerated at 2,000 rpm and would not go back down. All of a sudden, the radiator exploded with no signs of overheating! We had it towed home about 4.5 miles back home. The tow truck driver said since he's been in the towing business, this was his first time to tow a Volvo just for a mechanical problem. He only picks up Volvos that have been in accidents. Gee, only accidents? That's weird.

We now have had this vehicle for 2 weeks and it's sitting in our drive way. We used all of our tax return refund on this very clean and pretty car. I thought when we purchased a Volvo we would be safe because of the reputation they have in safety and luxury. How sad for Volvo. There is now way I can sell it. We just have to take a loss and junk it. I would not want anybody to drive this vehicle—it's dangerous. My husband and I are sharing a 94 Toyota pick-up with 250,000 miles with no air conditioning or power steering. And it takes a licking and still keeps on ticking with no problems at all! We will never recommend to anyone to purchase a Volvo.

What didn't happen is a better question. I bought a used 2001 XC70. What a joke. As soon as it reached 65,000, the transmission failed. From there, everything that could go wrong did, the timing belt, engine mounts, axles. I have spent thousands of dollars on this piece, thinking it would turn around. Clearly, everyone I hear about has problems with this car, especially this make and model. I'd like to get a class action started. It's unconscionable what this company has done, screwing people with a good looking piece of junk!

Today, I found out that my 2003 XC70 with 69,000 miles and in perfect condition needs a new transmission for $6000! We also own a 2004 S60 AWD with 40,000 miles. I wonder if I'll need to spend another $6000 for that car. The dealer contacted Volvo who said, "So, sorry. That awful transmission we put in that car is now yours. Congratulations!"

The repair manager actually had the gall to recommend we trade it in for a new one, so we could get the $1K "customer loyalty" discount! LOL! I will sell both of these cars as quickly as I can, and I will tell as many thousands of people what a piece of crap Volvo is. Never will I even look at a Volvo.

I've had a water leak in my car a few days ago, and I was happy to hear that Volvo Turkey was going to cover the costs. Unfortunately, I've had several problems with the car before and am not sure whether or not these are also an effect of the water leakage, as it is obvious that the car must have had this problem before. (By the way, I saw on many sites that I am not the only one affected by this and the water might cause other bigger problems in the future.)

Now, the central locking system is making sounds, and I told this my service a few months ago. They were going to ask Volvo Turkey for a compensation, as the car was only a few months out of guarantee and I always bring the car to the affiliated service.

The affiliated service, by the way, sometimes seems to be not such a good idea, as they forgot the parking headlights on and emptied the battery. They tried to load it and sent me away, but the next day, the car wouldn't start again. So the service came again and loaded it for the second time. But a day later, car would not start again. So I had to bring the car back to the service, and they replaced battery. I was told by somebody working for Bosch that it is not good to load the battery in cars that have the electronic system. But I did not know this at that time.

and I've read on some link that this happens.

I am not happy at all to be paying for things that shouldn't occur in a car that is an above-average car.

There was a gas odor coming from the car. I looked underneath, and the smell was very strong by the tank. I took it in to the local mechanic. A recall was made on the fuel pump starting in January 2010 for Volvo XC70's that had less than 150k miles on it. My XC70 had 158K miles on it. I can't afford the cost of replacing the pump. That means for those people who cannot afford to replace the fuel pump will have to drive it around. The 150K is a ridiculous cap on the recall. The car is from 2004, why wouldn't it have over 150K and still be on the road? Volvo advertises and charges for "safety and quality". Neither the safety or quality service is proven with Volvo, if they allow leaky fuel pumps to be on the roads. One of these defective fuel pumps is going to blow up when it comes in contact with any kind of spark.

My 2006 S40 was okay, until about 2009, when we started having water appear in the passenger side footwell, when it rained. I was told by the dealer that it was a known problem, with a service bulletin available from Volvo, that said it was a design problem. All Volvos since 2001, that have a sun roof, have the same issue. I was told that since the car was no longer on warranty, "too bad, it was not covered". They wanted $1,700 to fix it, and told me other than having water in the footwell, it would not cause other problems.

In December, 2011, the car completely died. The problem was that one of the computers (under the dash on the passenger side) was ruined, due to being wet. It cost me over $1,000 to get the computer replaced, and the repairman said that the other computers (in the same location) were also showing signs of corrosion, and damages due to the water. He also said that, in his opinion, the car was not trustworthy. It could be okay for years, or die at any time.

In summary, a known design flaw that showed up after the warranty period, caused my Volvo to be a car I cannot trust, and therefore, I have decided that I will sell the car, never buy another Volvo, and tell everyone I can, not to buy a Volvo.

My transfer case cracked in half and had to be replaced for $2,600. My car is a 2005 XC 70 wagon with 84,000 miles on it. The transfer case should not crack in half. I was driving and could have been seriously injured because my car just suddenly stopped and would not go forward. Luckily, I had slowed down and was coming off a ramp from the highway. Seconds before, I was traveling at 65 miles per hr on the highway. I would like to be compensated for the cost of replacing the transfer case.

I have a 2008 Volvo Wagon with 65k miles. ABS brake regulator is bad. Cost to fix is $1800. This should not happen with such low mileage. Two months ago rear electric window motor had to be replaced. I have always serviced car at dealer but now it's getting to costly to keep.

I have a 2005 XC90. I have had a rubbing noise coming from my car from the last two years. I have brought it to the attention of the dealer, who says it can't be replicated. But every time I sit in the drivers seat, I hear it. In fact, passengers have complained about it. Only the dealer can't hear it. This is when I had a warranty on it including an extended warranty. Today, the dealer can replicate it and they hear it loud and clear. But alas, my car now is out of warranty. Herb Gordon Volvo says it is my angle gear and wanted $3k+ to fix it, used part at $1.7k + labor. I found a used angle gear with 37k miles in a salvage yard and put it in, but the sound is still there.

Then they blamed my after market brakes which I put on well after these complaints started. I also had issues with loss of power especially when driving during cold weather. Then now radio is dead, no lights or sound coming from it. Dealer says $1.2k to replace the ICM. I got another ICM from a salvage yard and it does not work either. I have friend who has a similar XC90 with same radio type, that does not work either. But my ICM works on his. I can't understand Volvo. What used to be a very reliable car with a safety record has turned into a safe car that is impossible to maintain. Problem might be with these dealers. In my opinion, if the dealer had diagnosed it right when it was under warranty, I wouldn't have this problem now. Volvo, you need to rethink your strategy. As far as I know, this is my last Volvo.

I took my car to the Volvo service department on January 2, 2012 because the "Transmission Service Urgent" message just came on. I have a 2003 Volvo S80 T6. The service department told me there are "internal fault errors in the transmission and I have three options. I could either buy a new one for $5,000, buy a used one for $3,000 - $4,000 or get it overhauled for approximately $3,000." I was really upset to hear this news. I told them, "There is absolutely no reason why I should need a new transmission with 139,000 miles on my car," (the car actually was close to having 140,000 miles) but it still should not need this type of repair, in my opinion. I filed a complaint with Volvo Customer Relations department at headquarters.

or get it overhauled." The repair cost will be $3,000. This is ridiculous. There is absolute no way I should need a transmission at 139,000. This is one of many repairs I have had. The other crazy repair was the dashboard electrical system went completely out. I could not tell how fast I was driving, etc. That repair cost was $1,700. The transmission problem was the last straw. I want something done by Volvo. I am really an unhappy customer. This was my first Volvo and my last Volvo.

These are the responses I received from Volvo Customer Relation at the corporate office:

Response #1 from Volvo: "Thank you for contacting Volvo Cars of North America. When you contacted our offices, a file was opened for review on your behalf to seek financial assistance for transmission repairs. Your request has been reviewed by a Volvo Regional Manager and we regret that we are not in a position to honor your request due to the vehicle being outside of the terms of your warranty. Thank you for the opportunity to respond."

Response #2 from Volvo: "We have taken your concerns seriously and have had it reviewed by our Volvo Regional Representative. He has made the determination that this is not a warranty issue. While we regret that you may disagree with our decision; we respect your choice to pursue this matter as you see fit. Volvo Cars of North America appreciates the opportunity to respond to your concerns but is unable to review this matter any further."

My final thoughts--I will never buy another Volvo car.

I have 2010 XC60-T6 with 20,000 miles. On Sunday Dec.18, the battery died. Next day, I had to go to work. I called Volvo Roadside Assistance and booked the towing to dealership on Monday at the earliest time, the dealership service center opens at 7am. On Monday, Dec.19 at 6 am, Roadside Assistance representative Lorain woke me up and said that my car has to be towed at 7:30am and I have to receive a conformation call at 7am. Nothing happened until 8am. I called to Roadside Assistance, spoke with manager Wendy. I was told, that towing is scheduled at 9 am.

At 9 am, I called to Roadside Assistance again. Supervisor Lolita said that towing is scheduled at 10 am, which got me very upset but she said nothing she can do now. To be honest, Lolita called back in a few minutes and said, that she spoke with the towing company and they are going to pick me up in 10-15 minutes, and my lost wages, if so, can be compensated by their Costumer Service.

Finally, the towing track came at 10:30 am, 4-5 hours after the first call from Volvo Roadside Assistance. My car was delivered to Bay Ridge Volvo at 11 am, it took 1-5 hours to diagnose and replace the battery. At dealership I was told, that they do not provide a replacement car during the warranty work if my car bought at the other dealership. Finally, I lost a half of my working day, which cost me $150. It could not happen if my day before scheduled towing came on time. In a few days, I received a letter with tons of apologizes. I called to Customer Service and was told by the Customer Service Specialist Tim **, that they do not compensate lost wages.

That is my opinion, Volvo Customer Service, Volvo Roadside Assistance provide very bad service. Representatives give to customers wrong and false information, which can cost them money. I already had a few other issues with Volvo services (I never had anything with my Audi and Volkswagens), and I believe, this is my first and last Volvo.

I own a 2000 Volvo S80 T6 that had to have a used transmission installed. $2600 after labor. Then my water pump started spraying out water which will be a $1000. The wiring is so complicated. My running light blinks work off and on. My headlights leak water. The sun roof will stop working occasionally. The leather wears quickly. The trunk button stopped working. It dents easy for a Volvo and the CD player screen looks like the first computer screen ever made. Other than that, for 260000 miles, even after the temp redlining, the engine's been holding steady and the twin turbo makes it a fun ride in comfort and style.

My 2004 XC90 stalled at least 4 times in December 2010 as I was traveling to Lawton, Oklahoma. Just out of nowhere, everything electrical went out or blank. Then it drove like nothing was wrong. I had never had anything like this to happen since purchasing the SUV in August 2008 with 30,000 miles on it. Then in August 2011, it did the same thing. This time, I was on a very dark road trying to get home.

No warning at all, I had to coast to my house. I immediately made an appointment with the Volvo Dealer in Georgetown to have it serviced, but they told my son they didn't find anything wrong but found other things wrong: Motor mount, which I had already replaced a little over a year before, something on the passenger side that was causing the tire to wear. I had already replaced the tires not even 2 years before. Windshield wipers, rear shocks and latch for the fuel lock broken.

Then again on December 26, 2011, my son was driving on Interstate 35 and then it stalled 11 times. It went from 70 miles to 40 miles without any warning. Can you imagine coasting on a highway for over an hour or two! He just wanted to get it home but drove in the right lane the entire time with cars flying by him! Now, it has "SRS Airbag Service Urgent" message displayed. I am scared to drive it or let my son drive it for fear this will happen again and we will not be as lucky. I have contacted the dealer to which I was told to bring it right in or have it towed. I have been reading all of these complaint and I must say it has ruined my day. This was the last car that I planned to purchase but with all of these issues, I will have no choice but to trade this thing in. My only concern is that someone else will be getting this piece of junk. I own 2 Volvos and have always loved them for their safety!

I also had to replace the bearing on the rear in March 2010 after having a Volvo Dealership tell me that nothing was wrong, the car is just getting older but they never even drove it! I was told that the bearings could have come off and cause an accident. My life and those riding with me at risk! I will never buy another Volvo as long as I live. Guess all good things have to come to an end. Something has to be done about this!

At random intervals while driving my Volvo XC90, I heard a loud thumping noise coming from under the hood. Immediately after, the windshield vipers turn on, the 'brake' message gets displayed on the dashboard, then the dashboard becomes blank and I lose power. I am able to restart my car after a few minutes, but my trip computer displays fewer trip miles than before and the clock is blank. Whenever I experience this incident, it is never isolated but it occur a couple of times. But when I let the car rest overnight, the symptoms disappear. These issues generally occur on trips that are 4 to 5 hours or more in duration. Once in a while, it occurs on shorter trips of 1 hour. Once the incident is over, I see the following message on the dashboard "SRS Airbag Service, Urgent'. This issue has baffled two Volvo dealers in two different states and is currently with a 3rd dealer in a different state.

My 2004 Volvo S60 AWD has transmission problems. I had replaced the throttle body for $960.00. Now it needs valve body for $1200.00. Even though the throttle body was recalled through class action lawsuit, Volvo says my car wasn't part of the recall campaign. The mileage is currently 123,000. Recently, I replaced the motor mounts, serpentine belt, timing belt, and water pump.

Ignition was locked on a Volvo 2004 XC90. The key is unable to turn to the drive position.

C70 2006 Volvo (84K). I started having electrical problems in 2009 and I replaced battery and alternator. The service manager at the dealership said it's due to faulty wiring and short in illuminated sun visor. I replaced both sun visors (expensive for a small piece of plastic) and the dead battery problem continued. I took it to the dealer again and am told it needs new alternator (again) and a new battery that is two years old. I could afford a car when we bought it new for cash. I can't afford it now with all the rip off repair bills. The new company Volvo will never make it ** the consumer the way they do. No more Volvo's for me or my family—they stink. Volvo loses a customer.

The dealership replaced my transmission. When I got the vehicle back the disc player would not work. Took it to an Independent who said the disc changer was broken. Volvo said it was just one of those things. $850 to replace it. This is a 2004 XC90 T6. 74,000 miles. My second Volvo. Independent also said that the transmission shift lever is right below the disc changer.

What happened to my disc changer? Could it have been damaged when the transmission was replaced? Can't get the CD's out and can't play them. Radio still works fine. Advise!

I am a Volvo person. I have been driving (only 240's and 940') Volvos for the last 24 years, including my immediate family. We have 9 Volvos in use. They were the best designed cars on the face of the planet. But, that ended in the year of 1995 when they stopped producing the 8 valve 4 cylinder 2.3 engines with rear wheel drive (the 240 models,stopped in 1993) models. Since the front wheel car were produced from 1994 until today, the great Volvo is no longer a Volvo. It is a perfectly designed disaster mechanically and electronically. How I know this? I am an expert in Volvo cars since in the 1980's and I know every model that is on the market today. To me, they are Volvos. I personally wouldn't think of driving one, period.

My first 2012 S60 T5 exhibited slipping transmission and abrupt downshifts at about 5500 miles. I spent countless hours with regional Volvo After Sales Reps and Volvo Techs. They finally tossed in the towel and agreed to replace the vehicle.

New replacement vehicle, 1400 miles, transmission is not slipping. However, when in sports mode coming to a very slow rolling stop or pulling in to a parking spot will jump. The first time it happened I was like uh oh, better get the insurance card out, it felt like I hit someone. I'm really curious for other drivers out there to test this and see if they get the same thing.

The above in combination with having all four tires road force balanced discovered 3 out of 4 OEM tires with flat spots The dealer replaced the entire set of 4, and road force balanced them, I still have a vibration issue at about 66 to 78ish. Volvo Customer Care is comical and they state no further warranty action will be offered.

I purchased a 2001 C70 Volvo with 110,000 miles three months ago. The car ran like a dream. I checked the Carfax. It has perfect maintenance records. Two weeks later, the transmission between 2nd and 3rd started kicking. I took it to a Volvo dealership and couldn't find the problem, because it's so sporadic and nothing showed up on the computer.

Hey guys, listen up....this guys got the right idea. Let the people know and judge it. No rights or wrongs. Check the website. I don't know the dealer, but they've screwed-up big time! **

Volvo of Edison is the last place to buy service for your vehicle. Once you are past your extended warranty, they push you aside. The lack of compassion in this economic time is unreal. My 2004 XC90 went there for an oil change on Sep 23 and then returned on Oct 15 for additional repairs. On October 31, the engine was blown from lack of oil. They are taking no responsibility for the damage. I am a single parent and the car was my only transportation to work. They also own two more dealerships.

2004 Volvo XC90 with 89,000 miles and an engine blown. Dealer says I need new one that costs between $11,000-$14,000 for engine and turbo. The car is maintained well. Volvo will not replace. It seems there were a lot of issues with the 2004 XC90 and Volvo should have made it right for consumers, especially given the cost of such a high end "luxury car". I'm extremely disappointed.

I bought my Volvo XC90 in 3/11. Before I purchased the vehicle, I requested the CarFax. I noted that it stated that the transmission was replaced in 5/09 by a Volvo dealership. I felt secure knowing the history of the car. I was hit by a drunk driver and he totaled my car. After the accident, I needed a car that would make me feel safe. That is important, I was afraid to drive after the accident. Also, 2 weeks before my accident, my daughter-in-law was killed in a car accident and left me with my 3 grandchildren. The purchase of this car was to assist me with safely transporting my grandchildren to their different events. I like the fact that it has a 3rd set of seats for the little ones.

But I was very sad when the transmission light came on and the car started weaving. After researching on the internet, I found out that what happened to me was not unusual, that many people have been complaining about the same thing. Volvo XC90s from 2003-2005 have an increase incident of transmission failures. I called Volvo of North America and they told me to call a dealership near me. I did and the (Steve) manager of service at Superior Volvo in Missouri said that he would call the regional manager to see if they would do a goodwill repair/replacement since the transmission was just replaced 2 years ago. Steve (manager of service) called me back and said that they could not do a goodwill replacement at this time.

I called Volvo of North America back and explained to them what the regional manager had said, that they would not replace the transmission at their expense. The lady at customer service for Volvo of North America said, after contacting (Steve) the service manager, that since the warranty is out, they are not responsible. So I guess if I replace the transmission, I should only expect for the transmission to last for 2 years. Why would I replace it if it is only going to last for 2 years or less? I worked hard to save for this car. I paid cash for this car, no financing, nothing. I thought I was buying a car that me and my grandbabies would feel safe in.

I have contacted the Federal Trade Commission and have a reference number if you need it. I have also contacted the consumer protection division of my state. I don't think it is fair to ask me to pay for a part that is defective and the company had always known about this problem. Where is the fairness? Someone told me to sell it to someone else and get my money back. I can't do that. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.