For all those who own late model Volvo (V70, XC, S80, etc). If you are under warranty, make a request to your dealer or Volvo North America to fix or clean your ETM. Sooner or later, your car will die with no gas pedal response. Your engine message will say "Check Engine" or "Performance Reduced". COMPLAIN and FIX IT NOW!

This is very dangerous because you can be driving and all of sudden your engine stalls with no response to your gas pedal. You can stop the car and turn off the engine for one minute and "walla" nothing had happened because "performance Reduced" message is gone. If they check the message under VADIS engine diagnotic, it will clearly say ETM failure. Volvo dealer wants $1200 or more to replace the ETM. $400 for cleaning it. I noticed several posts had this problem and you probably paid out of your pocket for this or other things thinking that it might fix the problem. Sooner or later you will have to replace that ETM. Better do it while you are under warranty.

I'm out of warranty and I should have been notified of this problem earlier based on the fact that Volvo North America knew about this problem because the class action lawsuit was filed 3 years earlier when I was under warranty. They refuse to fix and decides to make their decision based on "good will" if you brought your vehicle for maintenance. Since I'm out of warranty, they're telling me that I have to pay, which I refuse to for a car that is in mid-life, when they know that this is a major engine throttle design defect.

Here are the links to
http://www.fazmiclaw.com/Volvo.html

I have attached the lawsuit file (PDF)

Some of you mechanics on board have been helpful in your advise but this is totally raping those who are less knowledgeable about cars. It could MAF sensors, PVC valve, but when anyone on this board says "Performance Reduced", it is clearly ETM failure and Volvo wouldn't pay for it unless you complained about it and have it fixed under "good will" by the dealer. This is FRAUD, and hence the lawsuit.

Volvo for Life!???? You got to be kidding! Someone could get killed when your gas pedal does not respond when everyone on the highway is whizzing by at 70mph, or if you are trying to cross a street, you could get your side smacked if your engine stalls!

BAVMOTOR
[COLOR=red]

This is the first time I have obtained any useful information on this! I have only just joined the forum.
I have a 2001 V70 XC and the problem you described has occurred to me on 2 occasions. Each time it occurred with a warm engine on a long trip. Both times it occurred after resuming cruise control. This led to an extremely dangerous situation onthe busiest and fastest highway outside of Toronto. I was in the fast lane, doing 120km, with cars and tractor trailers all round. As I passeed a tractor trailer and resumed cruise control the engine stalled, the performance reduced message came on (very helpful). Somehow I was able to move through the lanes of traffic and able to reach the emergency strip safely. Switched engine off and back on and all seemed well again.
You are absolutely right, this defect can lead to very dangerous situations and if Volvo know about the problem they are under clear obligation to address it.
I immediately reported the problem to my dealer, while still under warranty who told me they had no idea what it might be and all their checks were negative. The car is no longer under warranty and the problem was never addressed. Volvo safety/volvo for life indeed!
Good luck with your lawsuit and let me know if I can help.

Marc

Hi

What l would have done if it reached this point is to go to the newspapers because they are hungrey for news.

Send this to the majors and l'm sure they will do something and print something even if it's nothing more then stating that a class action suit was started.

Did you get any response from Volvo yet?

Keep in mind that if an accident does occur after you put Volvo on notice it will be gross negligence on the part of Volvo being that they were already advised of this condition that could cause an accident. I really cannot believe that they would take a chance like this.

Before l forget send this to several TV shows like 60 minutes, 20/20 and Dateline.

If this doesn't get their attention keep a paper trail and submit it to your lawyer for the trial.

A trial that will never happen because they will lose even if they win for some strange reason like the OJ case!

Good Luck

Alan :P

Hi

I e-mailed Volvo Customer Care yesterday with my concerns and did not hear from as of this e-mail. What surprise's me is that l didn't hear anything even if it was something very generic.

But please keep in mind that with a poor bottom line at Ford what they do not need is a multi million dollar problem. Or anything that would hurt their sales.

Alan

As of today l have still not heard from Volvo nor do l expect one.

The ETM is definitely a problem but the transmission problems :( all over this forum suggests a bigger problem because of the $$$$$$$$$ involved.

Alan

The class action lawsuit is only for throttle body cleaning, and specifically addresses the 'secret'. It will not help with the ETM replacement. Look at my posts about the real ETM failures.
Don Willson

Operation VEXED is now operational
Hello VEXED and prospective VEXED members,

This addresses the worn throttle position sensor potentiometers. You can catch up on this at http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.p...hlight=throttle and the next many posts. Look at 41/41 & 44/45 and the attachments.

As you may, or may not, know VEXED (Volvo Enthusiasts eXposing Egregious Design) is the name selected for our efforts to strongly encourage (read “force”) Volvo into a recall of the electronic throttle module used on 1999, 2000, and 2001 70 and 80 series automobiles.

On March 14th I sent a 1-pound package of failure analyses, postings from Volvo interest forums and about 100 complaints posted on NHTSB’s complaint web page. I asked for an answer by April 1st. April 4th, I received their answer and it is attached. As you could guess the answer is in so many words, ‘if it is not in warranty you are out of luck.’ So, by my interpretation, this means we are free to pursue other avenues of regress.

Many of you have asked what you can do to help:
As I have mentioned before:
Send complaints to NHTSB and Center for Auto Safety.
If you want to be included as members of VEXED, send you name, address, car make and model, and a short statement of your ETM failure, where, when, mileage, cost, etc. Send it to VEXEDvolvo@comcast.net, ( I just learned how to use Bcc, so even though I send messages out with many addresses you only can see yours and VEXED Volvo.) We are not to the class action suit yet but I will be sending information to NHTSB and asking my US Senator to ask them to get on this safety problem. I will still be posting at volvoxc.com but we don’t read them every day.
We did find that there were over 517,000 1999, 2000 and 2001 70 and 80 series Volvo sold world wide and 250,000 sold in the US. Now if we just knew how many ETMs were sold by Magneti Marelli we would have a stronger case.
Can you get me parts? See http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.p...hlight=throttle and page down to 105, or go directly to http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showpost.php...5&postcount=105
You might be able to get an out of warranty devices from the dealer but an independent garage might be more likely.
If you would like to include a picture of Abraham Lincoln to help with postage and printing expenses it would be appreciated.
I will keep you updated on our efforts as they are firmed up.

Don Willson
VEXEDvolvo@comcast.net

I guess it depends on the dealer. I brought this up to my service manager and he told me on Thursday that the Volvo rep has been GIVING him rebuilt units as replacements for the bad ETC units. SO it has been costing the customers zero since he has been turning them in under warranty. His complaint is the problems they have been having with the ABS modules. He said he can't believe there hasn't been a major class action suit over those alone.

Interesting, this is the first time I have heard of Volvo 'rebuilt' units. What is the part number on the 'rebuilt' unit. Can you read the date code on the black connector?
What color is the part number label. The part number is between the bar codes, the latest # I have is 8644347. Send to VEXEDvolvo@comcast.net.

See my new web site at VEXEDvolvo and watch the TV investigative report.

Hi

I have been having trouble with my "check engine light" coming on after three trips to the dealer.

My problem is that l only have 3oo miles left to my orig warranty before my Volvo extended warranty kicks in but l have a $100 deduct.

Alan