NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2001 Volvo S80 (Page 1 of 2)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,719 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2001 Volvo S80 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2001 Volvo S80 Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #30

Oct 192017

S80

  • 150 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Takata recall" frist I called Volvo to inquire about recalls referening to the cooling system and the fuel pump the first lady I spoke with informed me this problem was under recalls and to take my car to get it serviced at the nearest dealer after taking my car to the dealer at 7:15am 4hours later after I called them first they now are saying that there isn't anything they can do with my car and they do not know who told me that false information. On top of all of this my car accelerates by itself lucky when it happens I hurry and push the brakes and the car dosent start up once turning the key even the guy say that's always been a problem. Based on how expensive this car is it seem there wouldn't be many problems with it or it seem that they would at least try todo something about the false information over all I will never buy another Volvo again!

- Cllinton Township, MI, USA

problem #29

May 102010

S80

  • 147,054 miles
Placed my vehicle in reverse to pull back out of my garage & my car accelerated out of control. I was forced into a parking sign that scratched and dented my left rear bumper. In the last 2 1/2 months related problems continue where my car surges & also experiences sudden & unexpected reduced performance. When I accelerate my car feels like it is stuck in gear & won't respond. It is a safety hazard!! again!!! this duplicates the same electronic throttle module problem I had in August of 2005. After taking my car in 4 times (not knowing what the problem was), it was finally determined it is the ETM again. Volvo performed a computerized upgrade on the ETM & then it was finally recalled in January of 2006. It is another safety hazard ready to happen. Volvo should have in the beginning & should at this time be made to replace the faulty ETM!

- Carefree, AZ, USA

problem #28

Feb 052009

S80

  • 98,000 miles
Took car to get throttle body clean and it did not resolve issues with car.

- Port St. Lucie, FL, USA

problem #27

Jun 082009

S80

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My ETM on Volvo S80, T6 model (year 2001) has a recall on it issued by Volvo but the problem is that this part along with the throttle body is defective and needs constant computer update, and than the ETM faults without notice and takes with it the whole infrastructure despite ETM being serviced and new software being installed by dealer. The dealer is not always keen on working on ETM or throttle bottle issues as they don't get payment on time from Volvo and they need to do a lot of paper work to et paid by Volvo usa. The car stalls suddenly and one of these days I am afraid this will lead to a major crash as gov.'t can't stop what Volvo usa wants to accomplish and that is profits and not recalling their defective equipment. Human lives are second to corporate profits has already being noted ad shown.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #26

Jun 032007

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 56,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Volvo S80. While driving 55 mph downhill, the contact smelled burning and saw smoke. The vehicle had no acceleration, power steering, or brake function. The contact applied the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. All of the warning indicator lights illuminated. The vehicle burst into flames fifteen seconds after stopping. The vehicle was towed. The Volvo investigators stated that the fire was caused by bird seed deposits underneath the hood. The current and failure mileages were 56,000.

- Canonsburg, PA, USA

problem #25

Sep 102006

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,620 miles
For 6-12 months my wife has complained of surging or loss of power in our 2001 Volvo T6 S80 (mileage 56,000 miles). On 9/10/2006 while driving at 35/mph in traffic I had complete loss of power. I was able to coast to rt. Side of highway and restart after shifting to park. Local dealer found nothing wrong. Scary for I-40.

- Fullerton, CA, USA

problem #24

Apr 072006

S80

  • Automatic transmission
  • 86,281 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While on a road trip, my 2001 Volvo S80 started lurching forward and speeding up/slowing down by itself. The car was idling erratically and would stall out. As I was away from home and needed to return soon, I took my car to be checked out. I was told that I needed a new electronic throttle module. I had no choice but to have the car fixed at a cost of over $800. Now I find out that Volvo knew of problems with this particular part and that there may be a recall and I am very angry that I had to pay to replace a part they (Volvo) knew was defective!!! additionally, and more importantly, I wonder about the potential danger I and my family were unknowingly subjected to due to Volvo's decision to not inform consumers of this defect.

- Troy, IL, USA

problem #23

Feb 242003

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,702 miles
The contact owns 2000 Volvo S80. Purchased it under an extended warranty certified used car program from clayton Volvo in knoxville Tennessee in April 2001. Several months later, while the car was still under warranty, the car died in the middle of an intersection. After towing it to the dealer it was discovered the electronic throttle module wasfilled 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 determined to be the problem. But, the warranty had expired. The dealer and the manufacturer refused to recognize that the problem was an ongoing issue. This time the contact was forced to pay nearly $1000 for repairs. It was the contact's understanding that information was being collected on this problem, so he felt compelled to add this complaint. Although had specific dates available, the contact could check my records and provide them if necessary.. X-ref 10131424, 2 etms installed, smch. The throttle body was cleaned twice and the mass air flow sensor was replaced. Updated 12/07/05.

- Oak Ridge, TN, USA

problem #22

Jun 132005

S80

  • 59,500 miles
NHTSA action number : PE05041 while driving through a busy intersection of a local highway the car died. I pushed the car off into a local oil change/ lube garage. They manage to get it started although it was idling roughly. I brought it to Volvo of fort Washington to have the ETM replaced at a charge of over $600. Volvo of North America said that they don't believe they are responsible although many have had the same issue.

- Jenkintown, PA, USA

problem #21

Sep 262005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,850 miles
Car was racing and stalling on highway and while idling. Took it in and diagnostic codes identified a faulty mass air flow sensor and electronic throttle module/reload and throttle body. Car has 48,800 miles on it. These repairs cost over $1400. Please have Volvo look into this and a recall is justified.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

problem #20

Aug 232005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 64,281 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I experienced a sudden loss of engine power while driving on the interstate. At approximately 60 mph, my Volvo 2001 S80 sedan experienced a sudden loss of power with an instrument indication of "reduced power". the problem recurred twice before I was forced to take the car to a Volvo dealer for diagnosis and repair. The dealership advised me that the auto required a major repair, for which I incurred a bill of $1142.68. The following items were billed: Replace throttle body and download new software for throttle body module: (1) 8644347 0 throttle body ($561.90) (1) 8636753 9 gasket ($4.69) (1) 9438290 0 ETM reload ($40.95) (1) 1003 clamp ($1.75) replace pedal sensor: (1) 111 cp ($85) (1) 30683516 accelerator PE ($108.39) parts total: $717.68 labor total: $425.

- Plattsmouth, NE, USA

problem #19

Jun 202005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 69,000 miles
The following narrative is submitted as information regarding the NHTSA preliminary evaluation on July 26, 2005 to investigate a variety of concerns resulting from the failure or reduced performance of the electronic throttle module in 1999-2001 Volvo passenger cars. In addition too the high failure rate of the ETM, the air mass meter failure rate in my opinion is just as high and as costly. It has been my experience as well as others to loose engine power when this unit fails. This unit failed while stopped at a light. Once the light changed the car refused to move. Once the accelerator was depressed the engine would bog down and shut off. This resulted in a $425 repair and $35 tow. My vehicle is a Volvo S-80, 2001.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #18

May 032005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,280 miles
On or about May 3rd, 2005, my wife was driving our 2001 Volvo T6 when she suddenly lost engine performance. She was traveling along a busy interstate and she managed to get the car into the emergency lane while holding up traffic behind her. The following msg appeared on the dash, "engine performance reduced". when she got the car to the side of the road, she turned the car off and called me to inform me the car was not working properly. She started the car after a few minutes and it performed okay on the way home. At this time, I thought it might have been a fuel or gas cap problem. She was very close to having a serious accident. The next day she was traveling with our children on a very busy bypass and the same problem occurred. This time, I made a call to the Volvo dealer and they informed me to leave the car off for a minute and the computer would reset. Not a good solution. Needless to say, she had to navigate the car from the inside lane to the emergency lane while traveling no faster than 20 mph. Again, this was a very busy bypass and luckily she managed to get the car to the side of the road. Finally, I drove the car the next day to see how it performed for me. Again, the car failed (I.e. slowed to 20 mph on a 70 mph interstate) while I was driving. I called the dealer again the next day and they informed me they would need to see the car in order to diagnose. I informed them I needed recall work performed on an electrical fan so they could check into my "engine performance reduced" problem at the same time. All this said, the car failed approximately 8-10 times before I could get the car to the shop and repaired ($933). The problem part was determined to be an electronic throttle module. Luckily, my wife, as well as myself, were able to get the car to the side of the road without getting ran over by traffic. This problem definitely needs the attention of the NHTSA. Thanks for any help you can provide.

- Kingsport, TN, USA

problem #17

Nov 272004

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 99,700 miles
2001 Volvo S80 T6 - throttle control module failure.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #16

Nov 262004

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles
I was driving on the expressway while on vacation in birmingham, al and the vehicle lost power. While it did restart, it would regain power to continue. I had the vehicle towed to a Volvo dealer who replaced the engine control module at cost of over $850.

- Naperville, IL, USA

problem #15

Feb 142005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,081 miles
Our 2001 Volvo S-80 stalled twice, so we had to have it towed to the Volvo dealer where they charged us $1,044 to replace the electronic throttle control module. I fully support a product recall as this caused a very dangerous situation.

- Franklin, TN, USA

problem #14

May 302005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles
I was driving on I-75 interstate and when I went to pass a vehicle in the left lane I felt a sudden loss of power in my engine. I then had to cut across 4 lanes of expressway traffic to get my car onto the shoulder. Then my car stalled out. Whenever I restarted it, it would stall back out again. The auto shop told me that I needed to replace my electronic throttle module, mass air flow sensor, and gas pedal sensor costing me well over $2000. (the old parts are at my house, I've kept them).

- Clawson, MI, USA

problem #13

Aug 052005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,403 miles
This is my second complaint for the same vehicle. See ODI no. 10131592. Despite repairs made in June 2005, the car stalled approximately 12 times on Friday, August 5, 2005. I drove it straight to the dealership on the 5th for diagnosis and repair. Diagnostic codes now identified a faulty mass air flow sensor and electronic throttle module/reload and throttle body. These repairs were made to the car.

- Prior Lake, MN, USA

problem #12

Aug 082005

S80 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,045 miles
Yesterday morning, in a busy intersection (charlotte nc) my car, Volvo S80 2001 just stopped during a turn. It was utter chaos--I was petrified with a large truck only inches from my bumper. Then it later stopped at a red light. On my way home, it wouldn't stay still. It kept jumping forward without the gas being pressed. As I was turning into the mechanic shop this morning, it stopped once again, luckily my rear end was inside the parking lot, otherwise I would have definitely been rear ended. This morning the mechanic says the problem assessed, at a cost of 1000$; but the car may still have the same problem because it is a manufacturer's problem. I purchased this car in May 05. I bought it because Volvo boasts of being one of the most safe cars manufactured. Well, stopping during turning, going without the gas being pressed and stalling at a light doesn't seem very safe for my 8 yr old. I have almost been rear ended twice, with my young son in the back seat. Thank goodness nothing has happened yet. I am currently waiting for my service date, because the mechanics I have contacted are swamped with the same types of complaints. I am very nervous to drive the 9 miles to the mechanic, upset to drive the 6 miles to day care before going to the mechanic, terrified by the thought of being rear-ended with my small child in the car and dismayed that I cant make it 3 miles to work without my car ceasing to operate. Please help us. I was going online today to tell Volvo about my issue when this web site was displayed. Please help my family and other families remain safe on the road in their Volvo cars.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #11

Jan 162005

S80 5-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,111 miles
On two occasions, in January of 2006 and June of 2006, my 2001 Volvo S-80 sedan stalled without warning while driving. I had no power and steering it was extremely difficult. For the first incident in January, keystone Volvo replaced my mass air flow sensor. When the car stalled again in June, they replaced the throttle module.

- Radnor, PA, USA

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