1999 Volvo V70 recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Electrical system

  THROUGOUT THIS CARS HISTORY (FROM THE FIRST YEAR 20 + YEARS AGO THROUGH TO TODAY) THE ENGINE RANDOMLY CUTS OUT WITHOUT WARNING, THOUGH THIS HAPPENS WHEN USALLY WHILE DECLERATING AND BRAKING TO ROUND A STREET CORNER. ONCE IT CUTS OUT, OF COURSE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ARE VIRTUALLY INOPERATIVE. HOWEVER, BY SIMPLY PUTTING IN NEUTRAL AND TURNING THE KEY THE CARE ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY RESTARTS.

  Oct 20, 2020 · 160,000 miles
• Electronic stability control (esc)

  CAR SURGES RANDOMLY AT LOWER SPEEDS. CAR ALSO LOSES POWER ON FREEWAY AND ACCELERATION FLUCTUATES UNCONTROLLABLY AT TIMES. ALL SYMPTOMS HAPPENING WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION, MOSTLY AT SPEEDS OVER 50MPH. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THERE WERE OPEN RECALLS ON THE MODEL I OWN. AFTER RECALL WAS PERFORMED, THE SYMPTOMS HAVE INCREASED AND WORSENED. DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY.

  Jul 26, 2017 · 158,000 miles
• Electrical system

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO V70. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY REDUCED SPEED DRASTICALLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURNED OFF, AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, AND REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

  Jun 20, 2016
• Engine

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO V70. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION RANGE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 171,550.

  Feb 18, 2014 · 171,550 miles
• Vehicle speed control

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO V70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ETM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER INDICATED THAT THE TIMEFRAME HAD EXPIRED TO RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR, EVEN IF THE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 200,000. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

  Jun 14, 2014 · 112,000 miles
• Engine and engine cooling

  TRAVELING IN TOWN AT APPR. 45 MPH. CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE, ETM CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. *TR

  Feb 5, 2014 · 208,000 miles
• Fuel/propulsion system

  AS I WAS DRIVING HOME THE CAR STARTED RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET IT ABOVE 25 MPH. IT ALSO STARTED TO LUNGE FORWARD SPORADICALLY AND IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL AT ANY MOMENT. I CONTACTED VOLVO DIRECTLY AND THEY CALLED IT "LIMP HOME MODE" AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS, HORRABLE!!. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY THAT MY CHILDREN WERE NOT WITH ME. APPARENTLY VOLVO RECOGNIZES THE PROBLEM BUT ARE NO LONGER FIXING THIS ONGOING PROBLEM. VOLVO ESTIMATED THAT THE FIX WOULD BE ON THE LOW END $900.00 UP TO ABOUT $1400.00. VOLVO IS NOT TAKING ANYMORE RESPONSIBILITY AND NOW IT'S UP TO THE CONSUMER TO ABSORB THE COST. *TR

  Aug 8, 2012 · 125,000 miles
• Engine

  TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 VOLVO V70. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE RPMS DECREASED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE, ECM AND THE LIMP HOME MODE WARNING MESSAGES ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE HAD SURPASSED THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR REPAIRS UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 06V441000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 158,000.

  Jun 16, 2012 · 156,000 miles

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.

NHTSA defect investigations

• THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONClosedLed to recall 06V441000

  ON NOVEMBER 14, 2006 VOLVO SUBMITTED A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT TO NHTSA CONCERNING ETM FAILURES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1999 THROUGH 2001 VOLVO MODELS (NOT INCLUDING THE S40 AND V40), MY 2002 S60 AND V70 WITH NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES AND MY 2002 V70S.ACCORDING TO VOLVO, ?A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.VOLVO FURTHER STATED THAT,THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF THESE VEHICLES GOING INTO LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.?VOLVO INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE MOST SEVERE CONSEQUENCE OF AN ETM FAULT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.THE RECALL REMEDY IS A SOFTWARE UPGRADE INTRODUCED BY VOLVO ON MARCH 16, 2006 IN A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM.AT THE TIME OF THE NOTIFICATION 161,202 VEHICLES OF THE POPULATION OF 331,301 HAD ALREADY HAD THE…

  EA05021 · opened Dec 6, 2005 · closed Dec 12, 2006
• THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONClosed

  PE05-041 WAS OPENED ON JULY, 26, 2005, BASED ON 136 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS TO ODI ALLEGING THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI HAS NOW RECEIVED 591 COMPLAINTS OF ETM FAILURES WHICH ALLEGE SYMPTOMS WITH POTENTIAL SAFETY RELATED CONSEQUENCES.THESE INCLUDE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE STALL, VEHICLE SURGING FORWARD WITHOUT ACCELERATOR INPUT, VEHICLE HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION AND SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED TRANSITION INTO REDUCED PERFORMANCE OPERATION (LIMP MODE).VOLVO SUBMITTED OVER 2,900 COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THE ETM IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DURING PE05-041.ODI'S PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 55 PERCENT WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ABOVE.ODI IS CONTINUING ITS ASSESSMENT OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE VOLVO COMPLAINTS. IN NOVEMBER 2005, TO RESOLVE AN INVESTIGATION BY THE CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD, VOLVO…

  PE05041 · opened Jul 26, 2005 · closed Dec 7, 2005
• HEADLIGHT FAILUREClosedLed to recall 04V504000

  ON AUGUST 23, 1999, VOLVO NOTIFIED NHTSA THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (99V235) ON CERTAIN 1997 MODEL YEAR (MY) 850 VEHICLES AND CERTAIN 1998 S/V/C 70 SERIES VEHICLES FOR FAILURE OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.THE DEFECT REPORT STATED IN PART: OPERATION OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH, OVER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, CAN RESULT IN INCONSISTENT OPERATION OF THE SWITCH.VOLVO'S REMEDY FOR THIS RECALL WAS TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH.THIS RECALL QUERY INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON JUNE 8, 2004, BASED ON 13 REPORTS OF HEADLIGHT FAILURE ON 1998 AND 1999 S/V/C 70 SERIES VEHICLES THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE EARLIER RECALL.BY LETTER OF OCTOBER 18, 2004, VOLVO HAS NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL NOW CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF AN ADDITIONAL 97,000 MY 1998 THROUGH 2000 S70/V70/V70XC AND C70 VEHICLES BUILT FROM JUNE 5, 1997 THROUGH JANUARY 11, 2000. VOLVO DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT…

  RQ04004 · opened Jun 8, 2004 · closed Nov 5, 2004
• TURN SIGNALClosedLed to recall 00V405000

  There is no summary currently available

  PE00031 · opened Aug 15, 2000 · closed Dec 22, 2000
• INADVERTENT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENTClosed
  PE99040 · opened Jun 7, 1999 · closed Oct 27, 1999