1998 Volvo V70 service brakes, hydraulic problems

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 VOLVO V70. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10-60 MPH, THE ENGINE REVVED. THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THE BRAKES MADE A GRINDING NOISE, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE NOT APPLIED. THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED NORMALLY. THE ABS CONTROL UNIT (PART NUMBER 860266) WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CEASED FOR 30,000 MILES BEFORE IT RECURRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.”

“THE ABS / TRACTION CONTROL UNIT ON THESE CARS FAIL IN UNREASONABLY HIGH NUMBERS. IT'S SUCH A BIG BUSINESS, THAT MECHANICS SELL THOUSANDS OF REFURBISHED UNITS ON EBAY. VOLVO CHARGES OVER $700 FOR THE PARTS, AND IS AVOIDING REPAIRING THIS ITEM BECAUSE I'M SURE SOME ACTUARY TOLD THEM IT'S CHEAPER TO PAY CLAIMS AND DEFEND LAWSUITS THAN TO PROTECT THEIR CUSTOMERS. I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AN ACCIDENT OR CRASH AS A RESULT, BUT I'M SURE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE. *NM”

“DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PADS AND CALIPERS CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THE ROTORS. THE REAR PADS, ROTORS AND CALIPERS WERE REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE FRONT PADS, ROTORS AND CALIPERS WERE REPLACED TWICE. PRIOR TO EACH REPLACEMENT, THE BRAKES MADE A LOUD SQUEAKING SOUND AND THE FRONT AND REAR END SHOOK WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. CURRENTLY THE BRAKES MADE A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE AND THE FRONT END SHOOK WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED.”

“THE ABS SYSTEM FAILED DURING A PANIC STOP, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO LOCK UP AND THE CAR TO SKID UNCONTROLLABLY INTO THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. FORTUNATELY IT DID NOT RESULT IN ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. *AK THERE HAD BEEN NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AFTER THE INCIDENT AND HAD NOT BEEN ON PREVIOUSLY. THE PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE ABS CONTROL MODULE. UPON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TECHNICIAN, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON FAILURE WITH THESE MODELS AND IT LEAVES THE THE ABS SYSTEM COMPLETELY DISABLED WHEN IT OCCURS. AS MY INCIDENT SHOWS, THIS FAILURE CAN OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING AND CAUSE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE DRIVER IS RELYING ON THE ABS SYSTEM AND INSTEAD HAS THE BRAKES LOCK UP CAUSING AN UNCONTROLLABLE SKID. IN ADDITION TO THIS INCIDENT, THE TECHNICIAN ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE MODULE HAD ALREADY FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED PREVIOUSLY AT 31K MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT THAT IS VERY COMMON AND WILL CAUSE UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS TO SUDDENLY LOSE CONTROL OF THEIR VEHICLES IN A PANIC STOP SITUATION.”

“AT ONLY 70,000 MILES MY ABS UNIT FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER AGREED TO PAY HALF. VOLVO SHOULD REPLACE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONET ON EVERY VEHICLE AT THEIR EXPENSE. *JB”

“THE VOLVO ABS / TRAC CONTROL MODULE IS FAILING AT AN ABNORMALLY HIGH RATE. LOCAL DEALERSHIP REPLACES IN EXCESS OF 5 OF THESE PER MONTH. VOLVO CORPORATE OFFICE WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEM WITH THIS SAFETY DEVICE, AND OTHERWISE REFUSES TO DISCUSS THE HIGH RATE OF FAILURES. OTHER RESEARCH, INCLUDING A HIGH DEMAND FOR NON-DEALER ACQUIRED ABS COMPUTER MODULES IN THE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT THOSE UNITS INSTALLED IN VEHICLES ARE FAILING AT AN ABNORMALLY HIGH RATE. IN MY 1998 V70 WAGON THE ABS & TRAC OFF INDICATORS (WARNING LAMPS) RANDOMLY LIGHT. AS A RESULT THE SAFETY OFFERED BY THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM BECOMES DISABLED OVER LONG PERIODS OF TIME. EVERY POTENTIAL CAUSE HAS BEEN RULED OUT EXCEPT FOR THE ABS COMPUTER MODULE (ABS / TRAC CONTROL MODULE). THIS SAFETY ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE NHTSA DUE TO THE IMPENDING RISK TO LIFE THAT CONTINUED FAILURES OF THIS SAFETY DEVICE WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BRING.”