it was a $165 job at the dealer(!).. the part is actually $18 bucks, $130 was an hour of labour (there is a DIY too, if you wish)... and here you enjoy your car again.
My V70 with 123,000 miles now (about 50k of those are mine) sits at the dealer, awaiting a "new" transmission. It was there about a month ago and got the famous software update that potentially might have resolved the problem. (Which was mysterious downshifting at odd times, and more often, "clunking" into gear when shifting from reverse to drive, or when accelerating out of a turn.) From the description, the update was supposed to stop what had been Volvo's intended sequence of actually having the transmission go into neutral in those situations between de-acceleration and acceleration. It seemed to work for about a week, but now there it sits, on transplant row. No love from Volvo and I'm about to shell out $5000. My burning question is - if Volvo's software was designed to do what it was doing (that neutral thing), would that have actually been the cause of the damage that has now resulted in the failure of the transmission? The dealer is treating these things as two unrelated issues. It just seems driving the car for 123k miles with software that was telling the hardware to do something "unhealthy" the whole time had to have had some effect on the hardware. To me it's like a doctor telling a smoker of 50 years that his lung cancer still would have found him, regardless of whether he quit smoking 49 years ago or not because they don't have anything to do with each other. But...what do I know? Maybe my problem was not heeding the symptoms soon enough. Anyway, that's my experience. If anyone has specific insight into it or can benefit from it, there you go.
I read on a previous post that Palisades Volvo in either NY or NJ is covering all transmission failures for Volvo NA. I heard that they are trying to keep it "hush hush", so you've got to push them hard on the issue.
I can't believe that Volvo isn't standing behind their obvious transmission problem in the 2001 XC70. Mine went out at around 35,000 miles (out of warranty due to time, this is our third vehicle so not driven a lot) and they wouldn't do anything about it. The local dealership felt bad (I met the owner) and paid me a token amount but I'm not satisfied. Yesterday I saw a friend who HAD the same car and she said her transmission died at less than 40K and she had the same issues. Coincidence? Really? Same town, same cars, approximately same mileage. I'm going to start asking every person I see with this car if they have had the same problems. It has been over two years, but I'm still feeling very cheated. I bought this car based on Volvo's reputation but I feel duped. Corporations that won't stand behind their poor manufacturing need to be boycotted. I have already lost them at least 2 sales by people asking me about my car and me telling them the truth about it. They were both considering buying one but I am very convincing and changed their minds. You are welcome Volvo!
Do not give up and don't take the "token" that the dealership gave you as final. This is seemingly a very common issue with Volvos for a period of about 4 years (from what I can tell). There hasn't been a federal recall because no one or not enough people have had a horrific death related to the issue which was publicized. Continue to hammer at the dealership, contact customer service at Volvo North America and get them involved (Bill Casey: wcasey7@volvocars.com). If you have to drag the dealership through the internet mud by posting on every Volvo blog out there, do so, and let them see the posts and all the supportive replies. Be vigilant, consistent, and keep good notes on the issue, dates, everything. My '01 XC is on it's 3rd transmission and it first started at 73K and now the car has 85K miles on it. I originally wanted an Audi Allroad, but bought this car based upon a slightly lower price and "Volvo's reputation". I while I've had it, there's no way I was going to take these design/manufacturing flaws laying down. Again, keep at them and don't take "no" for an answer. Good luck.
Have a 2005 v70 with the same problem. They changed my fluids, did the software update but I still have the clunking and I'm sure the transmission is about to go. Would never buy a Volvo again.
When you sell your Volvo and shop for a new car, make sure you don't buy a Ford, Audi, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Volkswagon, Chevy, Nissan or Hyundai. They all use Aisin automatic transmissions too.
And don't forget that Honda and BMW are known for automatic transmission problems too.
Thanks for your encouragement. I am going to contact Volvo again and I have to take my car in this week because once again the "service required" light has gone on. I'll speak to the dealership owner and try once again. I too purchased based on the quality and safety reputation. Being stranded with a 7 year old and a 14 year old labrador at the bottom of a steep, secluded canyon (with no cell coverage) wasn't what I call "safe". We walked, dragging the poor dog, up a steep two miles to the nearest house to call for a tow. I guess it could have been worse, but I'm still pretty bitter about the attitude Volvo took towards their obvious problem. Should have bought the Subaru Outback that I really loved instead of going with my husband's choice.
Just called Vovo NA to complain that I need a new transmission in my V70 2005. My dealership went through all the things you read about software upgrade, fluid change etc, now want $5000 for new trans all along I kept telling them I thought it was the transmission but they kept saying no. Anyway Volvo NA said all I can do is complain to the National Highway Safety 1-800-4249393. They are taking complaints and could possibly force a recall. The more calls the better.
Thank you lulu 4. I called the National Highway Safety number you provided because I went through an going through the exact same thing you did. I had the upgrade the fluid "additive" etc.. and on yesterday, the dealership is tell me new transmission. I have V70 2006 that I mostly put highway miles on and did not expect to have to ever do anything this major to my Volvo because of the "Volvo for Life" safety and reliability reputation Volvo has sold for decades.
I have been truly disappointed with this whole ordeal. So I have voiced my complaint not only to Volvo corporate, the local dealership and now the NHS. Thank you and I am encouraging all Volvo owners going through this issue to complain. The more complaints the better our case of forcing a recall.
At what point do people take ownership of their vehicles? You cant expect a car manufacturer to stand behind there product on a case by case basis. Sounds like more people need to drive cars under factory warranty if they do not want any "major" expenses to happen!
Boohoo, unfortunately my car isn't driven very often so the years in warranty passed quicker than the miles. I don't think it's unreasonable to complain about a transmission that failed at 35,000 miles, even if my car was all of 6 years old. BTW, my car now has 49,000 miles on it and the replaced transmission is starting to make the same noises as the other transmission did before it died. Anyone want to buy a Volvo? I'm going car shopping this weekend. I'd love to trade it in to Volvo and let it be their problem but there's no way in hell I want another one. I drove a '77 Camaro from '77 to '80 and a Ford Ranger pickup for 10 years after that and had nothing but the usual wear problems. I don't expect my vehicles to never have problems, but I think this one is the manufacturer's. I ask everyone I encounter driving a V70 XC (2000-2002) if they have had transmission problems and about 1/4 of them have. Manufacturer problem or whiners? You decide. I have lost Volvo at least 2 sales (one was on their way to buy a Volvo when they happened to ask me how I liked my car). I just state the facts. I recently saw them driving a BMW wagon. Volvo would have fared much better by taking care of this unhappy driver. Which dealership do you work for?
Not all of us can afford to replace a car every 3 or 4 years. I tend to keep mine until they die of old age. My Volvo only has 58,000 miles and I'm having the same transmission problems reported here. And gas cap. That was already replaced once, and broke again. And then there was the problem with the locks. I still love my car. I just need it to work right.
I too drive vehicles for a long time, but I also would not think of asking a manufacturer to pay for an item when my vehicle is 8+ years old or has 80K + miles on it! I dont work for a dealer though, I work for an independent shop that primarily services volvos, toyotas, and hondas. These tranny issues are not just on Volvos, let me assure you. Ask someone that has a late 90's model acura TL!
I have a 2007 V70 and I thought I was crazy thinking that I was having a transmission issue and I only have 38,500 miles on the car and now after reading all these posts, I've realized that I'm not imagining things. Has anyone had any transmission issues w/their 2007 V70?
Have had lock and gas tank door not unlocking problems with my '01 V70 2.4T Wagon.The trans problems,however won't go away.Had work done in shop (with 2 year warranty). Tore trans apart.Sent solenoids out to be rebuilt.New fluid. Some problems were fixed(2-3 flair,ie, trans no longer does not catch right away,normal shifting). Still has "hard 2-3 downshift" (big clunk). Going back to shop. BTW the mechanic was very interested in my mentioning a possible faulty ABS module causing this problem(I learned from this site).Fortunately the car keeps running well, except for the occasional hard downshift.01 V70's need to be e\recalled.
My 2002 V70 wagon is presently in the shop for a transmission rebuild. It has 145K on it. Though I've had almost a dozen Volvos over the past four decades, this is the first transmission failure. Can't really complain though, as I've had them all go over 145K. Expensive repair, but pales in comparison to replacing the car (which has otherwise been quite reliable and with updated components....most recent being a new fuel pump, timing belt). As with all the other accounts, this started in a rather benign way...a bit of hesitation off the line (at lights). My wife was much better at finessing it than me...when it was towed in yesterday, the trans was essentially cooked.
I haven't experienced catastrophic failures like losing a trans @ 40K....however I did experience an un-rebuildable '88 Saab 9000 trans that almost took me to the nut house.
I'd rather not be on the hook for 3 grand to replace the transmission. On the other hand, considering the service I've gotten from this vehicle and given that I have no intention of selling it..let the Blue Book be damned...I'll drive till one of us drops.
I am kinda in the same boat as the previous member, my V70 has 140K and I am beginning to experience the problems other members are experiencing with their transmissions and air conditions. My dilemma is the car has high miles, but other than those two problems it seems to be running fine. I have replaced a transmission on a Benz E320 and it was painful. However, it now has over 250K miles on it and it is still running pretty good. Is the V70 capable of doing something like this or is it about to turn into a money-pit? BTW, I like the car and most of the cars that I would replace it fall into the 25K-30K+ price range.
Well, I am new to this forum. 2001 V70 T5. We have been having the jerk issue for 3 years. probably started around 75000 miles. What a joke that this issue survived into newer models.
Anyway, please confirm that the only real solution is a replacement. Looks like everyone has tried all the same stuff I have been recommended.
it depends on how far gone the issue is. If you trans is shifting very hard between gears consistently, then you'll need it to be replaced, Volvo transmissions were not built to be "fixed" by a shop. There's a specific ECU that controls the operation of the trans and it is adaptive - meaning that it learns driving behavior. Once one or two of the shifting solenoids start screwing up...the brain tryies to compensate, but it actually magnifies the problem over time.
The trans is made by a 3rd party vendor or rebuilt by a 3rd party, not Volvo. Even if you get a "ner" trans, it wii be a rebuilt unit and the problem may happen again. My '01 V70XC is on its 3rd trans & the wagon has only 90k on the odometer. I've been able to get Volvo to pay for both replacements, but it was a real hassle. I've now changed my driving style to compensate for this issue happening again & I think it has worked. I drive in an urban environment & I think there is a definite flaw in either the brain or the trans which is helped by the on/off gas, brake frequency of city driving. I don't think the brain can always react quickly enough and therefore, gets caught in a false neutral and a hard downshift between 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st gear. I've been driving a bit more aggressively with this trans and it has helped. I'm "coasting" less between being on the gas and being on the brakes. I can feel when it wants to surge by going into a false neutral and either get on the gas or the brakes (depending on the situation) and everything remains smooth.
It's not something I want to do, but I also don't want to buy another car right now. The rest of the car is great! The engine is very strong and I've added some nice suspension mods to make it more fun. It is what it is at this point.
I have an 01 V70XC in need of a new transmission, any insight into how you got Volvo to pay for your transmissions is GREATLY appreciated. $3K will break the bank for us right now.
Lucky, mine cost $5K. Volvo won't pay (at least I couldn't get them to) but contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They are collecting data about this issue. If enough people report this problem, there will be a recall.
Do you have a contact email for the NHTSA? My V70 has been to 2 mechanics, same problem with transmission. I bought the software upgrade, that did nothing. Now my car has the "Transmission Service Required" light on and refuses to move. I'm getting mixed messages from mechanics. One says do a valve repair on the transmission, the other says if I do that it may be $$ down the drain as the transmission could still die altogether. The mechanic who wants to sell me the valve repair (a dealership) says that it will fix the problem. The one voting this move down (a reputable Volvo repair shop) says just replace the transmission altogether (twice the cost at $4500). I want to file a complaint with the NHTSA. Obviously, I've got to fix the car to even sell it (nothing's wrong other than this HUGE problem), but I am eager to get rid of it once the repair is paid off. And I will swear off Volvos forever. :lemon:
Not an actual email address but if you go to: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Contact you can send them email. I think to file a complaint though you need to call. They take a lot of information and then they send a form that needs to be filled out. It took a long time to receive so have patience.
I have a 2001 XC70 with about 140,000 miles. For the past 10,000 or so, it has behaved like the ETM was bad again. Take you foot off the gas to coast, and it bucks like the engine is missing. Now, when you start off, it almost has no power. A few months ago, I took the car to the the dealer to check the ETM (which was replaced under the recall). He said the car showed no codes at all. However, when he took it for a test drive with me, he said it needed a new tranny and it would be $5,000. Now, how come there were no codes for the transmission? My mechanic (a volvo guy) said it looks like the tranny to him and I have a few options. I can go with a Volvo tranny, a used or rebuilt one. Love the car, but hate the tranny and think it may go the same way again. I e-mailed NHSTA and got a response within 24 hours. Just got off the phone with them and they only have 14 complaints. They like to have 20 before they go to Volvo. Get this message out please. The more complaints the better.
This started happening to us 12 months ago - first attempt by Volvo agent was just to replace fluid 12 months ago - problem presisted.
Ours is an 2002 V70T5 with (just) 90K miles on clock
Just taken it in again and they say full replacement of transmission is only option.
Have only checked this evening - and it is quite unbelievable as to how many threads and posts on different forums are out there on this specific issue.
Clearly, it would seem, there is a fundamental problem with the design of these transmission units / their integartion into the car - but no admission from Volvo (apart - at least from one thread it would appear) from secret internal communication within Volvo.
having had Volvo's in the family for over 40 years, but now having read the many threads on this specific issue, I am highly unlikely to ever consider one again unless they come clean on the issue and sort out what appears to be a problem for many hundreds if not thousands of Volvo owners globally.
From reading these posts, it is obvious that there are known transmission issues for Volvos in the 2002 range. I wish I had read these 4 days ago!!
I feel duped by a used car dealer is it possible for someone to somehow temporarily mask any transmission issues just long enough to get it sold?
A little background info On the afternoon of Monday, March 14, 2011, I test drove a 2002 Volvo V70 XC 2.4L AWD. I drove it for about 20 minutes and I fell in love with it! I officially purchased the car on Tuesday, March 15 at around 5:00 PM. The next morning I backed out of my driveway, put the car in drive, and it jerked a little bit – it reminded me of when I was 16 and learning how to drive a manual 5 speed. The rest of my 5 minute commute to work was uneventful, but the jerking occurred again 2 or 3 times over the course of the next 2 days. When I left work on Friday at 4:30 PM, the car jerked repeatedly. Each time I came to a stop and started to accelerate again, it was like the car didn’t know which gear it should be in. At one point on my short drive home from the office, I was going about 35 mph and all of a sudden it was like someone had slipped the car into neutral and was slamming down on the gas. After a second or two, it clicked back into gear. I called the dealership Friday at 5:00 PM (exactly 72 hrs/3 days past purchase time) to let them know that there were definitely transmission issues. They told me to bring the car in today (Saturday) so that they could diagnose/fix it. On my trip out there, the transmission slipped repeatedly and it actually stalled 3 times (accelerating from a complete stop).
Good luck...unless a few people die because of the transmission issue - nothing's going to get done. My transmission has been replaced twice, but I got Volvo to pay for it....and that took a lot of work.
We recently bought a 2001 volvo v70xc at a car auction. The transmission was slipping immediately. We drove it very little until we could get it checked out, but we didn't get that far....I took my family for a drive in the car when they came down for a visit....not fun! I had to push the car after it had lost all power. Had to replace the alternator. We thought (and so did the mechanic) that this would fix the tranny slip, due to having more power in the car because of the new alternator. It did not, in fact, it is worse. We got the car back last night and took it for a drive with our 2 boys because they had not been for a ride due to lack of trust for the car! We were right to have a bad feeling....we drove about 1 mile, dropped of some redbox movies, drove out of the parking lot to head back home and the car would not shift out of the low gear, then BANG, it shifted hard. Multiple stoplights later and practical whiplash, we made it home. The car is not to be trusted and we have filed a complaint with the NHTSA and I will be calling Volvo tomorrow. You can call the NHSTA at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT. I really wish I could love this car, and I hope we all can get this problem solved together. These cars are too expesive to keep on fixing! They should be built well if we are paying well just to drive them off the lot.
So you bought a 10-11 year old ca at an auction, having no idea what the service history of the car, and it is piece of crap. WOW! Maybe thats why it was at the auction, cause the previous owner got rid of it. How can you folks expect any car manufacturer to stand behind a car for 10-11 years? If thats what you want, buy a hyundai. I suggest you buy something a little newer or quit worrying abouy buying a yuppy volvo..Buy a toyota or a honda...Or even read consumer reports before you buy these cars..what a novel idea
Maybe if people would take responsibility for their own errors in judgement, then the car makers wouldn't have to filter through the thousands of whackos to give proper service/support to the few people who have a genuinely defective product.
yes, we bought a car at an auction! we did find out that the owner before the owner that brought it to the auction knew there was trans problems, so he sold it to the guy who brought it there! i actually did own a hyundai. never had a toyota, honda or volvo. i think it's pretty silly you come on here and act like you are an almighty creature and [non-permissible content removed] at people that are having an issue the SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE who have the car, regardless of where we fricken bought the car.
I recently brought a Volvo V70 XC from Premium Wheels at 10731 Yonge St, Thorn-hill. after two days the car was jerking and transmission oil was leaking. The third day the engine was slipping and not moving more than 20kms without power and high RPM 3000. Took it back but he refused any refund or repairs, so i called the police and they referred the OMVC @ 41-226-4500 and then the dealer agreed to check the car and perhaps repair it . still waiting to get it fixed. would cost me 2500-3000$ to fix it. Be careful of this dealer
Under no circumstances should you post your phone number (or any other personal contact information) in the forums. These messages are NOT private - they can be seen by the entire internet, we have no way to verify that the number belongs to the person who claims its theirs, and malicious use of your phone can occur.
How did you get Volvo to cover the cost of a new trans? I just purchased a 2001 V70 last week with 61,000 miles. It was jerking two days later and the shop says I have to have a new transmission or it isn't even safe to drive. I had been warned about how epensive volvo's are for repairs when they reach 100,000, but since I only put lest than 10 on a car each year, I figured this car should easily last without a major problem for 2-3 years.
Post from March 2009: "I talked to Volvo again and Exxon-Mobil again and got more clarification on this issue...Mobil 3309 conventional fluid was tested and APPROVED by Volvo, thats why the spec sheet for the product lists specific cars: such as Volvo V70. The NEWLY reformulated (just 5 months ago) Mobil 1 ATF synthetic is "recommended" for these same transmissions...It will say NEW FORMULA on the bottle and the bottle is grey. It is $7.90 a quart. Certainly much less than Volvo's brand. Here's Exxon-Mobil's no. if you want to call yourself: 800-662-4525 option 3."
My 2004 V70 now has 120,000 trouble-free miles and I've begun buying supplies to do my 120,000 mile service. To that end, I have been researching (again) approved transmission fluids to see if anything has changed in the past 2 years.
My main motivation this time around is to take my V70 to my local Ford dealer and let them use their machine rather than do the flush myself. I will speak with the Ford service manager to ensure that they will do the flush and use the correct JWS 3309 (Toyota T-IV) fluid.
I reposted the above quoted message from I discussion I had in 2009 (read posts from around 250 - 260) because I just called Exxon-Mobil to ask about using Mobil1 ATF synthetic fluid. I spoke with Luke in their tech support department and he confirmed that Mobil 1 ATF synthetic is NOT JWS 3309 compliant. He said the only transmission fluid that should be used in the Volvo V70 is Mobil ATF 3309.
For info, the Ford Fusion V6 with 6-speed automatic (Aisin F-21) transmission uses the same Mobil ATF 3309 fluid, which is also known as Motorcraft Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid (aka Toyota T-IV).
Lesson learned - there are still no approved synthetic fluids. I can't help but wonder how many V70's are out there with either the original (never changed) or improper fluid in the transmission. A failure waiting to happen...
I visited a Toyota, Ford, and Volvo dealership today.
Toyota wants $7/qt for T-IV fluid. Ford wants $7.40/qt for Motorcraft Premium ATF (I examined a bottle at the parts counter and confirmed it's the correct fluid, part no. XT8-Q-AW).
The Ford quick lube shop wants $169 to do the flush for me (including 15 qts of ATF). That's a really good deal - it would cost me $110 just to buy the Toyota T-IV alone (16 qts). Add $25 for the IPD kit and I'm at $135! It's definitely worth $35 to not have to do it myself.
The Volvo dealer quoted me $270 to do the flush. They don't even do a complete flush. They do a drain&fill - drive - drain&fill - drive - drain&fill. I told them "no thanks."
I was extremely lucky! The dealer from which I purchased the car purchased another transmission (from a used Volvo, same year, model and mileage) for well under $1000 and had it shipped from GA and installed in the car. The car is running like a champ now and it is by far the most comfortable car I have ever been in. A new transmission from Volvo would have cost approx. $7000 depending on "any other issues they found with the vehicle" since they had no record of it being serviced by the original owner. I will never buy another Volvo simply because they don't stand behind their products anymore, but I will drive this one as long as it lasts.
we have a 2001 v70xc and have had transmission issues the entire time! Multiple software upgrades delayed the issue until out of warranty! Major design quality issues when transmissions start going out at 50000 miles and volvo is doing nothing about it. Obviously only a class action law suite will resolve. We will gladly join. We just paid cash for a 2010 xc90 and feel like we made a huge mistake! Volvo no longer means quality and customer service. I hope someone from corporate is reading this. Do not buy volvo!
Volvo refuses to do anything about the issue with transmissions. I contacted Volvo USA twice and tried to contact the division in Sweeden (my email was redirected back to Volvo USA). I will never own another one, and it is true that you cannot drive to a Volvo certified mechanic without dropping $1000 so between maintenance costs and repairs, the financial hits just keep on coming! Mine still only has 62,000 miles and I spent $1200 last week when my key wouldn't turn in the ignition and a timing belt was supposedly cracked. They even charged me for a loaner car while mine was in the shop for four days waiting on parts!
You bought a 10 year-old used car with no maintenance history and the dealer wouldn't even provide you a free loaner car while it was in for repairs?!?!
You should sue the dealership, Volvo, and the Federal Trade Commission for not protecting your rights!
I think I have found a Cure to this problem. As I have had the exact same experience. It seems many have fixed this issue with the following replacement. B4 Servo replacement.
Comments
http://www.volvoxc.com/resources/how-to/pdf/b4-servo-cover.pdf
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10819&page=3
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9192&page=3
and of course beautiful man Howard http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/driveline.htm
check against your chassis number
it was a $165 job at the dealer(!).. the part is actually $18 bucks, $130 was an hour of labour (there is a DIY too, if you wish)... and here you enjoy your car again.
It seemed to work for about a week, but now there it sits, on transplant row. No love from Volvo and I'm about to shell out $5000.
My burning question is - if Volvo's software was designed to do what it was doing (that neutral thing), would that have actually been the cause of the damage that has now resulted in the failure of the transmission? The dealer is treating these things as two unrelated issues. It just seems driving the car for 123k miles with software that was telling the hardware to do something "unhealthy" the whole time had to have had some effect on the hardware. To me it's like a doctor telling a smoker of 50 years that his lung cancer still would have found him, regardless of whether he quit smoking 49 years ago or not because they don't have anything to do with each other. But...what do I know? Maybe my problem was not heeding the symptoms soon enough. Anyway, that's my experience. If anyone has specific insight into it or can benefit from it, there you go.
Good luck.
Would never buy a Volvo again.
And don't forget that Honda and BMW are known for automatic transmission problems too.
Good thing Fiat is returning to the US!
My dealership went through all the things you read about software upgrade, fluid change etc, now want $5000 for new trans
all along I kept telling them I thought it was the transmission but they kept saying no.
Anyway Volvo NA said all I can do is complain to the National Highway Safety
1-800-4249393. They are taking complaints and could possibly force a recall. The more calls the better.
I have been truly disappointed with this whole ordeal. So I have voiced my complaint not only to Volvo corporate, the local dealership and now the NHS. Thank you and I am encouraging all Volvo owners going through this issue to complain. The more complaints the better our case of forcing a recall.
I haven't experienced catastrophic failures like losing a trans @ 40K....however I did experience an un-rebuildable '88 Saab 9000 trans that almost took me to the nut house.
I'd rather not be on the hook for 3 grand to replace the transmission. On the other hand, considering the service I've gotten from this vehicle and given that I have no intention of selling it..let the Blue Book be damned...I'll drive till one of us drops.
Anyway, please confirm that the only real solution is a replacement. Looks like everyone has tried all the same stuff I have been recommended.
thanks
The trans is made by a 3rd party vendor or rebuilt by a 3rd party, not Volvo. Even if you get a "ner" trans, it wii be a rebuilt unit and the problem may happen again. My '01 V70XC is on its 3rd trans & the wagon has only 90k on the odometer. I've been able to get Volvo to pay for both replacements, but it was a real hassle. I've now changed my driving style to compensate for this issue happening again & I think it has worked. I drive in an urban environment & I think there is a definite flaw in either the brain or the trans which is helped by the on/off gas, brake frequency of city driving. I don't think the brain can always react quickly enough and therefore, gets caught in a false neutral and a hard downshift between 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st gear. I've been driving a bit more aggressively with this trans and it has helped. I'm "coasting" less between being on the gas and being on the brakes. I can feel when it wants to surge by going into a false neutral and either get on the gas or the brakes (depending on the situation) and everything remains smooth.
It's not something I want to do, but I also don't want to buy another car right now. The rest of the car is great! The engine is very strong and I've added some nice suspension mods to make it more fun. It is what it is at this point.
Good luck.
replace your B4 servo cover first, and then go from there
volvoxc.com is a much better forum
http://www.volvoxc.com/resources/how-to/pdf/b4-servo-cover.pdf
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10819&page=3
http://www.volvoxc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9192&page=3
http://www.freewebs.com/howardsvolvos/driveline.htm
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Contact
you can send them email.
I think to file a complaint though you need to call. They take a lot of information and then they send a form that needs to be filled out. It took a long time to receive so have patience.
Ours is an 2002 V70T5 with (just) 90K miles on clock
Just taken it in again and they say full replacement of transmission is only option.
Have only checked this evening - and it is quite unbelievable as to how many threads and posts on different forums are out there on this specific issue.
Clearly, it would seem, there is a fundamental problem with the design of these transmission units / their integartion into the car - but no admission from Volvo (apart - at least from one thread it would appear) from secret internal communication within Volvo.
having had Volvo's in the family for over 40 years, but now having read the many threads on this specific issue, I am highly unlikely to ever consider one again unless they come clean on the issue and sort out what appears to be a problem for many hundreds if not thousands of Volvo owners globally.
Volvo any comment?
I feel duped by a used car dealer is it possible for someone to somehow temporarily mask any transmission issues just long enough to get it sold?
A little background info
On the afternoon of Monday, March 14, 2011, I test drove a 2002 Volvo V70 XC 2.4L AWD. I drove it for about 20 minutes and I fell in love with it! I officially purchased the car on Tuesday, March 15 at around 5:00 PM. The next morning I backed out of my driveway, put the car in drive, and it jerked a little bit – it reminded me of when I was 16 and learning how to drive a manual 5 speed. The rest of my 5 minute commute to work was uneventful, but the jerking occurred again 2 or 3 times over the course of the next 2 days. When I left work on Friday at 4:30 PM, the car jerked repeatedly. Each time I came to a stop and started to accelerate again, it was like the car didn’t know which gear it should be in. At one point on my short drive home from the office, I was going about 35 mph and all of a sudden it was like someone had slipped the car into neutral and was slamming down on the gas. After a second or two, it clicked back into gear. I called the dealership Friday at 5:00 PM (exactly 72 hrs/3 days past purchase time) to let them know that there were definitely transmission issues. They told me to bring the car in today (Saturday) so that they could diagnose/fix it. On my trip out there, the transmission slipped repeatedly and it actually stalled 3 times (accelerating from a complete stop).
It's a 2001 Volvo XC70 - horrible downshifting around 25 mph. I hear the loud clank as well!
Thanks for this forum!
Maybe if people would take responsibility for their own errors in judgement, then the car makers wouldn't have to filter through the thousands of whackos to give proper service/support to the few people who have a genuinely defective product.
Took it back but he refused any refund or repairs, so i called the police and they referred the OMVC @ 41-226-4500 and then the dealer agreed to check the car and perhaps repair it . still waiting to get it fixed.
would cost me 2500-3000$ to fix it.
Be careful of this dealer
kcram - Pickups/Wagons Host
My 2004 V70 now has 120,000 trouble-free miles and I've begun buying supplies to do my 120,000 mile service. To that end, I have been researching (again) approved transmission fluids to see if anything has changed in the past 2 years.
My main motivation this time around is to take my V70 to my local Ford dealer and let them use their machine rather than do the flush myself. I will speak with the Ford service manager to ensure that they will do the flush and use the correct JWS 3309 (Toyota T-IV) fluid.
I reposted the above quoted message from I discussion I had in 2009 (read posts from around 250 - 260) because I just called Exxon-Mobil to ask about using Mobil1 ATF synthetic fluid. I spoke with Luke in their tech support department and he confirmed that Mobil 1 ATF synthetic is NOT JWS 3309 compliant. He said the only transmission fluid that should be used in the Volvo V70 is Mobil ATF 3309.
For info, the Ford Fusion V6 with 6-speed automatic (Aisin F-21) transmission uses the same Mobil ATF 3309 fluid, which is also known as Motorcraft Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid (aka Toyota T-IV).
Lesson learned - there are still no approved synthetic fluids. I can't help but wonder how many V70's are out there with either the original (never changed) or improper fluid in the transmission. A failure waiting to happen...
Toyota wants $7/qt for T-IV fluid. Ford wants $7.40/qt for Motorcraft Premium ATF (I examined a bottle at the parts counter and confirmed it's the correct fluid, part no. XT8-Q-AW).
The Ford quick lube shop wants $169 to do the flush for me (including 15 qts of ATF). That's a really good deal - it would cost me $110 just to buy the Toyota T-IV alone (16 qts). Add $25 for the IPD kit and I'm at $135! It's definitely worth $35 to not have to do it myself.
The Volvo dealer quoted me $270 to do the flush. They don't even do a complete flush. They do a drain&fill - drive - drain&fill - drive - drain&fill. I told them "no thanks."
I'll be visiting the Ford dealer next week.
thank you
You should sue the dealership, Volvo, and the Federal Trade Commission for not protecting your rights!
http://www.volvo-forums.com/t2477-st-20-transmission-problem-geartronic.htm
Read and see if this gives any relief. I will be replacing to see if it cures.
http://www.ipdusa.com/products/5538/107960-b4-servo-cover-update
Heres Hoping, I am oredering
http://www.ipdusa.com/products/5538/107960-b4-servo-cover-update
I am Purchasing and hoping this cures the problem many have reported.
Many have reported this HAS CURED the Tranny problems with these V70s.