Volvo, a unit of Ford Motor Co., is recalling about 360,000 cars because of a problem with vehicle speed controls that can cause engines to lose power without warning.
Volvo said a defect in the electronic throttle module in cars built between 1999 and 2002 could cause the vehicle to shift into a “limp home” mode in which the maximum speed is about 15 miles per hour.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered the Volvo recall.
The recall applies to Volvo C70 and V70 models built between 1999 and 2002, S60 models built between 2001 and 2002, and S70 and V70X models built between 1999 and 2000.
Volvo spokesman Christer Gustafsson said the automaker has fixed the speed-control problem on about 165,000 vehicles of the recall total after sending out notices to owners in March.
The “limp home” setting is a safety feature in Volvo cars intended to prevent unintended acceleration in case of a throttle malfunction. The NHTSA said the defect could cause the engine to stall in some cases. The recall applies to Pacifica models built between 2005 and 2006.
Parent company Ford Motor Co. recalled 1.2 million large pick-up trucks, SUVs and vans in August because of a problem with the vehicles’ cruise control system that could lead to a fire.
Toyota, a chief rival to GM, Ford and Chrysler, recalled 368,000 SUVs in July because of a defective carpet clip that could interfere with break usage.
Subscribe in Reader
My 2006 Volvo XC90 does not go into limp mode…it simply stalls…at any speed.
In fairness to Volvo they replaced the XC90 with another 2006. I chose th V8 this time hoping to ensure I wouldn’t experience the same problem.
Guess what? This V8 also developed the same problem. We came to realize the stalling takes place when the gas tank has about one-quarter of a tank, or less, left.