General: 70: Volvo Car UK Policy on ETM Replacement

Dear Forum member,

Having seen many threads posted regarding the ETM failures I felt it would be appropriate to request some data regarding how this is being managed by Volvo Car UK and their dealer network.

I would therefore like all forum members who have had their ETM replaced to submit a short post to register this giving date and what if any contribution Volvo Car UK offered towards the cost of replacement. Actual costs incurred would also be useful to assertain if pricing policy has changed.

Please also provide basic car data as follows:-

Model, Mileage, Service History and length of ownership.

I intend to collate this data and if as I suspect it shows that Volvo Car UK have been somewhat evasive on this issue (allowing some customers to pay in full for replacement if they are unaware of the issue or not made a fuss) or actually have a policy that results in customers being treated in an inconsistent manner then I will submit the data to BBC Watchdog in an effort to get the matter raised again and everyone treated fairly.

Please advise any other forum members who you know have had an ETM failure.

Many thanks

Wardair

[savanaman]

Hi

I applaude you for your efforts but you will get no where.


This has been an ongoing problem for years but Volvo are avoidint the issue like the plague.

The laws in th US are different and thats why they capitulated there but here you might if your lucky get a a good will gesture but only if you have a car under 6 years old and less then 80,000 miles.

No third party can fix it , there is no solution available and no amount of posts on here discussing it make an iota of difference.


I felt strongly myself about it but Volvo won't do anything at all about it and there is no one else who can fix it. Well not strickly true but the cost is actually more than at a dealership.

What we need is a list of the cheapest dealership deals available so at least we can get it fixed as cheaply as possible.

[timh30]

Personally I think this is a good idea. If we can present the problem as a large group rather than individually, hopefully people wont get fobbed off that they are the only one experiencing the issue - which tends to be the case at the moment.

As they say - United we stand, divided we fall......

P.S. My ETM hasn't yet failed so can't offer any details. When I purchased the car in July I called Volvo and they told me it had been replaced last December. In fact it had only been cleaned ! - so I'm on borrowed time at the moment and will be contacting Volvo UK expressing my concern at how the dealership blatantly lied to me.

I understand you fully savanaman but I also think like timh30 that a collective approach may yield some improvement in Volvo UK's approachon this matter.

If I get sufficient data I am prepared to raise the flag very high. Based on my own experiences alone I will be writing to Volvo Car UK's Managing Director and if that does not gain a proper response and I get a big response from the forum then I may even place something in the national press.

If as I suspect, Volvo Car UK are actually trying to cover this problem up for financial reasons and god forbid, there is a serious accident (my wife had a pretty nasty experience) the Volvo Car UK Directors could be facing serious charges.

Lets see how many forum members respond.

Ever hopeful

Wardair

Like the idea and I for one will be happy to give my backing.
I have only had my V70 2.4 classic since June, bought it from a car dealer and immediately had my local main dealer check it over. All clear was the reply. I mentioned the situation of the ETM to which the response was don't worry about it, the threads on this forum was rubbish. I then phoned Volvo UK and spoke to their customer service bod, Mike I think, who said he had been inundated with calls about this. In the end he promissed me a letter to take to my local main dealer to have my ETM looked at and changed as appropriate which ever is the required free of charge. Despite numerous calls since, I have not received said letter. My car at the moment is running beautifly, so I am happy for them not to touch it. If it 'aint broke, leave it alone.
Let me know how you get on.
Regards
V70 driver

[savanaman]

This has already been raised on watchdog some time ago.

Outcome... Volvo might give you a good will gesture payment... nothing more!

Trading standards wont take it any further becuase it is not a safety issue (as far as they are concerned).

There has been no recall again due not being a safety related matter. Now you can argue as to whether you thnk it is a safety matter but it's all academic since they have already decided its not.

So would Volvo be fincially hit by an large add in the paper that their has been a fualt with older models?

No because they make their money on newre models which don't have the problem anymore.

Writng to the "Boss" of Volvo is a waste of time because, they dont read the mail anyway and the Customer services team are fully briefed and read from a script regarding the issue.

Don't get me wrong I would love to see them fix this but there is no reward for them to do so.... do you know anyone who says " I'm not going to buy a new volvo because of this old problem"? Any companys saying that?

Also a class action won't work as it did in the States becuse the consumer laws are srtonger over there and also becuse they sell a alot more Volvos there than they do in the UK.

You would have to prove that this fault is likely to cause a failure so severe that complete loss of control is likley.

The other argument that the module is "not fit for use" sounds a good one too me but Trading Standards did not agree. Give them a call they have investigated this previousley.

I am hoping someone will have another idea but it would have to pretty big as getting the story on watchdog didn't do anything.

[addyman]

If you never fight for something you will never win anything......

I had mine replaced...add me to the list and it is a worthwhile cause i feel....

It doent take long to go "yes i had mine done......add me "

[SIAMBLUE]

I too think it would be a good idea to at least make a register to see how many people have had the ETM replaced and what car make and model, and at what mileage,
also i would like to add those ETM's that have been cleaned, as no doubt these have symtoms of the ETM starting to play up, as i know mine was cleaned at 80k miles,

Gary.

Thank you for your inputs so far.

One issue that I am still unclear on is related to Safety. If as we all know there is a design issue with the ETM that results in sudden and unpredictable failure of such a key operational device, would it not be proper for Volvo to issue a warning notice to all users?

I have asked for a written explanation of the ETM failure mode(s) (in order to reassure my wife that the car is safe to drive) and been advised there is no documentation they can provide to me on this.

Keep the inputs coming. I will produce a summary in due course.

Wardair

[savanaman]

Hi

If anyone has had it replaced could you tell us where and how much it cost you?