2005 Volvo V50: complaints, problems and recalls

REMOTE KEY TRANSMITTER ON 2005+ VOLVO V50 IS A PERSONAL SAFETY HAZARD AND POTENTIAL SWINDLE FOR VOLVO ON SELLING REPLACEMENT TRANSMITTERS. THE DESIGN IS SUCH THAT THE KEY WILL INADVERTENTLY FALL OFF THE VALET KEY (WHICH INCIDENTALLY CANNOT BE USED TO START THE CAR). THE LATCHING MECHANISM IS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY (+/- 3MM) TO THE KEY RING IT WOULD NORMALLY SIT ON AND WHEN THE KEY RING BUMPS AGAINST THE LATCH IN YOUR POCKET OR PURSE, IT CAN PARTIALLY DISLODGE KEY AND WHEN YOU PULL IT FROM POCKET, THE KEY GOES FLYING ELSEWHERE UNKNOWN TO THE OWNER…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10135944 at NHTSA ↗

2005 VOLVO V50 HAS A CHRONIC LIGHT PROBLEM IE THE DIM LIGHT SETTING DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH LIGHT TO DRIVE SAFELY ON RURAL ROADS IN THE "DIM" SETTING. MAXIMUM FORWARD VISIBILITY IN THE DIM SETTING IS BETWEEN 48' AND 55' THIS IS MADE MORE HAZARDOUS BY THE DARK LINE THAT APPEARS AT THE 48' TO 55' LINE THIS EFFECTUALLY BLOCKS VISION PAST THIS POINT. MY VOLVO V-50 HAS SPENT 44 DAYS AT MODESTO EUROPEAN (VOLVO DEALER) TO TRY TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT AFTER THE LAST TWO TRIPS I/WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE REPAIRED. IF THIS IS THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 5 miles reported. Look up ODI 10170297 at NHTSA ↗

THE 2005 VOLVO V50 WITH 22,000 MILES DID NOT PERFORM AS I FELT IT SHOULD WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I FELT SHAKING AND THE WHEEL FELT OUT OF CONTROL WHEN USING THE BRAKES.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10187422 at NHTSA ↗

OIL PAN FAILURE, LEADING TO OIL LEAK. THIS WAS CAUSED BY OIL PAN IMPACT ON ROAD WHILE TRAVERSING A SLIGHT DIP IN THE ROADWAY. PAN CRACKED DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF EITHER THE PAN OR THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER DO NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10222071 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLVO V50. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL PAN UNDERNEATH HIS VEHICLE RUPTURED TWICE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER DRIVING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD. THE FAILURE WAS NOTICED THE SECOND TIME WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. THE CONTACT NOTICED OIL LEAKING ONTO THE GARAGE FLOOR. HE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO POOR DESIGN. THE OIL PAN LACKS PROTECTION AND IS PLACED LOW ON THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSES SCRAPES AND PUNCTURES ON UNEVEN PAYMENTS, POTHOLES, DIPS, AND SPEED B…

Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10248628 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLVO V50. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DRIVE IN REVERSE. WHILE WALKING HOME IN THE RAIN, THE CONTACT SLIPPED AND FELL AND BROKE HER RIGHT WRIST IN THREE PLACES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CABLE CLIP FAILED, WHICH CAUSED THE CABLE TO SPL…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10278806 at NHTSA ↗

AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND WITHOUT WARNING, ENGINE STOPPED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY WITH NARROW BREAK-DOWN LANES AND WERE IN SIGNIFICANT PERIL, SURROUNDING BY SINGLE AND DOUBLE TRACTOR-TRAILERS IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA ON INTERSTATE-90 IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. THIS EVENT WAS TRULY TERRIFYING. THAT THERE WAS NO LOSS OF LIFE IS SHEER LUCK AND IMMATERIAL. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 61,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10290498 at NHTSA ↗

CAR BREAKDOWN REQUIRED THE FOLLOWING PARTS TO BE REPLACED - START CONTROL MODULE, PUMP CONTROL MODULE, FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 55,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10316990 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2006-04-24 (April 24, 2006)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH T5 TURBO ENGINES, THE POLYAMIDE TUBE IN THE FUEL LINE IS SENSITIVE TO THE EXTREME TEMPERATURES THAT MAY OCCUR IN THE AREA WHERE THE TURBO/EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS LOCATED.

Consequence: THIS MAY POTENTIALLY RESULT IN FUEL LINE LEAKAGE. FUEL LEAKAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL CHANGE THE FUEL LINE MATERIAL TO TEFLON FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 5, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2008-01-28 (January 28, 2008)

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, REOCCURRING, LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS SALTY-WET CONDITIONS, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE PUMP ELECTRONIC MODULE (PEM) TO BECOME CORRODED INTERNALLY. THIS CAN CAUSE A FAULTY SIGNAL TO THE FUEL PUMP, RESULTING IN LOW OR NO FUEL PRESSURE TO THE ENGINE.

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY ILLUMINATE. IN SOME CASES, THE VEHICLE MAY FAIL TO START OR MAY STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PEM AND INSTALL IT IN A NEW LOCATION TO PREVENT CORROSION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 20, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2010-11-08 (November 8, 2010)

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.

Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.