2006 Volvo V50: complaints, problems and recalls

ON DECEMBER 3, 2005, THE CAR (A VOLVO V50 2006 WITH APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES) WAS BEING DRIVEN IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA OF WASHINGTON DC. THE CAR WAS STOPPED FOR A LIGHT, AND THEN, UPON ATTEMPTING TO MOVE FORWARD, THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE WHEELS IN ANY GEAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER (MARTEN'S VOLVO, BETHESDA, MD). THE DEALERS REPRESENTATIVE INFORMED THE OWNER LATER THAT EVENING THAT A LINKAGE BETWEEN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE AXLE OF THE CAR HAD "SHEARED OFF" FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE DEALER SAYS IT HAS FIXED THE CAR, BUT DID NOT EXP…

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10144517 at NHTSA ↗

THE V50 T5 BEGAN TO SHAKE AND TREMBLE WHEN STARTED AND PLACED IN REVERSE. DRIVER THOUGHT THE CAR HAD A FLAT TIRE. INSPECTED VEHICLE AND SHUT CAR DOWN. TURNED ENGINE BACK ON AND PUT IN REVERSE. LIMITED POWER WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. NO TURBO POWER. PEDAL PLACED TO FLOOR AND LITTLE TO NO SPEED. VEHICLE TREMBLED AND HAD LIMITED ACCELERATION WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THIRD TIME OF TURNING VEHICLE ON, THE VEHICLE MOVED ABOUT 100-200 FEET AND STALLED. VEHICLE TOWED TO FAIRFAX VOLVO AT 11050 FAIRFAX BLVD. FAIRFAX VOLVO FOUND "SEVERAL MISFIRE FAULT CO…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,169 miles reported. Look up ODI 10178989 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR BEGAN MAKING HOWLING NOISES WHEN TURNING RIGHT. THE NOISES WERE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AREA. THE CAR IS AN AWD MODEL WITH MANUAL 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT HUB ASSEMBLY WAS FAILING AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. HAD THIS COMPONENT LOCKED UP, STEERING CONTROL WOULD BE LOST AND RISK OF A CRASH WOULD ESCALATE. THE REPAIR WAS AT MY EXPENSE ($786). THESE SAFETY RELATED STEERING AND SUSPENSION PARTS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 58,0…

Owner-reported narrative. 58,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10437484 at NHTSA ↗

THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW AND CAME EQUIPPED WITH PIRELLI TIRES. WE FOUND THEM FLAT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS (AT LEAST 5) AND HAD ONE FLAT WHILE DRIVING. NO CRASHES THUS FAR. WE THOUGHT IT TO BE A FAULT OF THE TIRES. NO PUNCTURES WERE EVER FOUND WHEN TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED. WE PUT ONE DUNLOP ON THE CAR THINKING THAT IF IT STAYED PROPERLY INFLATED, THEN SURELY THE PROBLEM WOULD BE THE PIRELLI BRANDED TIRES. THE NEXT FLAT WE HAD (LAST WEEK) WAS ON THE DUNLOP. INSPECTION REVEALED NO DAMAGE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED IT TO LOSE AIR PRESSURE. WE SUSPE…

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10439729 at NHTSA ↗

3 SEPARATE ISSUES: 1. ELECTRICAL: POWER WINDOWS AND POWER LOCKS SPORADICALLY STOP WORKING. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AROUND MARCH OF 2011. THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING AND DOES NOT MATTER IF THE CAR IS IN MOTION OR NOT. 2. SUSPENSION: AFTER ONLY 33,000 MILES OF DRIVING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MILD WEATHER, SEVERAL PARTS OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM ARE BROKEN, INCLUDING THE STRUTS, CONTROL ARMS, AND ENGINE MOUNT. 3. VISIBILITY: SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, I HAVE EXPERIENCE POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE FRONT DASH REFLECTING IN THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10471794 at NHTSA ↗

MY VOLVO JUST SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC ON RT 95 IN DC. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. I RESEARCHED THE RECALL FOR VOLVO FUEL SYSTEMS AND THE DEALER SAID I WAS NOT IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH MY YEAR, STATE AND I HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM. VERY FRUSTRATING. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 119,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10510215 at NHTSA ↗

2006 VOLVO V50. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE AIRBAG SYSTEM. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND IT READ "SRS AIRBAG SERVICE URGENT". THE CONSUMER STATED IT WAS THE SECOND TIME, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FIRST TIME, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED, BUT THE REMEDY ONLY LASTED FOR A FEW THOUSAND MILES. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10587980 at NHTSA ↗

FIRST THE RADIATOR OVER FLOW IS PLASTIC N CORRODED LEAKING RADIATOR FLUID SECOND THE CENTER COUNSEL GOES BAD WHERE YOU CAN NOT CONTROL THE AIR NOR HEAT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE IT GETS SO HOT IT BURNS YOUR FEET MAKING IT VERY UNBEARABLE, THE AIR STOPS WORKING ON DRIVERS SIDE

Owner-reported narrative. 196 miles reported. Look up ODI 10870497 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.