Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Volvo S70 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The engine throttle control light activated sporadically beginning in July, 2005. I noticed that the car was not performing adequately when going uphill or in severe heat. My husband contacted the Volvo dealership in allentown, pa where we purchased the vehicle. He was told that the cost to repair same would be over $800. We decided to pass on this repair due to the cost and thought that another auto service mechanic could perform the repairs at a lesser price. Approximately 3 weeks later, the ets light was activated on every occasion that the vehicle was used. Since a second mechanic (not affiliated with Volvo) stated that he was unable to do the repairs, we decided to contact another vovlo dealership. The repair of the throttle body and etm "reload" was performed by a Volvo of fort washtington, pa at a cost of over $800 on August 17, 2005. …
Twice, within 50 metres of the same spot each time, my car has suffered extreme acceleration whilst I was braking as hard as I could. First time, my mechanic checked all computer diagnostics using two different computer testing devices but there were no fault codes. Now, as well as happening twice within 50 metres of the same spot, I was at the same set of traffic lights, which I do not suspect as being the problem, but also next to a major hospital with an adjacent helipad. My best guess after 57 years in electronics and 40+ in computers is that some sort of rf interference is upsetting my vehicle. I know Volvo check all accidents involving their cars in sweden and wonder whether they have ever come across my problem. Both times the engine screamed its head off although I had no time to worry about the tachometer reading. …
My 1999 Volvo s-70 received software upgrade code #155 in 2006 subject to recall and in August 2009 started to experience random throttle surging and loss of power ,especially on highway driving conditions(I-95), making vehicle unsafe to operate,along with intermittent ets light coming on. I am now told by dealer that cause is due to failure of electronic throttle module & not covered by 10 year or 200,000 mile warranty as "in-service" date on my vehicle was feb. 2009 and therefore past 10 year warranty period. Having researched your data base involving safety issues & accidents caused directly from this type of part failure, I am at a loss as to why a full recall has not been issued by Volvo to replace all etm's on these model vehicles. I am now out-of-pocket $1200.00 for something that Volvo has neglected to fix. …
At approximately 206,000 miles my car wouldn't drive over 40 MPH, the engine would rev up on its own and sputtered throughout the reduced RPM range. Rpms would not go over about 3500. Check engine light came on. Drove it to Volvo dealer and they replaced the throttle body at an out of pocket cost to me of approximately $1,000. They stated that it would have been covered up to 200,000 miles as this part had a recall. I do not feel that I was adequately notified of the recall. I received a letter about a recall last year and called the dealer to ask what it all meant since I did not understand it. The dealer said it was just a software upgrade and would only take about five minutes. I took the vehicle in for that software upgrade in March of 2007 with less than 200,000 miles on the vehicle and they did not say anything about the etm / throttle body issue. …
In mid-December the car started but ran rough and lacked power. Previous to that it ran fine; since then it has had various intermittent problems related to acceleration. Sometimes the engine runs rough and lacks power. Other times the engine runs fine but the car does not respond to accelerator input to increase speed. Sometimes the car stumbles but accelerates adequately. More often the car will accelerate to about 20 MPH and not increase speed beyond that irrespective of accelerator pedal pressure. After a few seconds the car will suddenly accelerate normally. Replacing the throttle body module corrected the problem. This part is subject to a NHTSA agreement with Volvo that requires Volvo to replace the unit free but the dealer refused to do that and charged me for the repair.
Bought the car about one week prior to the first stalling episode and ets light on. Called Volvo due to a replacement/extended warranty on affected part. Was told that the part was not replaced and the warranty was no longer covering car (10 years/200000 miles). As a recent purchaser of this car I had no clue of the replacement not previously done or even needed. All was new to me and they refused. Moving forward one year and car stalled in traffic, almost hit from behind, no dash lights and complete failure of etm. Car won't stay running at all, terrified to drive the car home after this incident. No warranty on part, no replacement and now I have $ 4000 boat anchor that will cost a fortune to fix due to no warranty on the part that should have been replaced years ago by Volvo.
Dt: the contact stated that 1999 Volvo S70 experienced the same problem with stalling while driving under 40 MPH. The engine light was coming on and the car was uncontrollable. The car would shake and jerk, speed ahead and slow down. T the contact took vehicle to the dealership and they replaced the fuel throttle body, put in new spark plugs, and reprogrammed the computer. The car has since then ran well. The contact stated that this happened a year ago. The repair cost for the contact was almost $1,000.00. The contact has been in touch with Volvo dealership, and they told him that they have not heard anything about recall. The Volvo manufacturer said that there was an investigation on the car, and to call the NHTSA. The contact has also filed a complaint with Volvo.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Volvo S70. In 2001, the speedometer failed and displayed zero when the vehicle was traveling 10 MPH. Eventually, the vehicle began to shut off in traffic and while driving between 60-65 MPH. The dealer replaced the sensors several times. The contact took the vehicle to a repair shop and the sensors were replaced again. She was unsure about the name of the sensor; however, the failures continued and the vehicle was unable to be restarted. Recently, in June of 2009, the vehicle shut off and was towed to the dealer. They stated that the electronic throttle module failed and the battery cable was corroded. The repair cost was estimated at $1,021. The failure mileage was 79,842 and current mileage was 189,000.
Car hesitates and/or stalls on acceleration for past 20,000 miles. Initial diagnosis from Volvo dealer showed "no fault codes stored, unable to diagnose." finally, today I stalled while making a turn and almost got broadsided. Just after that an ets light came on. I called the dealer and was told "it will cost up to $1000 to replace the part." this is a major safety hazard and to think that Volvo knows about this problem (I surfed the internet and found right away that this is a common problem) and let me take the car out with this issue known. (regardless of a fault code stored)
Tl contact owns a 1999 Volvo S70. The contact stated that intermittently the engine and the csr warning light illuminated on the instrument control panel; then the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local repair facility and a mechanic replaced the air mass meter. After the repair, the failure resurfaced. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, in which the technician charged $1065.00 for diagnostic testing; however, the technician was not able to identify the cause of the failure. The failure has not been remedied. The failure mileage was 157000 and the current mileage was 158000.
Engine complaints in other S70 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Volvo S70?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Volvo S70, 20% of the model year's 205 complaints. The component named most often is engine (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Volvo S70 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1999 Volvo S70, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1999 Volvo S70 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.