Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Volvo S70 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Volvo S70. While driving at approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle accelerated. When making a left or right turn, the vehicle stalled and the ets light illuminated. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,000.
Ever since purchasing our Volvo, there has been power reduction and surges of which I've brought up to the dealership where purchased. My husband has asked what May cause this sort of thing because we didn't want it to be the transmission. We were told it was part of the way a Volvo works. The incident that LED to it having to be repaired was when we returned from an hour and half drive and pulled into a parking lot where the engine started revving continuously. A light came on the dash, esl. The only thing in the manual I could find was what the initials stood for-electronic throttle system. We were able to drive it home after short while because of a safety devise in the vehicle that allows this apparently. …
I was driving my car on the highway and as soon as I reached 60 MPH my ets light came on along with my brake light and oil light. My speedometer went to zero and my car was acting strange. I pulled over and stopped and heard a loud noise from the engine. I turned off my car. I called aaa and asked for a tow. While the tow truck was coming, I tried turning my car on again and the ets light came on flashing and the car wouldn't start. I started to google this problem and saw many people had the ets on their Volvo recalled. I called Volvo and they declined to help me. They said I need to pay for a new ets module. They said my car doesn't have a recall on it. I found this to be not true after checking your website for recalls along with another .gov website. I called Volvo again and the same guy told me not to call them anymore and he hung up the phone. …
Electrical failures causing dash to go blank, which is not safe. Also, caution lights and other engine repair lights come on randomly. If you go to the internet you will find a persistent problem with the Volvo. I have a friend that was an ex engineer for GM and has several Ford engineer friends in detroit. He stated they were very aware of the electrical problems with the Volvo, most of which began with fords purchase of the company. Since then the occurrence of problems has steadily rose the cost of replacing the dash electronics and wire harnesses are cost prohibitive and May not fix the problem. Here is just one of many sources of comments from owners of just one model of Volvo. There are problems throughout the line and the company is not in the financial condition to make a recall. …
I own a 2000 Volvo S70. I experienced the failure of the electronic throttle module several times this year, 2005. The car would often run rough and attempt to stall while driving. On one trip from new albany, in, to cleveland, oh, it happened so often that I had to leave the car in cincinnati and rent a car from enterprise car rental in order to get to cleveland. That rental cost me $236.04. I tried to have the problem diagnosed at several garages in southern indiana, but to no avail. Finally, I took the car to Volvo of louisville, kentucky, on July 7, 2005. They diagnosed the problem as a faulty electronic throttle module and replaced the entire throttle body system at a cost of $803.73. What prompted my filing this complaint was an article that appeared in the louisville courier-journal on August 2, 2005. It was written by associated press reporter ken thomas. …
In early October 2003 the electronic throttle system (ets) light appeared on my car's panel. This affected the drivability of the vehicle. I purchased an additional warranty for my vehicle when I bought the car in May 2000. The dealer indicated that my warranty would not cover this problem and that it would cost approximately $900 to repair it. I declined the service. The light continues to come on frequently (I.e., every 2nd or 3rd day of the week). When this happens, I will pull over and turn off the car for a moment. When I start it up again, the light does not appear and drivability is normal. As a Volvo owner for the past 17 years, I have not experienced any similar malfunctions. I have owned a 1982 Volvo 240, a 1992 Volvo 240 and my current Volvo S70. …
Narrative description: #1: in early 2005, an intermittent problem began occurring with the ignition and starting of the vehicle. #2: upon further investigation through local Volvo dealerships, the problem was identified as the immoblizer (antenna ring) which reads the computer chip within the key to determine if the correct key is being used to start the vehicle. Initially, the problem was intermittent but has become increasingly worse with an inability to start the vehicle. #3: Volvo "is" aware of my problem, however, the only assistance they have provided is to turn the key back to the start position, remove the key, turn 180 degrees, re-enter the key and the vehicle should start. Although this is one solution to a recurring and on-going problem, it does require repair as this problem is OEM equipment installed by Volvo and I believe represents a safety issue. Please help us...
The electronic throttle module on our vehicle has caused us to encounter hazardous conditions on more than one occasion. In January, 2004, the ets warning light came on and before we could drive the 60 miles to the nearest Volvo service center, our car was sputtering and surging and losing power on a continual basis. This was a dangerous situation for us to be in. The repair that was made involved installing a used part because of computer related problems (which is another story and a complaint to Volvo). Now, 20 months later, that used part has malfunctioned and put us in a similar hazardous situation (not to mention an inconvenient situation) again. When these electronic throttle modules malfunction, there is little notice and the results can be serious when they occur as you are driving in traffic.
My 2000 Volvo S70 is experiencing engine trouble over the last few months. I have been told by a repair shop that it is the electronic throttle module causing the problem. After numerous phone calls to several other shops and dealers, as well as investigations over the internet, it appears that there is a defect in the module that will cause the car to go into a "cripple mode" at any given point. This has happened to me. Volvo apparently does not believe that it is a product defect, but rather it is a maintenance issue. I have had the module cleaned but it has not helped the problem. I do not believe that a situation such as this, which will cost about $1,000 to fix, can be considered a maintenance issue. The car has less than 60,000 miles.
I am writing just to supply additional information regarding your ongoing investigation pe05041. During the first few years that I owned my 2000 Volvo S70 glt se, I experienced several electronic throttle control failures, which grew progressively worse. The vehicle would suddenly lose speed when accelerating and be unresponsive when the gas pedal was depressed. The car was still under warranty when these failures occurred, so Volvo replaced the electronic throttle control mechanism at no charge. To date, the replacement mechanism has not failed, but I would be interested in knowing what the average failure age of the replacement parts has been. I have two small children who are frequently in the car with me.
Electrical complaints in other S70 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2000 Volvo S70?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the electrical system of the 2000 Volvo S70, 20% of the model year's 164 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › module (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Volvo S70 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2000 Volvo S70, though it has 3 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 2000 Volvo S70 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
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.