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 2001 Volvo V70XC owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The key came out of the ignition while still in drive with the engine off. The last incident resulted in the vehicle rolling backwards and crashing. Vehicle was totaled from the crash. Vehicle was inspected on 04-12-05 by a Volvo dealership representative, who confirmed this was a problem, but declined to fix the problem.
I was recently told my 2001 v79xc needed ball joints, then sway bars and someone else said struts! Also: I have had the car diagnosed, the system reported throttle module errors and electircal or circuit problems; throttle module cleaned, then replaced; headlights replaced 3 times (wiring causes shorts); gas filter replaced two junes in a row gas propelled out of the tank back at me upon pumping (something about air intake line was clogged), the brackets underneath the car are totally rusted not stainless steel! I had the cooling fan replaced, car overheated into the red! I too have had little time to enjoy my car. The e brake sticks in the winter, because the coating on the lines/cables is cracked, broken/burned due to improper suspension. My sun roof, interior lights and rear hatch door works intermittently in cold weather. …
Traveling on montana highway 93 at 65 MPH my 2001 Volvo v70 AWD suddenly lost power. I pulled off the side of this heavily traveled 2 lane highway causing traffic behind me to swerve into the oncoming lane of traffic. The car was towed to the nearest mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an electronic throttle module problem. Volvo recommends cleaning the module which was done. I picked up my car on Saturday July 2, 2005 and on Monday July 4, 2005, the car died suddenly on a busy 2 lane county road. Once again I pulled off to the side of the road. Now the only option is to replace the electronic throttle module at a high cost, $1000.00 plus. My car only has 57,000 miles on it. I have been made aware that Volvo knows of this potentially harmful situation and has done nothing to repair this defective etm. …
On September 7, 2005, my wife was driving our 2001 Volvo V70XC in the left lane of a busy four-lane street during rush hour. Without warning, the car suddenly lost power. Fortunately, my wife was able to maneuver the car across the lanes of on-coming traffic into a parking lot. In idle, the car was shuddering. Once turned off, the care would not initially restart. After a few attempts, the car did restart and we were subsequently able to drive it to the local Volvo dealership (pederson Volvo). In the interim, my wife talked with a service manager who said he was almost certain this was a problem with the electronic throttle module (etm). Subsequent analysis at the service department confirmed that the etm had failed and would require replacement. When questioned, the service manager admitted that the failure of etms was under investigation. …
Car: 2001 Volvo v70 AWD xc mileage: 45,879 while driving the vehicle on a controlled access highway, the car without notice lost power. The engine would not accelerate beyond 1,000 RPM and the car decelerated rapidly from approximately 60 MPH to less than 20 MPH. Given the rapid, unexpected deceleration, it was quite possible that the loss of power could have lead to a very serious situation. After pulling off to the side of the road and restarting the car, it would run normally for a period of time. Prior to this incident, the car performed normally and no warning light indicators were activated. The car was brought to a Volvo dealer, who after inspecting the car stated that electronic throttle control (throttle body) had failed and needed to be replaced. Cost incurred for throttle body replacement were $845.25, including labor.
Please add me to the growing list of people who had their electronic throttle module fail on them while driving in heavy traffic. It failed on me( with no prior hint of failure ) causing the car to go into idle speed while crossing a very busy intersection. I called the dealer and they told me I could reset the computer buy a combination of door lock turns which I did. It then failed again in a very dangerous condition (sitting at a red light with a long line of traffic behind me) while driving to the dealer to be replaced two days later. It failed at about 94,000 miles but I don't consider this a part which should have such a design flaw. And if it is going to fail - the cars' computer should not cause the car to go into limp home mode. It was replaced by the dealer at a cost of around $900 with a one year warranty.
In August of 2004 while traveling at highway speed, my 2001 Volvo v70 xc began to buck violently and slowed to a crawl. This was sudden, with no preliminary hint that anything was wrong. The incident could very well have caused a serious accident had there been any other traffic on the highway at the time. Subsequently, the problem was diagnosed at Smart motors Volvo in madison, wisconsin, as a failed throttle body. The replacement part and labor cost $934.25. The highly experienced Volvo mechanic suggested that such throttle body failures were, in his experience, more common in colder climates where fuel additives to prevent ice in the fuel line were present. He also said that other makes of car that used the same throttle body were having the same very high rate of failure.
While driving with my 6 year old daughter at 70 MPH on highway 58 in golden, co my 2001 Volvo xc wagon suddenly lost power and I could only go 10 MPH on July 20, 2005. I was able to exit and parked the car for an hour. It restarted and ran normally for about 5 minutes when I had a second sudden loss of power while driving 65 on 6th avenue in golden. The message center on my dash said service was urgent, so I stopped the car on the exit ramp for 1.5 hrs. Until a tow truck arrived which towed the car to rickenbaugh Volvo in denver for a cost of $142.50. The next day, I paid rickenbaugh Volvo in denver $982.53 to replace the throttle unit and gasket, and remove, clean and replace the crank case ventilation nipple and $272.68 for emissions service.
I was in heavy commute traffic, going about 60 MPH, when my Volvo cross country [2001] suddenly lost power. After towing, I was told that my electronic throttle module had failed. The replacement cost was about $1100. Subsequently, I was made aware that this is under investigation and a class action is filed in ca. I had no earlier problems of this nature, and have always maintained my car. I hope that your investigation is fruitful, as this is a serious safety risk. My situation could have resulted in one or more fatalities.
I own a 2001 Volvo cross-country. I was driving at 65 miles per hour on interstate 95 between baltimore and washington when my car starting shaking violently and stopped driving. Suffice to say, this incident was extremely scary. The car was towed to a Volvo dealer. The mechanic advised that the electronic throttle was defective. The repair cost me $1,300. I was unhappy to learn that Volvo is well aware of this problem, but will not issue a recall or reimburse consumers for this repair.
Electrical complaints in other V70XC years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2001 Volvo V70XC?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the electrical system of the 2001 Volvo V70XC, 19% of the model year's 144 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › front underhood (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Volvo V70XC electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2001 Volvo V70XC, though it has 1 recall 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 2001 Volvo V70XC electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.