NHTSA vehicle safety data

1999 Volvo C70 Convertible Recalls & Complaints

The 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 8 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Volvo dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

1999 Volvo C70 Convertible owner complaints

Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible, describing incidents dated September 9, 2004 to June 17, 2010.

Most-cited components

Vehicle Speed Control 4 complaints
Electrical System 2 complaints
Air Bags 1 complaint
Equipment 1 complaint
Service Brakes 1 complaint
Structure 1 complaint

Of the 8 complaints on file, 1 reports a crash (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10336885 · Filed June 17, 2010
CONVERTIBLE TOP BACK BAR STRUCTURE CRACKED IN HALF AND TOP WILL NOT OPERATE(CLOSE OR OPEN) NOW. WHILE THE TOP BROKE, AS I WAS OPENING IT, IT ALSO FELL ON THE SENSOR FOR THE LOCK AND BROKE THAT ALSO. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR THIS PROBLEM, THE ONLY FIX IS ORDERING A NEW BAR AT THE COST OF…
ODI #10334370 · Filed June 3, 2010
MY BRAKES WERE MAKING A WEIRD SQUEAKING NOISE IN FRONT. I TOOK TO ORANGE COUNTY VOLVO DEALER TWICE, BOTH TIMES WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. TWO WEEKS LATER, I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE,WITHOUT WARNING AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED…
ODI #10148909 · Filed January 28, 2006
VOLVO C70 PRESENTED A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE REVVING AND DOWN BY ITSELF, AND MOSTLY NOTICEABLE WHILE STANDING STILL AT IDLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM AND THROTTLE) BODY ALONG WITH SOME OTHER PARTS. I PAID AND HAD…

Read all 8 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible in 2 investigations. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Engineering Analysis EA05-021: THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION
Closed December 12, 2006
- Recall 06V-441
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-041: THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION
Closed December 7, 2005

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

THROTTLE CONTROL MALFUNCTION

NHTSA #06V441000 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA notice

Reported November 15, 2006 · VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.

Potentially affected: 170,099 vehicles

Volvo campaign R155 · Owners notified December 29, 2006 · Vehicles built March 24, 1998 – May 18, 1999 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES.

Safety consequence

THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE CURRENT SOFTWARE UPGRADE ONTO THE INVOLVED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Notes

VOLVO RECALL NO. R155. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

8 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible.

Structure; Equipment

ODI #10336885

Incident: June 17, 2010 · Filed: June 17, 2010

CONVERTIBLE TOP BACK BAR STRUCTURE CRACKED IN HALF AND TOP WILL NOT OPERATE(CLOSE OR OPEN) NOW. WHILE THE TOP BROKE, AS I WAS OPENING IT, IT ALSO FELL ON THE SENSOR FOR THE LOCK AND BROKE THAT ALSO. THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN FOR THIS PROBLEM, THE ONLY FIX IS ORDERING A NEW BAR AT THE COST OF $1500, WHICH I DON'T HAVE. NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT I CANT DRIVE OR REPAIR. *TR

Electrical System; Service Brakes, Electric

ODI #10334370

Crash

Incident: May 21, 2010 · Filed: June 3, 2010

MY BRAKES WERE MAKING A WEIRD SQUEAKING NOISE IN FRONT. I TOOK TO ORANGE COUNTY VOLVO DEALER TWICE, BOTH TIMES WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. TWO WEEKS LATER, I EXPERIENCED COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE,WITHOUT WARNING AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP WAS TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THERE WERE NO OTHER WARNINGS PRIOR TO COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. I CALLED MY DEALER WHO DENIED ANY PROBLEMS. I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER DEALER (POWER VOLVO)WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A COMPLETE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILURE. MY DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO WAY THE NOISE I PREVIOUSLY COMPLAINED ABOUT (WEIRD SQUEAK)COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO A BRAKE BOOSTER PROBLEM(HE SAID BOOSTER FAILURE MAKES A HISSING SOUND). VOLVO OF NORTH AMERICA (VONA) "INSPECTED" THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE PROBLEM IS "INTERMITTENT" AND THAT WHEN THEY DROVE IT, THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, BUT THAT DUE TO THE FACT THAT POWER VOLVO EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE BOOSTER, IT SHOULD BE REPLACED FOR SAFETY REASONS. IN A VOICE MESSAGE TO ME, VONA STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A "SAFETY HAZARD" BUT SINCE MY CAR WAS "SO FAR OUT OF WARRANTY," VONA WOULD NOT PAY FOR THE COST OF THE BOOSTER REPLACEMENT (NEARLY $3,000). THEY DENIED THAT IT WAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR, AND DENIED THAT THE DEALER IMPROPERLY DIAGNOSED PROBLEM. PRIOR TO INSPECTION, VONA SAID THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE FIX IF THE BOOSTER "FAILED TO PERFORM AS DESIGNED." NOW THEY SAY THAT THE BOOSTER WAS NOT DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ANY INDICATION THAT IT WAS GOING TO FAIL PRIOR TO CAUSING A COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. SO, BASICALLY, VONA SAYS IT IS PROPER FOR THESE BOOSTERS TO FAIL, AND IT IS PROPER FOR THEM TO FAIL SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKES. AND THAT THIS IS NORMAL. LATER VERSIONS OF VOLVOS HAVE BRAKE FAILURE LIGHTS. MY MAKE AND MODEL DOES NOT. I COULD HAVE DIED AND/OR KILLED SOMEONE, AND VOLVO DOES NOT CARE. LUCKILY I WAS TRAVELING SLOWLY COASTING TOWARD A STOP SIGN WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10148909

Incident: September 2, 2005 · Filed: January 28, 2006

VOLVO C70 PRESENTED A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE REVVING AND DOWN BY ITSELF, AND MOSTLY NOTICEABLE WHILE STANDING STILL AT IDLE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE (ETM AND THROTTLE) BODY ALONG WITH SOME OTHER PARTS. I PAID AND HAD THE REPAIRS COMPLETED. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY PUT A NEW ETM IN, BUT THAT THE ETM LIGHT INDICATOR ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN. THEY PUT A SECOND ONE IN AND THE LIGHT CAME OFF. I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE CAR AND DROVE TO WORK. AFTER WORK I DROVE HOME, AND THE ETM LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I THOUGHT THE LIGHT WAS NOT A PROBLEM SINCE I WAS TOLD SO BY THE DEALER.*AK A FEW MONTHS LATER WHILE NAVIGATING THE WEB I FOUND A FORUM MENTIONING THAT VOLVO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ETMS. SEVERAL SITES CLAIM VOLVO IS TRYING TO HIDE THE PROBLEM AND NOT TAKING SUFFICIENT ACTIONS TO INFORM CUSTOMERS. SINCE LIGHT IS STILL ON NOW, I WILL TAKE MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND FIGHT WITH THEM, BUT WANTED TO INFORM NHTSA OF MY EXPERIENCE SO FAR.*AK

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10147307

Incident: January 9, 2006 · Filed: January 9, 2006

ENGINE ROLLING W/VARYING RPM. ETS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, CONTINUES TO DO SO INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER (TASCA VOLVO, SEEKONK, MA) STATED ON 01-09-06 THAT, BASED ON ORDERS FROM VOLVO NA,VEHICLE NEEDED A "SYSTEM UPGRADE" AND OTHER REPAIRS & DIAGNOSTICS BEFORE PART REPLACEMENT COULD BE PERFORMED. SAID UPGRADE DONE & PAID FOR. AFTER 6 MILES OF DRIVING, ETS LIGHT ON AGAIN. CAR SURGES, ACCELERATES FOR NO REASON AND AT OTHER TIMES HAS NO PEP. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALER. I AM WAITING FOR RESULTS. *NM

Electrical System

ODI #10140117

Incident: July 1, 2005 · Filed: October 18, 2005

1999 VOLVO C70 WITH 52,000 MILES. CAR STARTED RUNNING STAGGERED AT ABOUT 48,000 MILES. CHECK ENGINE AND ETS LIGHTS SOMETIMES COME ON. TOOK IT IN FOR COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS AND MECHANIC'S TEST DRIVE. PROBLEM IS FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE MODULE. NEEDS REPLACEMENT AT COST OF $900.00.*JB

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10137108

Incident: September 16, 2005 · Filed: September 20, 2005

WE SOLD THIS VEHICLE TO A RETAIL CUSTOMER ON AUGUST 12, 2005. SOON AFTER, CUSTOMER COMPLAINED TO US THAT ETS LIGHT WAS ON AND THEY HAD EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER. WE REIMBURSED CUSTOMER FOR HAVING "FAULTY THROTTLE UNIT" REPLACED AT BILL GRAY VOLVO. *NM

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #10131134

Incident: May 1, 2005 · Filed: September 6, 2005

DT: THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 VOLVO C70. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE VEHICLE STALLED/DIED, AND LOST POWER AT LEAST 6 TIMES. CONTACT DID NOT HAVE REPAIRS DONE SINCE HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND PARTS. *AK *JB

Air Bags

ODI #10107672

Incident: September 9, 2004 · Filed: January 21, 2005

AIR BAG PROBLEMS WITH THE 1999 S70 VOLVO. *NM

Other Volvo C70 Convertible model years

Check your 1999 Volvo C70 Convertible VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Volvo C70 Convertible at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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