1998 Volvo S70 Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 4%of 215 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 90,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 1998 Volvo S70, 4% of the 215 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 90,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Upon accelerating up the hill of my street, today, august 16th, 2011, my car, a 1998 Volvo S70 , sped up, unnaturally, close to the top . I had just driven out of my driveway, as I back into it always, and proceeded up the hill. As usual, the automatic transmission shifted down as the car approached a steeper portion of the hill. When braking for the stop sign at the top, I noticed that the engine was racing. I was unable to stop fully at the stop sign, and after going around the corner to the right, I pulled the floor mat away from the accelerator pedal. …”
NHTSA complaint #10419690, filed 2011-08, 77,494 miles“Throttle stuck full open while driving!!! The car needed to be turned off to stop the engine from revving to maximum RPM. This is the second time this happened in one year.”
NHTSA complaint #10167072, filed 2006-08, 90,000 miles“The contact owns a 1998 Volvo S70. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the rpms increased and the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The brake pedal failed to slow the vehicle down as the accelerator pedal went all the way to the floor. The contact put the vehicle in neutral, which also failed to slow the vehicle down. The contact continued to depress the brake pedal and the vehicle eventually slowed down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10763454, filed 2015-09, 165,000 miles“Over maximum 30 second period, vehicle bucked, then interior lights came on and began blinking, then throttle stuck in full position, then brakes failed completely while black smoke emerged from under hood and wheel wells, then flames visible from from grill over hood of car, then vehicle finally brought to stop using emergency brakes at which time flames were two-three feet high from grill and wheel well(s) area of car - exited immediately - car total loss ..... …”
NHTSA complaint #755069, filed 2001-11“Driving down the highway when there was spontaneous increase in RPM without having foot on gas. Brakes locked up on vehicle. Cause of the problem is unknown.”
NHTSA complaint #815509, filed 1998-03Related service bulletins
- 10157889Feb 14, 2019This is a Technical Journal: When sensitive information, like vehicle speed, brake usage, etc. (customer behavoiur information) of a car is required from Volvo Car Corporation…
Vehicle speed control: other model years
Other parts of the 1998 Volvo S70
76 complaintsExterior lighting
35 complaintsElectrical system
31 complaintsEngine cooling
22 complaintsAir bags
13 complaintsBody and structure
13 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
11 complaintsSuspension
11 complaintsEquipment
8 complaintsSeat belts
8 complaintsTires
8 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1998 Volvo S70
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology