Volvo Recalls 360,000 Autos

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered a recall of approximately 360,000 Volvo automobiles due to faulty software in the cars’ electronic throttle-control units. The software flaw affects the vehicle speed control and may cause the car to suddenly lose power by errantly setting the maximum speed at roughly 15 miles per hour.

Cars affected include Volvo’s C70 and V70 models built between 1999 and 2002, S60s built in 2001 and 2002, S80s made between 1999 and 2001, S70 and V70X models built in 1999 and 2000, and the 2001 XC70. According to Volvo, more than 160,000 of the recalled vehicles have already been fixed after the company contacted car owners in March. The NHTSA decided to make the recall mandatory earlier this month.

Volvo, a unit of the Ford Motor Co., is asking owners of the affected vehicles to bring them into their local dealerships in order to have the throttle-control software reinstalled. Volvo announced that they are handling 2,000 to 3,000 of these repairs per week. The throttle-control software is supposed to be a safety feature that prevents unintended acceleration.