I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT ROUGHLY 70 MPH IN MODERATE TRAFFIC WITH MY WIFE AND 2 YOUNG BOYS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR NO LONGER RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS THEN "STALL". THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED WITH A MESSAGE "PERFORMANCE REDUCED". FORTUNATELY WE ROLLED OFF THE HIGHWAY OVER THE MEDIAN AND ONTO THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND INTO A PARKING LOT WHERE WE STOPPED THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT. WE CALLED THE DEALER WHO INSTRUCTED US TO BRING IT IN RIGHT AWAY TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THIS WAS ACTUALLY THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF THIS FAILURE THE FIRST BEING A WEEK EARLY ON JULY 9TH WITH SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES. IN THE FIRST ONE OUR STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AS WE ENTERED A GAS STATION. WE WERE TOLD WE NEEDED A NEW THROTTLE BODY APPROXIMATELY $900 TO REPLACE. WE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR 6 WEEKS SO WERE OBVIOUSLY UNHAPPY. ALTHOUGH NO ONE WAS HARMED IN THE CASE OF OUR FAILURES THERE CERTAINLY WAS THE POTENTIAL GIVEN THE HIGH SPEED OF TRAVEL AND TRAFFIC SURROUNDING US. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN DRIVING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE IN BOTH INSTANCES. THE VOLVO DEALER RETAINED THE OLD ETM. *JB