2004 VOLVO XC90 Complaints

FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS NOW I HAVE BEEN SMELLING LOUD ODORS OF GAS/FUEL INSIDE THE CAR COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF MY 2004 VOLVO XC90. THE SMELL IS BECOMING UNBEARABLE CAUSING HEADACHES. I HAD MY HUSBAND LOOK UNDER MY CAR TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS LEAK. HE NOTICED THAT THE SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK WAS WET, HE WIPED THE TANK OFF MAKING IT DRY DROVE THE CAR AROUND A COUPLE BLOCKS PARKED IT & CHECKED UNDER THE CAR AGAIN, THE TANK WAS WET ON THE SIDE OF THE FUEL TANK AGAIN WITH FUEL LEAKING FROM SOMEWHERE. AGAIN NO OBVIOUS SPOT OR LOCATION OF THE LEAK WAS SEEN & ITS NOT A BAD LEAK WHEREAS YOU CAN SEE IT DRIPPING, BUT IT IS LEAKING FROM SOMEWHERE. MY CAR IS ALSO EXPERIENCING A SLOW SLUGGISH START IN MY OPINION DUE TO THE FUEL ISSUE. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH & FOUND OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN VOLVO'S (01-05 S80, 01-04 V70/S60/XC70, 03-05 XC90) WHEN EXPOSED TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION FOR EXAMPLE HOT CLIMATES & TEMPERATURES. WHEN VOLVO VEHICLES ARE EXPOSED TO THESE CONDITIONS IN COMBINATION WITH FUEL QUALITY THERE'S A HIGHER/GREATER CHANCE THAT THE FUEL PUMP CAN DEVELOP/BECOME CRACKED, DAMAGED, OR PINCHED IN THE FUEL PUMP FLANGE OF WHICH CAUSES AN AIR LEAK IN THE FUEL VAPOR SYSTEM. ALSO 2004 XC90 MODELS HAS THE MOST OVERALL COMPLAINTS. I NEED MORE INFO ON HOW & WHERE VOLVO CAN FIX THIS ISSUE BECAUSE AGAIN UPON RESEARCHING THIS VOLVO HAS DONE A MAJOR RECALL FOR A FAULTY FUEL PUMP OF WHICH INCLUDES MY CAR BASED OFF INFO I HAVE FOUND. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS ISSUE WILL ONLY BECOME WORSE & IN SOME CASES UPON STARTING THE IGNITION CAN STRIKE OR CAUSE A FIRE. THANKS. *JS

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON I-5 WE HEARD A LOUD THUMP IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND WE SUDDENLY WENT TO ABOUT 25 MPH ALL OF OUR ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS SHUT DOWN, THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY LOUD GRINDING SOUND FOR APPROX. 2-3 SECONDS. NOW I THINK MY TRANSMISSION IS DAMAGED AND THE ELECTRONICS SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN PRETTY FREQUENTLY. I AM TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED TO READ THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS OTHER FAMILIES. THANK GOD NO ONE HAS DIED FROM THIS.....THIS IS VERY IRRESPONSIBLE AND NEGLIGENT FROM A REPUTABLE AUTO COMPANY. IS IT GOING TO TAKE SOMEONE OR FAMILY TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE BEFORE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THIS VERY SERIOUS ISSUE. ITS TIME FOR SOMEONE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. *JS

BACK IN SEPTEMBER OF 2012 MY CAR STARTED STALLING OFF AND ON. IT CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES A DAY OR ONCE A WEEK OR ONCE A MONTH. I HAVE PUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS INTO TRYING TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM WITH NO SUCCESS. I FINALLY TOOK MY CAR TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED MY CAR IN 2003. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS RELATED TO A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP THAT VOLVO WAS REQUIRED BY THE NHTSA TO NOTIFY OWNERS OF MY SAME VEHICLE, (AS WELL AS MANY OTHER MODEL VOLVOS), THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 10 YEARS/150,000 MILES. I NEVER RECEIVED THAT NOTICE FROM VOLVO. I HAVE HAD THE SAME ADDRESS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR SO THERE IS NO EXCUSE WHY I SHOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED IT. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTED I WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED HAVING THE FUEL PUMP CHECKED OUT AND SAVED MYSELF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. THE STALLING ISSUE HAS BEEN VERY DANGEROUS, AND ALMOST COST ME AND MY FAMILY OUR LIVES. AT TIMES IT HAS STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS AND I'VE COME CLOSE TO BEING REAR ENDED AND HIT ON THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE DOOR. MOST RECENTLY IT STALLED AFTER I STOPPED AT A T IN A HWY AND WAS TRYING TO TURN LEFT. IT LEFT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A TWO LANE HWY, ON A BLIND CURVE, THAT PEOPLE COMING EITHER DIRECTION COULD NOT SEE MY CAR. I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY A CAR COMING AT LEAST 55 MPH AND IT COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A VERY NASTY ACCIDENT. ANGELS WHERE WATCHING OVER ME AND MY FAMILY THAT DAY. I HOPE THAT THE NHTSA LOOKS INTO WHY VOLVO DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEIR AGREEMENT TO NOTIFY ALL OWNERS OF VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. I PURCHASED A VOLVO MAINLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE A REPUTATION OF BEING A SAFE CAR BUT LATELY IT HASN'T BEEN. *TR

ENGINE PASSENGER SIDE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT, FLAMES SHOOTING OUT THE WHEEL WELL. OTHER DRIVERS FLAGGED TO PULL OVER, TURNED OFF IGNITION KEY AND REMOVED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OFF, CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE FOR FEAR OF EXPLOSION. FIRE DEPARTMENT USED AN AX TO STOP THE ENGINE. CAR WAS TOTALED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. *TR

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RANDOMLY START, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A LOUD THUMP SOUND FROM THE ENGINE, ALSO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY ALL THE ELECTRICAL ITEMS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GOING DARK, ALL GAUGES GO TO ZERO, SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK, RADIO GOES DARK AND STOPS WORKING ALONG, A/C STOPS WORKING, ERROR MESSAGE APPEAR FOR THE ABS AND SRS. THERE IS ALSO AN SLIGHT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON THE FIRST VISIT WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING SINCE THE PROBLEM IS COMPLETELY RANDOM. ON A MORE RECENT VISIT DEALER SAYS CAR NEEDS A INSTRUMENT PANEL MODULE REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $1,500. ACCORDING TO MY ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS COMPLAINT IS BY FAR THE MOST PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL BY MAYBE A 20 TO 1 MARGIN. *TR

WAS DRIVING IN NEIGHBORHOOD AT ABOUT 20 MPH, WHEN RADIO SHUT OFF AND THEN ALL ELECTRICAL SHUT OFF, CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO EITHER GAS OR BRAKES, THEN THERE WAS A THUMP FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, WHICH BROUGHT THE DASH LIGHTS BACK ON. I THEN WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF CAR. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THERE WERE A SLEW OF ERROR MESSAGES ON THE DASH, INCLUDING A BRAKE WARNING. ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE CAR, ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN ON MY DRIVE HOME. VERY UNSAFE TO BE DRIVING AND NOT SURE IF YOUR BRAKES OR STEERING ARE GOING TO CUT OUT. DID SOME RESEARCH WHEN I GOT HOME AND REALIZED THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE CEM OF VOLVOS. I HOPE NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING. IF THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF DRIVING IN THE GEORGIA / NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS WITH THE WIFE AND 2 KIDS IN THE BACK, THE AIR-CONDITIONER AND RADIO ON WITH THE 2004 XC90, THE CAR STARTED EXPERIENCING WEIRD BEHAVIOR. SHORTLY AFTER CROSSING THE GEORGIA BORDER INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER (NO DASHBOARD, HAZARD LIGHTS, BLINKERS, WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS, SUNROOF, ETC.). THE DRIVE TRAIN ALSO SEEMED STUCK IN A HIGH GEAR AND WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT WHICH MADE NORMAL DRIVING CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ON MOUNTAIN ROADS. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR MADE THE VIOLENT NOISE AGAIN UNDER THE HOOD AGAIN AND JERKED VIOLENTLY AGAIN. LUCKILY THERE WAS AN AUTOZONE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT AND I HAD THEM READ THE ENGINE CODES WHICH WAS ONLY SHOWING A 'DSTC FAILURE' (DASHBOARD WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL). I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE BATTERY WITH A NEW ONE IN HOPES THAT THE FAILURE WAS BECAUSE OF A WEAK BATTERY TRICKING THE COMPUTER TO GO INTO SURVIVAL MODE. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, POWER WAS RESTORED TO THE CABIN (AC, RADIO, AND DASH WERE ALL WORKING AGAIN) AND THERE WAS NOW A 'SRS AIRBAG SERVICE URGENT' MESSAGE WHICH I COULDN'T CLEAR FROM THE DASH, NOR COULD THE TOOL FROM AUTOZONE DETECT OR CLEAR VIA THE PLUG TO THE COMPUTER PORT. THERE WERE NO ENGINE CODES IN THE AUTOZONE COMPUTER AFTER THE BATTERY CHANGE BUT WE STILL HAD THE SRS WARNING LIGHT / MESSAGE ON THE DASH. THE NEXT DAY, WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE ABOVE DRIVING HOME FROM OUR DESTINATION. WE WERE HOPING THAT NEW BATTERY WOULD SOLVE THE ISSUE, BUT I NOW BELIEVE IT'S THE CEM. CAR IS GOING TO THE DEALER TOMORROW TO INVESTIGATE SINCE OF COURSE IT HAPPENED ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND NOTHING WAS OPEN OTHER THAN SOME STORES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MILES AN HOUR AND THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. NO LIGHTS, NO ENGINE, NO POWER STEERING, NO DASH LIGHTS. THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. I PULLED OVER AND LET THE CAR REST AND THEN IT STARTED UP AGAIN. I NOTICED THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I TOOK IT TO ARBORMOTION IN ANN ARBOR MI AND THEY TOLD ME A CODE CAME UP AND SOME PART HAD TO BE CLEANED. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH AIR GOING THROUGH THE PART TO ALLOW GAS TO FLOW. THEY FIXED THE PART AND A MONTH LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY ONLY THIS TIME HOWEVER, UNLIKE THE FIRST TIME, JUST THE LIGHTS STAYED ON. I WENT TO THE SAME SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS ANOTHER CODE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY XC90 2004 AND SUDDENLY THE UNIT JUST TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. I HAD TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY KIND OF POWER. I PARKED THE CAR BESIDE THE HIGHWAY AND TRIED TO TURNED ON THE CAR AGAIN, THE CAR STARTED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. I CHECKED THE POLE OF THE BATTERY BUT THEY WERE OK AND THE BATTERY ITSELF IT'S NEW. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT HAPPENS, IT IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND SPORADIC.WHEN I WENT TO THE VOLVO DEALER SOME MONTHS AGO TO FIX A CAMPAIGN THAT HAVE THE XC90, I TOLD THE MECHANICS WHAT HAPPENED AND TOLD THEM TO CHECK THAT ISSUE. THE TOLD ME IT WAS VERY STRANGE AND WHEN THEY FIXED THE CAMPAIGN THEY TOLD ME THEY DIDN'T FOUND ANYTHING. *TR

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH WHEN HAVING TO MAKE A QUICK BRAKING STOP THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS HARD AND THE BRAKES EVENTUALLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE BUT, SEEMED TO BE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM ABS. ALSO, AFTER THE VEH IS IN CRUISE CONTROL AND STEPPING ON THE BRAKE TO TAKE OUT OF CRUISE THE PEDAL IS HARD. *TR