2004 VOLVO XC90 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING, THE ELECTRONIC PANEL ALL SHUT DOWN AND I GOT MSG REGARDING BRAKE FAILURE AND TO STOP SAFELY. I WAS ON LEFT-MOST LANE OF HIGHWAY AND MY SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN ON!!! EVEN MY POWER WINDOW WOULD NOT WORK SO I COULDN'T OPEN FOR ME TO MAKE HAND-SIGNALS. LUCKY MY FATHER-IN-LAW NEXT TO ME HAD WINDOW OPEN SO I TOLD HIM TO MAKE MOTIONS TO SURROUNDING CARS FOR ME TO CHANGE LANES SAFELY. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO STOP, I TURNED OFF CAR, TURNED ON AGAIN AND GOT SRS AIRBAG URGENT MSG ON PANEL. SINCE CAR STARTED OK BUT WITH MSG, I TOOK SIDE STREETS HOME BUT IT SHUT OFF AGAIN 2 TIMES. I DID SAME THING (STOP/RESTARTED) AND MADE IT HOME. I HAD MY IN-LAWS WITH ME AND MY 3 YOUNG KIDS WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED ON 12/23/11. BECAUSE OF HOLIDAYS/VACATION AND SINCE NEAREST DEALER IS 20 MILES AWAY (AN HOUR DRIVE WITH TRAFFIC) AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT ONLY OPEN ON WEEKDAYS, WE COULDN'T TAKE TO DEALER RIGHT AWAY. SINCE IT WAS AN AIRBAG MESSAGE, MY HUSBAND NOT TOO CONCERNED - HE WASN'T WITH ME WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED SO I DON'T THINK HE REALIZED THE GRAVITY. HE USED IT FEW TIMES AND 2 WKS LATER, IT HAPPENED TO HIM. THIS TIME WHEN RESTARTED, THERE WAS ALSO CHECK ENGINE MSG AND NOTICED DIFFICULTY STEERING. HE TOOK TO DEALER, AND BOTH TECHNICIAN AND MANAGER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE PROBLEM! THEY JUST RESET TO REMOVE THE SRS MSG AND DID A SOFTWARE UPDATE. WE THOUGHT/HOPED IT WAS FIXED BUT THEN YESTERDAY THE SAME THING HAPPENED (ALL SHUT DOWN)! LAST NIGHT WE STARTED CHECKING ON-LINE AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS! WE ARE DEVASTATED BECAUSE WE LOVE/TAKE CARE OF THIS CAR, WHICH WE USE PRIMARILY ON WEEKENDS AND TRIPS. WE THOUGHT IT'S SAFE FOR OUR FAMILY BUT NOW AREN'T COMFORTABLE THAT TAKING BACK TO DEALER WILL FIX PROBLEM. I AM VERY SURPRISED THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE ARE FATALITIES. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL ILLUMINATED, INDICATING A FAILURE WITH ALL COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE DEALER STATED THAT ELECTRONIC DRIVER INFORMATION MODULE AND THE CENTRAL ELECTRONIC MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,030.

THERE APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE XC90 VOLVO TRANSMISSION IN ALL YEARS. THE MESSAGE ERROR CODE GIVEN IS "TRANSMISSION SERVICE REQUIRED". THE DEALERS CLAIMS IT JUST HAS TO UPDATE THE CAR SOFTWARE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, IF YOU CHECK THE INTERNET FOR PROBLEMS REPORTED ON THIS SAME ISSUE, YOU WILL FIND IT IS NOT JUST AN ISOLATED PROBLEM WHICH NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (TYPICALLY ON LONG TRIPS OF 4HRS OR MORE) I HEAR A LOUD THUMPING NOISE THAT IS VERY UNNERVING. IT FEELS LIKE THE PISTON HAS LEFT ITS BEARINGS AND IS RAMMING INTO THE CAR. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY A SHARP JERK THEN A MOMENTARY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. AT THIS POINT THE DASHBOARD GOES BLANK, THE HEADLIGHTS FLICKER AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURN ON. THIS TURN OF EVENTS GETS SO SCARY THAT I PULL OFF THE ROAD AND WAIT FOR A FEW MINUTES. I AM THEN ABLE TO TURN THE CAR ON AND KEEP DRIVING. BUT ONCE THE ISSUE HAS OCCURRED IT KEEPS OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY IF I KEEP DRIVING, ABOUT EVERY 10 TO 15 MINUTES. HOWEVER IF I LET THE CAR REST FOR A FEW HOURS OR OVERNIGHT I AM ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR FINE. AS A TREND THIS PROBLEM IS WORSENING. WHEN I FIRST EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM IN THE SUMMER OF 2010 IT ONLY OCCURRED ONCE. I WAS ABLE TO RESUME MY LONG ROAD TRIP WITH NO OTHER INCIDENT. THE NEXT TIME IT OCCURRED WAS ON THE SAW MILL RIVER PARKWAY, A WINDING ROAD FROM NY CITY TO CT. IT OCCURRED AT NIGHT AND WAS FAR MORE SCARY THAN BEFORE. AGAIN I WAS ABLE TO RESUME MY TRIP BUT THIS TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURRED TWICE BEFORE I REACHED HOME. THE THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON THE LAST LEG OF A LONG ROAD TRIP FROM CT TO FLORIDA. SAME SYMPTOMS BUT WITH MORE FREQUENCY. ON ALL THE OCCASIONS I WAS TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY THAT INCLUDED TWO SMALL KIDS AND ON ONE OCCASION TWO ELDERLY PEOPLE TOO. NOT ONLY HAS THIS COST ME A LOT OF MONEY BY WAY OF EMERGENCY CAR RENTALS AND OVERNIGHT STAYS (ON THE 3RD FAILURE) BUT IT HAS ALSO PUT ME AND FAMILY AT RISK OF SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I HAVE HAD MY CAR EXAMINED BY 3 DIFFERENT VOLVO DEALERSHIPS IN 3 DIFFERENT STATES AND NONE OF THEM COULD FIGURE OUT THE ROOT CAUSE. I NOTICE THAT MANY 2004/2005 VOLVO XC90S HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND AM SURPRISED THAT YOU HAVE NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

LAST SUMMER WE PURCHASE A 2004 VOLVO XC 90 AND AFTER REVIEW OF CARFAX NOTICE WE SAW A RECALL ON THE FUEL PUMP. WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL AND VOLVO OF NEW BERN, NC CHANGE OUT THE PART. I HAVE NOTICED A STRONG SMELL OF GAS AND THE VOLVO IS LEAKING OUT FUEL FROM WHERE THE FUEL TANK IS LOCATED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT ON THE DRIVER SIDE. WE HAVE NOTIFIED BOTH VOLVO HOME OFFICE ASWELL AS VOLVO OF NEW BERN WITH NO LUCK. WE WERE TOLD IT SHOULD NOT BE LEAKING. AND ON TOP OF THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WHILE DRIVING JUST POP OPEN AND WE HAVE TO KEEP SLAMMING IT TO GET IT TO STAY CLOSED, AND WELL AS THE PASSENGER DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. *TR

RADIO FAILS TO RELIABLY POWER UP AND AFTER OCCASIONALLY OPERATING, CEASES TO WORK AFTER A FEW MINUTES. RADIO INTERFACES WITH REAR COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOW NONOPERATIONAL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, ALL ELECTRICAL INDICATORS ON DASHBOARD INCLUDING THE TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN. AFTER STOPPING I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN GAS TANK AND TAILGATE WHERE THE BATTERY IS LOCATED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE VOLVO DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE INCIDENT. NOW THIS HAS HAPPEN 7 MORE TIMES. I AM A SINGLE PARENT WITH MINOR CHILDREN IN MY VEHICLE. PLEASE ASSIST. SOMEONE INFORM ME THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE WITH THE CENTRAL ELECTRICAL MODULE. I PURCHASE THIS VEHICLE USED AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE SEEN LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THE CENTRAL ELECTRICAL MODULE? PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE THERE ARE FATALITIES. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILED WITH NO WARNING. FLUID IS IN GREAT SHAPE, BAD TRANSMISSION. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 04' XC 90 SIX MONTHS AGO FROM A PRIVATE PARTY (ORIGINAL OWNER) WHO KEPT THE CAR IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. THE REASON I PURCHASED A VOLVO WAS THAT I WANTED A DEPENDABLE AND SAFE CAR FOR MYSELF AND MY YOUNG CHILDREN. RECENTLY, I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITH MY CHILDREN AND NO CELL SERVICE BECAUSE MY KEY WOULD NOT TURN PAST POSITION ONE TO TURN ON THE CAR. THERE WERE NO SIGNS THAT THE CAR HAD ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. AFTER FINDING OUR WAY TO A TELEPHONE AND HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC I WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A NEW IGNITION SWITCH. I DID SOME RESEARCH TO FIND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH VOLVOS. I READ STORIES ON MULTIPLE FORUMS THAT WERE VERY SIMILAR TO MINE. MY CHILDREN AND I WERE PUT INTO A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION THAT EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS PART IS OBVIOUSLY FAULTY ON MULTIPLE VOLVO MODELS AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY SHOULD FIX. *KB

I JUST BOUGHT A SUNSHINE KIDS JUVENILE PRODUCTS RADIAN XTSL CONVERTIBLE CAR SEAT. I HAD IT INSTALLED REAR-FACING BY A CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN USING THE SUPERLATCH OPTION. THE TIGHTENING MECHANISM FOR THE SUPERLATCH STRAP WAS BUMPED BY MY HAND WHEN I WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT NEXT TO THE CAR SEAT. THE SUPERLATCH STRAP BECAME LOOSE AND THE INSTALL WAS NO LONGER SAFE. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2004, MAKE=XC90, MODEL=VOLVO). *TR