2004 VOLVO XC90 Complaints

OUR 2004 VOLVO XC90 HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT POWER SHORTAGES FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, OFTEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CAR WILL INTERMITTENTLY JERK, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE GAUGES GO DOWN, EXTERIOR LIGHTS GO OUT, INTERIOR LIGHTS MAY GO ON, RADIO SHUTS OFF, WIPERS CYCLE ONCE, AIR/HEAT GOES OFF. THIS LASTS APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND, HOWEVER, AT TIMES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL THE CAR IS RESTARTED. ONCE THE PROBLEM BEGINS, IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY (5+ TIMES) UNTIL THE CAR IS SHUT OFF AND NOT USED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME (I.E. YOU REACH YOUR DESTINATION). WE HAVE HAD OUR VOLVO DEALER LOOK AT IT TWICE, AND BOTH TIMES THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. TODAY, AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS, THE CAR LOST ELECTRICAL FUNCTION COMPLETELY. WE HAD NO USE OF GAUGES, BLINKERS, HAZARD LIGHTS, RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING, HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS. WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAD POWER AND WERE MOVING WHILE ON THE AUTOMATIC SETTING, WITHOUT ANY RAIN TO AUTOMATE THEM. AN ABS ERROR LIGHT CAME ON BUT WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL. WE WERE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY AND WERE LUCKILY ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT HAVING THE USE OF BLINKERS OR BRAKE LIGHTS. WHEN WE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, WE RESUMED POWER, BUT HAD AN SRS WARNING LIGHT APPEAR. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON VOLVO-FORUMS.COM AND ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM, WE HAVE DISCOVERED THIS TO BE AN ISSUE MANY (50+) 2004 XC90 DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED. WE FEEL VERY LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED DURING THE DAY, BECAUSE THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS ON A 4-LANE HIGHWAY IN THE DARK. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AND WILL BE TAKING IT TO OUR VOLVO DEALER TOMORROW MORNING AND DEMANDING A RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM. FROM WHAT WE HAVE READ FROM OTHERS, IT APPEARS TO NEED A NEW CEM. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON IDENTICAL MODELS, IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT WITH THE CEM. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2004 VOLVO XC90 BACK FROM VACATION WITH OUR TWO CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE AND ALL THE DASH INSTRUMENTATION LOST POWER AND THE STEERING BECAME HEAVY. THIS WAS DURING THE DAY SO I DO NOT KNOW IF THE HEAD LIGHTS WENT OUT AS WELL. THE CAR DID NOT STOP AND THE POWER CAME BACK ON. THIS OCCUR A SECOND TIME DURING THIS TRIP WHICH WAS ABOUT 3 & 1/2 HOURS IN DURATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN DRAGGING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK FROM THE POWER STEERING PUMP. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 39,000.

I HAVE BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY 2004 VOLVO XC90 WHICH THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT FOR MY FOURTH VISIT NOW. THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING AND EACH TIME I TAKE IT IN, THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND OF COURSE FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN LUCKY AS NOT HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN IT HAPPENS, BUT I COULD IMAGINE IT COULD CAUSE A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 7/18. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 70MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR MADE A 'THUMP' AND ALL THE LIGHTS AND GAUGES TURNED OFF MOMENTARILY AND STARTED BACK UP AGAIN. I SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 60MPH AND MOVED TO THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 5 MIN LATER. LUCKILY I WAS CLOSE TO THE EXIT WHERE MY MECHANIC SHOP WAS SO I SLOWED DOWN TO EXIT. ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TURNED OFF, AS WELL AS THE AIRCONDITIONING (115 DAY IN PHX) AND A WARNING LIGHT FLASHED SAYING I HAD A BREAK FAILURE. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP TO THE MECHANICS AND LEFT THE CAR RUNNING SO THEY COULD SEE THE ENGINE WAS ON, BUT NOTHING ELSE. THEY DID NOT HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO CHECK THE 'CODE' ON A VOLVO. THEY WERE ABLE TO RE-SET IT BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY, AND THE LIGHTS WORKED AGAIN. AS I PULLED OUT OF THE MECHANICS, THE CAR THUMPED AGAIN AND I ONCE AGAIN LOST ALL POWER. I LIMPED THE CAR HOME WITH PLANS TO DRIVE IT EARLY IN THE MORNING BEFORE IT GOT TOO HOT, TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP. IN THE MORNING, THE CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT BROUGHT OVER. THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP ONCE AGAIN COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, BUT FOUND SOMETHING TO FIX AND CHARGE ME FOR, THE IMPULSE SENSOR ($250). I FINALLY GOT THE CAR BACK ON JULY 29TH, 10 DAYS LATER. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY MANY 04/05 XC90 OWNERS AS DESCRIBED IN THIS FORUM,HTTP://WWW.VOLVO-FORUMS.COM/T23397-XC90-ELECTRICALENGINE-POWER-FAILURE.HTM. I ASK THAT YOU HAVE VOLVO FIX THIS ISSUE, BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *TR

OUR 2004 VOLVO XC90 ALWAYS HAD AN ERRATIC ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. LAST YEAR IT SUDDENLY GOT WORSE WHEN THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING BRAKE LIGHTS, TURN SIGNALS AND GAUGES STARTED TO FAIL AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS WERE COMPLETELY NON-FUNCTIONING. THE LOCAL VOLVO DEALER CHARGED US ABOUT $1200 FOR A NEW COMPUTER-RELATED PART. *TR

RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF SPONTANEOUSLY ESPECIALLY WHEN HEATED SEATS ARE TUNED ON. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB (PHILIPS D2R 85126 XENON HID) ON MY 2004 VOLVO XC90 HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER INSERTING A NEW REPLACEMENT BULB IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL BULB, I AM PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THAT HEADLIGHT. IT SHINES BRIGHTER THAN THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT, AND IT BLINKS ONCE FOR ABOUT A SECOND AFTER TURNING THE CAR ON. AFTER READING ON AUTOBLOG.COM THAT VOLVO ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT CIRCUITRY, I SUSPECT THIS IS THE CASE WITH MY CAR, AND THAT THIS REPLACEMENT BULB WILL FAIL SOON. *TR

ON OUR 2004 VOLVO XC90 THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT DARK, NO LOW OR HIGH BEAMS AT ALL. I AM NOW BEING TOLD IT IS A MODULE AND THE REPAIR COST IS IN EXCESS OF $1200. THE CAR HAS HID HEADLIGHTS. THIS OUTAGE CREATED A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT WE WERE DRIVING UP HIGHWAY 395 AT NIGHT WHEN THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE HEADLIGHTS OCCURRED. IN RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ON THE INTERNET IT APPEARS IT IS A RELATIVELY COMMON FAILURE. *TR

FUEL FILLER DOOR LATCH FAILURE. ALLOWS FUEL FILLER DOOR TO REMAIN OPEN AFTER CLOSED BY OPERATOR LEAVING DIRECT ACCESS TO GAS CAP. SPRING LATCH BROKEN. *TR

APPOINTMENT SET WITH VOLVO DEALER ON 07/26/2010 FOR FUEL PUMP RECALL. AFTER THE SERVICE I EXPERIENCED EVEN MORE STRONGER GASOLINE ODOR WHILE DRIVING. FELT NAUSEA I HAD TO HAVE ALL WINDOWS DOWN. CALLED THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN THE SAME DAY AFTERNOON, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ODOR SHOULD DISSIPATE WITHIN 2 WEEKS. IS IT NORMAL? HOW CAN I VERIFY? *TR