2004 VOLVO XC90 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE 'TRANSMISSION SERVICE URGENT' MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DISPLAY OF MY 2004 VOLVO XC90. I WAS FORTUNATELY ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME (<1 MILE) AND GET IT TO A VOLVO SERVICE CENTER (20 MILES) THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THE SERVICE CENTER INDICATED THAT 3RD GEAR OF OUR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WAS 'GONE' AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED WITH A RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. I FOUND THIS ISSUE SURPRISING SINCE, ALTHOUGH THIS VEHICLE HAS SIGNIFICANT MILEAGE FOR ITS AGE, >90% OF THAT MILEAGE CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO HIGHWAY DRIVING (COMMUTE >80 MILES PER DAY). I ALSO HAVE REVIEWED MANY REPORTS ONLINE FROM OTHER VOLVO XC90 VEHICLE OWNERS DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM AT FAR LOWER MILEAGE. *TR

MY CAR IS NOT DRIVING WELL WHEN I DRIVE IT HESITATES WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I DRIVING ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY I JUST RECENTLY NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON, AND WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO BE SERVICE THE SAID IT IS GOING TO BE $2,500 I JUST HAD IT SERVICED IT HAS 94,000 MILES ON IT BUT WHEN I CHECKED ONLINE I SEE THAT OTHERS WITH LESS MILES HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT WITH LESS MILES. WE PAY ALOT FOR GREAT QUALITY AND SAFETY FOR OUR FAMILIES. SO THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL CAUSE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 VOLVO XC90 THAT HAS 52,000 MILES ON IT. I STARTED RECEIVING A "BRAKE FAILURE" WARNING AND TOOK IT IN TO MY MECHANIC. HE SAID IT WAS ABS/DSTC CONTROL MODULE WHICH REGULATES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND DYNAMIC STABILITY CONTROL. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE, AND ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC, HAS BEEN KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE ON THIS MODEL. IT REQUIRES REPLACING WITH A FACTORY PART, AND REPROGRAMMING OF THE COMPUTER AT A COST TO THE CONSUMER OF ABOUT $1100. LABOR FOR THIS IS APPROXIMATELY $250. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE, AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, I FEEL IF IS REASONABLE TO REQUEST THAT VOLVO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPAIR THIS FEATURE. *TR

TRANSMISSION COMPLAINT FOR VOLVO XC90 T6 2004. DEALERSHIP SAYING TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. VEHICLE IS ONLY AT 60,000 MILES. MANY OTHER CONSUMERS DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM THE STORE AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. I TURNED AROUND TO MOVE THE CAR FROM MY PARKING GARAGE TO THE STREET AND THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AS MY CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING AS I PARKED. THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER 2 DAYS PRIOR INCLUDING A SERVICE AND TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH. THE VEHICLE HAD 45,000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION (UNDER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY) AND SAID THE COOLANT HAD LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

I DRIVE A 2004 VOLVO XC90 T6 AWD. SUV. AFTER 78,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION HAS COMPLETELY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS ON THE ROAD AND EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL . AFTER ACCELERATING AT A BUSY TRAFFIC LIGHT FIRST AND SECOND GEAR IN MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS OCCURRED IN BUSY TRAFFIC. THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED SUDDENLY AND THE CAR JERKED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING OR CONTROL. THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REBUILT. I SEARCHED ON LINE TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS AND THERE ARE. PLEASE CHECK EDMUNDS.COM VOLVO FORUM. THERE ARE OVER 35 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS SOME WHILE PEOPLE WERE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. APPARENTLY VOLVO USED A GM TRANSMISSION DESIGNED FOR A MUCH SMALLER CAR. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR VOLVO TO CHANGE OR REPAIR THIS VERY EXPENSIVE ISSUE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN IT IS TURNED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 77,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 6/9/08 *CN THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD A POWER STEERING LEAK.

THREE AND A HALF WEEKS AGO MY 2004 T6 XC90 JERKED FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS ON LEAVING THE PARKING LOT AT WORK AND THE REAR END MADE A LOUD BUMPING SOUND AND THE CAR JERKED FORWARD. IT FELT LIKE ANOTHER CAR HAD BUMPED INTO ME, BUT I WAS THE ONLY CAR ON THE ROAD. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN FOR ANOTHER WEEK OR SO. THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH, I'M DRIVING TO WORK AND THE CAR ISN'T PICKING UP SPEED WHEN I PUSH THE GAS. THE RPMS GO UP BUT IT DOESN'T ACCELERATE. FRIDAY, APRIL 25TH I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. THE CAR DROVE PERFECTLY, EVEN AFTER I PICKED IT UP. SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH AT 9PM, I'M DRIVING ALONE ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE TRANSMISSION SERVICE URGENT LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR LOSES POWER THE RPMS ARE RUNNING UP WITH NO ACCELERATION. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE SO I GOT OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME, BUT IT CONTINUED TO HAVE INTERMITTENT POWER LOSS THE WHOLE TIME. I'M IN NIGHTTIME TRAFFIC PUTTING ON THE HAZARD LIGHTS TRYING TO GET HOME. I HAVE TO WAIT TILL MONDAY TO GO BACK TO THE DEALER, THE TRANSMISSION SERVICE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE SATURDAY. THE DEALERSHIP GETS THE VEHICLE MONDAY, AND KEEPS IT UNTIL FRIDAY SAYING THE CEM MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WASN'T CONFIDENT OF THE FIX SO THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE REP KEPT THE CAR TO DRIVE OVER THE WEEKEND. I PICKED IT UP MONDAY, MAY 5TH. THE INVOICE SAYS 'CODE TCM 002B INCORRECT GEAR RATIO' WAS THE ERROR MESSAGE FOUND. THE SOFTWARE FOR THE TCM WAS UPGRADED, BUT APPARENTLY DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE CEM WAS REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAD 53,897 MILES ON IT WHEN HIS OCCURRED. I HAVE NOT OWNED THE CAR 4 YEARS YET AND WISH I HAD GOTTEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BECAUSE THIS RECENT WORK WAS NOT COVERED AND COST $1297. FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED ON THE INTERNET IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS THIS T6 XC90 HAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE AS ITS THEME. I FIND IT INCREDULOUS THAT VOLVO MAY BE PUTTING ME AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AT RISK FOR A PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

2004 XC90T6 HAS FAILED TRANSMISSION AT 82,500 MILES. I FIRST NOTICED PROBLEM WHEN FIRST STARTING FROM STOP. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THEN IT FELT LIKE I HAD BEEN REAR ENDED. PROBLEM PERSISTED AND NOW PROBLEM OCCURS AT FIRST ACCELERATION AND AT FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE SPEED THE TRANSMISSION FALLS OUT OF GEAR AND CATCH. THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION POSES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISK AND APPEARS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM PARTICULARLY WITH THE 2004 XC90 T6. THE LAST TIME IT FAILED I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION AND WAS ALMOST STRUCK BROAD SIDE BY AN APPROACHING VEHICLE. THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP ADVISES ME THAT THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE T6 ENGINE. REPORTED FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED AS EARLY AS 1,500 MILES AND VOLVO'S CORRECTIVE MEASURES OF REPLACING THE TRANSMISSIONS WITH REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE CORRECTING THE PROBLEM AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF REPEAT FAILURES. VOLVO HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSIONS WITH A REMANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION BUT HAS REFUSED TO PAY FOR LABOR. THE DEALER HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE LABOR. I HAVE REQUESTED THE DEALER TO RETAIN THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ASSOCIATED PARTS. I HAVE ALSO ASKED VOLVO IF THEY HAVE NOTIFIED NHTSA OF THE WIDESPREAD FAILURES AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO PROVIDE ME WITH THIS INFORMATION. THE DRAIN LINES FROM THE SUNROOF HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 05/15/08

2004 VOLVO VC90 TRANSMISSION SLIPPING. COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT. MANY SIMILAR CASES POSTED ALL OVER WEB. VOLVO OFFERS NO WARRANTY ASSISTANCE. MANY POSTS REFER TO MULTIPLE TRANNY REPLACEMENTS UNDER WARRANTY. VOLVO HAS PROBLEM AND DOING NOTHING. PERHAPS YOU CAN PERSUADE THEM. *TR