2004 Volvo XC90

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY VEHICLE HICCUPED INTERMITTENTLY THREE TIMES AND THEN THE ELECTRONIC PANEL, WINDOWS, LOCKS, RADIO, A/C, SIGNALS, HAZARDS ALL SHUT DOWN AND A MESSAGE ABOUT THE BRAKES CAME ON. I WAS NEAR THE DEALERSHIP SO I STOPPED IN AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM. WITH A SMIRK ON HIS FACE THE SERVICE CONSULTANT SAID IT WOULD COST $85.00 FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THEN HE WOULD GIVE ME A COST ESTIMATE OF THE REPAIR. THEY WERE BUSY AND HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY COULD GET TO IT THAT DAY SO I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CHANCES AND DRIVE TO MY OWN MECHANIC. TO MY SURPRISE WHEN I STARTED MY CAR ALL POWER CAME BACK ON AND A MESSAGE TO GET MY AIR BAG CHECKED. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY SERVICE STATION THE MECHANIC PUT IT ON DIAGNOSTICS (FREE) AND COULDN'T FIND ANY ERROR CODES SO HE RESET THE CAR COMPUTER. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL JULY 12 WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME I WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65MPH, MY WIFE WITH ME, WHEN WE GOT QUITE A SCARE WHEN THE CAR HICCUPED. WE LOST ALL POWER AGAIN BUT FORTUNATELY OUR HEADLIGHTS AND REAR LIGHTS STAYED ON. WE DROVE SLOWLY AND ARRIVED SAFELY HOME. WHAT A SCARE! OUR MECHANIC PUT IT ON DIAGNOSTICS AGAIN, FOUND NOTHING AND RESET THE CAR COMPUTER AGAIN. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM (PROBABLY A COMPUTER ISSUE) AND TOLD ME I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A DEALER. CHECKING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE QUITE A PROBLEM WITH NO FIX. WE FEAR FOR OUR SAFETY DRIVING THE CAR AND GOING ANY LONG DISTANCE. HELP! *TR

DRIVING ON STREET AND ENGINE JUST DIED, NO REASON CAN THINK OF, NO ENGINE LIGHT OR MESSAGE IN TEXT. HAPPENED AGAIN 2-3 WEEKS (YESTERDAY) WHILE SLOWING DOWN FOR STREET ACCIDENT, LOST ALL POWER, HAD TO STOP CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, PUT IN PARK AND STARTED AGAIN. NO PROBLEM AFTERWARDS AND DROVE HOME. TOOK TO VOLVO DEALER TODAY WHERE I REGULARLY GO AND OF COURSE NO REASON FOUND FOR TWO TIME FAILURE. LUCKILY NOT DRIVING ON FREEWAY OR MAY HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. QUITE SCARED NOW TO DRIVE - WHEN IS IT GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN? 111,500 MILES - HAS HAD NEW TRANSMISSION 2 YEARS AGO AND MAJOR SERVICE SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. SERVICE MANAGER HAS NO IDEA, RECOMMENDED THROTTLE CLEANING FOR $400+ DOLLARS AND NOT EVEN SURE THAT IS CLOSE TO PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A 40MPH BUSY ROAD, MY CD PLAYER DISPLAY BEGAN TO FLASH, THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER, MY SRS AIR BAG SERVICE URGENT MESSAGE CAME ON. EVERYTHING CONTINUED TO FLASH AND THEN ALL MY INSTRUMENTS (SPEEDOMETER, REV COUNTER, TURN SIGNALS) ALL DIED. LUCKY I WAS PASSING MY DEALER WHO I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND ABLE TO TURN INTO IT. AFTER BRAKING, I COULD NOT ACCELERATE THE CAR AND HAD TO LET THE MOMENTUM CARRY ME INTO TO THE LOT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 5 DAYS NOW. I NOTICED ON THE FIRST DAY THAT SIMPLE THINGS WERE NOT QUITE RIGHT, INCLUDING MY MIRROR BUTTON ONLY WORKING HALF THE TIME AS WELL AS MY WINDOW CONTROL. ALSO MY WIPERS WOULD TURN ON RANDOMLY. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL CAR IF YOU READ ANY VOLVO FORUMS. IT SEEMS IT HAS HAPPENED TO ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE ELECTRONICS OF THIS CAR. PEOPLE'S SAFETY ARE GREAT RISK WITH THE FAILURE OF THESE SAID ITEM IN THE CAR. *TR

DRIVING FROM PHX TO TUS AT 75 MI OUT OF PHX AT ABOUT 2200HRS. THE CAR COMPLETELY FAILED FOR FRACTION OF A SECOND THEN RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION UNTIL ARRIVING AT DESTINATION 10 MI. LATER. THE SECOND TIME A WEEK LATER WAS TRAVELING TO PHX AT 1800 HRS. 70MI OUT OF TUS. THE CAR FAILED LIKE THE FIRST TIME THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER DID IT AGAIN REACHED DESTINATION ABOUT 15MI. LATER. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE LIGHTS, RADIO, WINDOWS, DASH LIGHT AND GAUGES ALL STOP WORKING THE MESS. COMES ON ABS,SRS. ITS HAPPENED 5 OR 6 TIMES NOW WITH THE WORST BEING YESTERDAY 16 JUNE 2012 . I GOT OFF LOOP 202 AND PULLED IN A PARKING LOT AND SHUT DOWN THE CAR AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART 4 TIMES BEFORE IT RESTARTED. THE A/C,WINDOWS, LIGHTS, GAUGES,TURN SIGNALS ALL FAILED. THE MESS. ABS, SRS, CHECK ENGINE CAME ON. I DROVE ABOUT 5 MI TO DESTINATION. I'M NOW SCARED TO DRIVE IT IF THE SRS, ABS WARNING ARE ON ARE THEY WORKING? IF IN AN ACCIDENT WILL THE PASSENGERS AND DRIVER BE PROTECTED ? *TR

DROVE TO THE GROCERY STORE ON SATURDAY MORNING, CAR WAS FINE. WHEN I CAME OUT, I COULDN'T UNLOCK THE VEHICLE WITH THE FOB, I HAD TO USE THE KEY TO OPEN THE DRIVERS DOOR. THEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE LOCKS AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CAR DID START, BUT HAD NO DASH INFO (NOTHING WORKED), AC, RADIO DID NOT WORK EITHER, FRONT WINDOWS ONLY WORKED, REAR DID NOT. I LIMPED HOME BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT HAVE ANY POWER. HAD IT FLATBEDDED TO VOLVO DEALER ON MONDAY, 6/4/12 AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T DETERMINED WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. HAD THIS SAME ISSUE (ONLY WORSE) IN 2008 AND THEY FINALLY REPLACED (SO THEY SAID) THE COMPUTER. AT THE TIME OF THE 2008 INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD APPROX. 33K MILES. NOW IN 2012, IT HAS 53K! 20K ADDITIONAL MILES AND STILL ISSUE STILL EXISTS EVEN WITH REPLACED COMPUTER! *JS

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.

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