Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 3002 | 10/31/2005 | 3002 | 10018732 | Service campaign 135b - software upgrade. *tt | 01/11/2006 |
| 4343 | 12/12/2003 | 10010469 | Tcm sw upgrade, dtc 0099. *tt | 11/23/2004 | |
| 37117 | 07/16/2003 | 10003403 | Ground cable water intrusion. service manager bulletin. service upgrade 117. *tt | 10/20/2003 | |
| 370020 | 07/01/2003 | 10002971 | Water intrusion into the ground lead cables may cause improper function of certain engine components - service upgrade 117. *tt | 10/02/2003 | |
| 116 | 03/01/2003 | 10001320 | Service upgrade - adjusting the steering column may affect the function of the immobilizer system. *tt | 04/30/2003 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| RTJ-16629 | 05/15/2009 | 10030359 | Volvo: leakage detection diagnostics improvements to remedy dtc's. all models from model years 2003-2008. diagnostic monitor for the evaporative emission system small leak, has used a software function that calculates leakage based on a pr | 09/24/2009 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 01/29/2013 | 145000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 volvo xc90. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the instrument panel lights stopped illuminating and all of the gauges failed. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure and current mileage was 145,000. | |||
| 01/29/2013 | 145000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 volvo xc90. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the instrument panel lights stopped illuminating and all of the gauges failed. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure and current mileage was 145,000. kmj | |||
| 01/29/2013 | 145000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 volvo xc90. the contact stated while driving 55 mph the instrument panel stopped illuminating and all the gauges failed. a dealer was contacted and gave him a price quote and advised the vehicle be brought in to be diagnosed officially. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 145,000. dt | |||
| 07/20/2012 | 118813 | 1 | |
| While driving home from school the windshield wipers automatically came on and about the same time the battery light and electrical warning side came on. it also affected the power steering and air condition. had to pull over on a busy street which was not easy. had the battery tested and it was good, replaced it 15 months ago. car is still sitting in the garage! *tr | |||
| 07/20/2012 | 118813 | ||
| While driving home from school the windshield wipers automatically came on and about the same time the battery light and electrical warning side came on. it also affected the power steering and air condition. had to pull over on a busy street which was not easy. had the battery tested and it was good, replaced it 15 months ago. car is still sitting in the garage! | |||
| 07/04/1983 | 150000 | ||
| 2003 volvo xc90 engine cut off suddenly while driving ~70mph on the highway. was lucky i was able to make it to the side of the road without being hit or stalled in the middle of the roadway. dealer unable to diagnose the problem. i believe this could have potentially caused a fatal accident considering the speeds at which other cars were travelling and the potential to be stranded in the road. car has been serviced regularly. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 105636 | ||
| My 2003 xc90 volvo instrumental panel is failing. one day the srs airbag light came on several weeks later the instrument panel began to fail. it works for the first 10 minutes then all gauges fail, needles are at zero and there is no light. basically the entire instrument panel goes blank (off) no speed , no rpm's, no gas and the radio has stopped working as of a result of the instrument panel failure. after researching this issue there are countless xc90 volvo owners having bad luck with the instrument panel failure. costing owners over $1000 to repair and replace at volvo dealerships. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 110000 | ||
| My 2003 xc90 volvo instrumental panel is failing. one day the srs airbag light came on several weeks later the instrument panel began to fail. it works for the first 10 minutes then all gauges fail, needles are at zero and there is no light. basically the entire instrument panel goes blank (off) no speed , no rpm's, no gas and the radio has stopped working as of a result of the instrument panel failure. after researching this issue there are countless xc90 volvo owners having bad luck with the instrument panel failure. costing owners over $1000 to repair and replace at volvo dealerships. | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 97000 | ||
| The srs light came on, which appears to be a common problem with my model. the dealer said they need to replace the entire srs console for $1000. they cannot guarantee it, but it's possible my airbags will not deploy if they do not replace this. | |||
| 04/10/2010 | 71000 | ||
| 2003 volvo xc90 began displaying srs service urgent message, took vehicle to dealer who knew right away what problem was, they cleaned the contacts of the instrument cluster (maybe the central electronic module)(cem) and error was removed. 3 weeks later same error returns. sounds like a defect to me, according to volvo forums on web many volvos having same issue. sounds defective to me | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 15000 | 8 | 02/01/2003 |
| Multiple failures; door lock,tires were worn to the cord. * bf the lug nuts were replaced because they were rusted when the vehicle was delivered, the doors did not fit properly, the radio failed, the key would not turn in the ignition, the left rear door could not be opened due to the problem with the seat molding and the tire displayed unusual wear and were worn smooth to the cord. the lug nuts that were installed rusted again. (tires/perrilli scorpian) *sc *jb | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 12000 | 3 | 12/19/2002 |
| Problems with vehicle's transmission, seat belts do not latch, driver's seat reclines by itself. *mr the radio went out and the engine made a grinding noise *scc *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 05/30/2008 | 32000 | 1 | |
| Ignition key is removable while car is in gear thus allowing vehicle to roll after key has been removed. manufacturer is aware of the defect, but does not claim responsibility. my concern is someone thinking the vehicle is in park, but is in gear and the vehicle potentially harms someone. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2003 | 15090 | 6 | 02/01/2003 |
| The consumer purchased new tires because of extreme wear at low mileage. the 2003 volvo xc90 had numerous problems that had to be corrected on a regular basis. *bf the lug nuts were replaced twice due to rust when the vehicle was delivered, unable to turn the ignition, radio was inoperative and the left door could not be opened due to the problem with the seat molding. after 15k plus miles, the tires had worn smooth to the cord. (tire-perrilli scorpion) *sc | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 08/12/2006 | 30200 | 1 | |
| We had traveled about 200 miles in the morning with no problems with the car. we started out after lunch, went about 200 yards, and smelled a faint burning smell we thought was outside the car. after about another 200 yards, we were at a toll booth entering the through way, and the brakes did not respond properly; there was no warning light. we pulled over immediately, and there was smoke under the dashboard. we got out. within five minutes the car was totally engulfed in flames, despite attempts to put it out with fire extinguishers. car was destroyed despite fire truck trying to put out flames. thank god no one was hurt. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 03/15/2004 | 7 | ||
| I own a volvo xc90 t6 awd. this car has had problems with the twin turbo-chargers, the warning lights, a tire blowout, vibrations in the steering wheel, alignment issues, short circuit in the driver's side control panel, poor fit and finish of the driver side door panel and a host of other fit and finish problems. the momentum volvo dealership in houston, texas and volvo north america service representative denied any problems being a serious or recurring problem. this all took place in a span of less than 10 months for a brand new vehicle.the car spent more time in the shop than in our possession initially. the dealership continued to fix the recurring problems and denied any chronic issues existed. i wish to alert nhtsa in the event any other owner of volvo xc 1990 has similar complaints or a tragedy occurs as a result of the problems i have listed. *ak | |||