Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 111000 | 1 | |
| All interior lights, guages, windshield wipers randomly shut down at freeway speeds and at idle. engine power is also affected as unable to accelerate properly. dealer replaced driver information module however problem continues. dealer unable to source the problem as the vehicle needs to be in the process of failing for them to source the problem. this has not been possible as the issue is random and typical goes away after the car sits for several hours. the service airbag and brake failure code remains in the driver information module. this is a serious safety issue especially at freeway speeds and at night. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2012 | 111000 | ||
| All interior lights, guages, windshield wipers randomly shut down at freeway speeds and at idle. engine power is also affected as unable to accelerate properly. dealer replaced driver information module however problem continues. dealer unable to source the problem as the vehicle needs to be in the process of failing for them to source the problem. this has not been possible as the issue is random and typical goes away after the car sits for several hours. the service airbag and brake failure code remains in the driver information module. this is a serious safety issue especially at freeway speeds and at night. | |||
| 06/27/2012 | 71400 | ||
| 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 are great risk with the failure of these said item in the car. | |||
| 05/26/2011 | 123000 | ||
| Was driving at highway speed when all electrical systems shut down. dash panel indicated brake failure, stop carefully. no lights, turn signals, speedometer, tachometer, airbags, hazard lights, pwr windows, pwr brakes, radio - no power to anything. clear, dry weather conditions. this had been happening for short cycles for approx. 2 months. windshield wipers would turn on for one cycle and all power would shut down to dash, radio, lights etc. but would last for only a second or two. this might happen 2-3 times on approx. 20 mile drive home on highway. this only happens at highway speed. but the incident on thursday 05.26.11 no power lasted for 10 miles until i got the vehicle home. had the car sit for an hour and then started again and the dash indicated srs system failure but all power was restored to car. | |||
| 09/20/2010 | 130000 | ||
| While driving on the highway, my wipers came on for one cycle. a few minutes later the same thing. then a few minutes after that the wipers came on, stayed on, and my intire electric panel shut down. no dash board instruments, no power in the windows, no turn signals, no stereo. car still ran, and headlights still worked. pretty scary. when i stopped the car, turned off the engine, and turned it back on again, everything returned to normal except for a srs message. this seems to happen when the car is stuck in traffic or is hot. my daughter was going 65 mph on a highway after being stuck in traffic for a while. she panicked because all lights and dash went out and she thought the engine had stopped. she could have had an accident!!!! last time it happened we got an error code for airbag failure. this is not good! | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 99000 | ||
| The vehicle is intermittently shutting off while driving on the private roads or freeway, all electrical equipment (dashboard, gauges, stereo, some windows, driving tranny changer - can't shift), and all other items are going out. the power of the vehicle will stall for 1/2 second in as many as 3-5 times during an episode. ultimately resulting in all electrical power failing. this appears to also be causing the batter to not be charged. the battery is new, purchased a few days ago to see if this would resolve the issue, which it didn't. thus the car cannot be started after a few days of driving without trickle-charging the battery. the srs baggage warning has not become engaged. i am the second owner of this vehicle, it doesn't appear through carfax or other records history that the previous owner had repaired these issues. this is very concerning, because this could cause an accident, leave me or my family stranded. | |||
| 06/17/2010 | 90000 | ||
| 2004 volvo xc 90 and transmission is failing, as well as motor mounts, wheel bearing boots, etc. dealer knows about these recurring issues with others of same year, but claims it is only my issue. purchase price was ~$55k and with only 90k miles i should not now have to spend ~$5k for a new trany. rip-off | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 46000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 volvo xc90 has experience a sudden electrical failure. while driving in city conditions all internal electronics including speed & fuel gauges, turn light indicators, audio system, air circulation and supplemental restraint system have turned off while the engine continued to operate. this made the car impossible to drive as no feedback on speed or ability to indicate a turn or a stop was possible. this occurred suddenly and without any warning. i was unable to fix this by restarting the car. according to basic research, this is a common issue with volvo cars made circa 2003-4 and involve a defective cem (car electronics module). in other incidents engines have also shut down unexpectedly and brakes became inoperable. this is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 105000 | 1 | |
| When working on the audio/cd/radio of the car, this generates an srs service urgent message to be displayed on the dash. this appears to be a common problem with volvos if you check the message boards. people should be able to work/change out their stereos without the fear of the airbags working after words. *tr | |||
| 04/25/2009 | 113825 | 1 | |
| While driving in heavy traffic on april 25, 2009, my 2004 volvo xc90 began jerking and then there was a sudden loss of power, the instrument panel swooped to the far right and then back to left with no other movement, the radio shut off, the windshield wipers began wiping, and the door locks and windows would not work. shortly thereafter, the message box displayed brake failure-stop safely, and then changed to srs airbag _service urgent. once we stopped, the vehicle would not start again. i disconnected the battery in hopes of resetting the computer. once this was done the car started again. messages are still displayed. we contacted volvo corporate and have an appointment with a local dealership tomorrow. this is a serious safety issue and it is not the first time i have submitted a complaint for this same type problem. i have been a faithful, repeat volvo customer, and would like to continue to support volvo. my loyalty is slowly fading, especially after reading several complaints of the same nature. volvo please don't let a death occur before you take action. *tr | |||
| 09/04/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| While driving my 2004 volvo xc-90 at night i experienced a momentary loss of control, followed by the headlights pausing and then going from high beams to low. the instrument cluster lost some of it's displays and the door locks became inoperative. the data display warned me of an urgent srs failure. i was at low speed a block from home so i crept home and the next day sent the car to triad volvo by roll-back wrecker. problem was failure of central electronic module. i called volvo corporate and they seemed disinterested. *tr | |||
| 08/26/2004 | 2 | ||
| On august, 26, 2004 there was a major malfunction in our volvo xc90 (2004). while driving with 2 small children in car seats and 2 adults on a major highway; suddendly, there was no acceleration in the gas pedal and the stearing wheel did not function. we managed to slowly move to the side of the road from what momentum was left in the car, and avoid an accident. we were obviously very shaken up, and find this car completely unsafe. it has been 3 weeks now getting the run around with the cherry hill, new jersey volvo dealer. they said there's nothing wrong with the car. the car is unsafe for our family, and presents a danger for others on the road. we are afraid it will stop dead again on a major highway with death or injuries occuring to either ourselves or others. the dealer asked us what we wanted we finally said, (after they said they'd get us a new suv and did not) that we want our money back ($3,000 deposit) and we don't want this car they sold us. today, they made us take this car back and they are refusing our request to refund our money. also, the car was towed on a flat bed truck in to the dealer on july 13th, 2004 as the car did not start.. relays were loose in the icm and cem etc., [we have the service order] on this day, the message on the car said something to the effect urgent malfunction in suv air bags... and we unloaded the family and it was towed to the volvo dealership. and the car's 2 side mirrors work one day and not the next. tomorrow i take matthew to his first day at pre-school, and i'm half thinking what if something happens to the car when we're driving. it's amazing to me that volvo can let me leave their parking lot with this car this evening, and the aren't taking safety seriously at all. so, at 11:00 pm i am up letting the nhtsa know what's going on. we are willing to help in anyway we can. sincerely, the lawrence family.*ak | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 12/16/2010 | 93000 | ||
| My husband had a 55mph crash in my 2004 volvo xc90 on the freeway. he rear ended another driver at top speed, was spun around several times on the freeway and ended up facing traffic. the passenger side airbag deployed, but the driver's side did not. the inspector from my insurance company said there was not reason the driver's side airbag did not deploy at that speed, other than a defect, as far as he was concerned. i contacted volvo and was basically given the run around about how the airbag should not have deployed and that this was perfectly okay. i would like an investigation especially since my cem system was not operating properly prior to the accident. i had airbag warning, brake failure, etc., and the dealer told me a year ago the cem system was not working properly and needed to be repaired at $1300, which i was not willing to pay. | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 53000 | 2 | |
| 2004 volvo xc90. consumer states problem with transmission *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle was jumping into gear or lunging when he applied the accelerator pedal. the consumer stated the original transmission was replaced at 53,000 miles in 2008. the dealer performed a diagnostic check and determined that the front axle had lost a plug and that the transmission had become contaminated and that was the cause of the jumping in the transmission. the repair of the front axle and transmission flush was approved at volvo's cost. however, diagnostics also revealed the passenger side air bag was defective and needed to be replaced. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL - SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE | |||
| 08/10/2006 | 33000 | 3 | 10/14/2003 |
| 2004 xc90 has had three computer/electrical problems, perhaps related. urgent message appears on panel, srs needs attention - urgent. car taken to dealer with message active, dealer unable to diagnose problem, resets system. 3 months later, srs message reappears, car won't start, no lights or other accessories left on. battery diagnosed as dead, replaced, srs message clears with new battery. 3 months later, srs message reappears, two control modules replaced. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - SIDE/WINDOW | |||
| 03/25/2005 | 22000 | 1 | 06/14/2004 |
| March 25, 2005 had wreck, hit rear driver's side door; air bags on drivers side door and driver side rear door did not deploy. volvo will not cooperate with car owner to fix problem with air bags. they said air bags did deploy. owner would like further research on side curtin air bags. *ak | |||