Problems with 2004 Volvo XC90 POWER TRAIN

We just purchased a 2004 volvo xc90 t6 on june 2, 2010 from a private seller who originally purchased the vehicle and have it maintained fully at rickenbaugh volvo in denver. we are first time owners of a volvo vehicle. the car currently has 76,783 miles on it. after just owning the vehicle for 4 weeks and adding just 400 miles on the vehicle, the check engine light went on and while driving to the rickenbaugh volvo service station, a message came up with 'urgent transmission service required'. we were told by the service manager that the car needs new transmission with radiator, oil cooler and oil cooler lines in the amount of $7,800.00. my wife and i were shocked and decided to take the vehicle home because we cannot afford this expense after just saving money for a year to purchase the vehicle 4 weeks ago. the vehicle was fully serviced at rickenbaugh and a 75,000 mile service was done on may, 2010. we went and searched the internet for problems with 2004 volvo xc90 and found that there are a lot of reports of transmission issues/problems. please call me at [xxx] . [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2004 volvo xc90 t6 transmission failure while driving. lost power difficult to drive car to safe parking space. *tr

Vehicle has already had the transmission replaced at least once by previous owner. it went out again on us at about 70,000 miles. had transmission replaced with "new high class volvo parts" transmission. now the engine is 3 times louder than before and we're in some serious money for our car. we're very disappointed. *tr

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 tranny. rip-off *tr

Purchased a 2005 volvo sc90. one owner been to volvo dealer every time it has been serviced. seemed like a good deal. this is a weekend vehicle. and well the transmission went out at 112000 miles. only 4500 to fix. i really thought volvo was a reliable vehicle. what a joke something is really wrong with this. *tr

Purchased an '04 volvo xc90 t6 on may 1st from a private seller. did research on the vehicle through msn reliability, volvo, etc. only issue highlighted was engine concerns, not transmission. it wasn't until the transmission went out on june 6th that i found numerous consumer complaints about the transmission going out at around 60k miles. mine went out at approx. 57k miles. i've contacted volvo and asked about recalls, etc. and was told i should've driven my car, or had it towed 40+ miles to the dealership to have it diagnosed to then have it repaired at the dealership so that i might get a reimbursed. about two weeks prior to the "transmission service urgent" message on the dash i received a "coolant low stop engine." i've taken my volvo to a certified volvo repair service where the cost is going to be $5,335. the transmission went out after getting off the interstate and coming to a stop at a red light. when i tried to accelerate the car just wound. *tr

Transmission not working properly only have 60,000 miles on car. *tr

Transmission slips, 47,000 easy miles on volvo xc 90 t6. *tr

At 65,000 the transmission on my volvo xc90 began slipping and causing stuttering after doing research online found that there is an abundance of people with the same problem. this defect is known to volvo and they still over charge to replace the transmission. *tr

2004 volvo xc90, lost power during normal city driving. the transmission will not engage the car will not move forward. the transmission engages in other gears. after about 1 hr, the service transmission light came on. the vehicle only has 57,000 miles on it . the car had to be towed in for service. judging from the number of complaints on the interenet, this appears to be a common problem with this model volvo. *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. the contact stated while driving 45 mph the transmission failed. he noticed numerous complaints regarding the transmission for this year make and model, so the contact drove the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the transmission coolant line needs to be replaced. the contact asked the service manager if the manufacturer was willing to pay for half of the cost of the repairs and the manufacturer declined. the contact feels a recall should be issue because of the numerous complaints regarding this year make and model for the transmission problem. the failure mileage was 102,000.

Purchased a 2004 volvo t6 xc90 used with 98,000 miles. at 104000 the trasnmission failed. they need $6500 to repair it. if it had gone at 99,999 they would pay for the repair as it is a known issue and are paying for 100% if under 100,000. http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f18a651/470 for addtional testimony. thank you

2004 xc90 has a huge problem with transmission problems. for a brand new 2004 xc 90, every two years expect to change the transmission. otherwise you will stuck in the freeway especially you are planning to travel, do not use that car if it's close to two years. *tr

Failure of the volvo-modified gm 4t65ev/gt transmission in 2003-2005 volvo xc90 t6 suv. known to volvo worldwide (and well documented in many internet chat forums) is a design flaw in the volvo modification of the valve body in the gm 4t65ev/gt transmission causing sudden and often catastrophic failure of the transmission. the transmission may go into "limp home" mode leaving only 3rd gear available, or may seize completely. many owners have reported sudden inability to accelerate from a stop creating traffic collision hazard. many owners report pressing accelerator with no forward motion, only increasing engine rpm, then sudden engagement of transmission causing lurching and potential loss of control. i personally own a 2004 volvo xc90 t6 suv with this transmission. the vehicle now has over 122,500 miles. it had its first transmission replacement at 72k miles at a cost of over $4700 usd to me. now, 50k later at 122k, the transmission has failed again. volvo cars of north america has denied requests for reimbursement of my initial transmission replacement. they offered 50% on parts and labor "when the next transmission is needed". this occurred last week; my dealership asked volvo cars of north america to reconsider paying the full amount and they did. i want the first replacement transmission cost reimbursed to me and every other owner that has had to pay for an engineering problem that volvo has admitted to. i also seek a definitive repair so i may utilize this vehicle for what it was designed for; towing, light off-roading, carrying my 6 daughters and wife safely. *tr

Driving on 210-west, my car lost power without warning. the fuel pump had been replaced on jan. 26, 2010, to correct the strong smell of gasoline inside and outside of the car. other problems have been replacing the brake pads twice, replacing the abs, faulty gps and cd player, front passenger door automatic lock needs motor replaced, sloshing sound of water heard inside the car after rain. *tr

My 2004 volvo xc90 t6 with 75000 miles on it that i bought brand new, out of the blue with no warning had total transmission failure on the tri-state tollway. had regular servicing and maintenance performed never had loss of fluids or any signs or warning lights. estimated over $6000 to repair. i can't believe this. *tr

Failed transmission; sudden/unanticipated loss of acceleration; at dealership for complete transmission replacement including required replacement of radiator and fuel lines. *tr

Transmission failure. *tr

Car had transmission problems that happened at random around 72000 miles. now again at 90500 miles. both times transmission failed, our two children (isabella 2 months old and sophia 21 months) were in the car. this is highly unsafe for a car that is marketed to families and also for an individual. car is a volvo xc 90 t6 2004 edition. numerous consumer complaints are registered throughout the internet. took car to a volvo dealer this week and they said their goodwill warranty where they replace the transmission 100 percent free was denied because our transmission looked rebuilt. this vehicle should be recalled for numerous reasons, the transmission being the main one. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. while driving approximately 45 mph, the contact noticed that the vehicle would not shift into third gear. a local mechanic informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. the contact previously noticed that the transmission would slip when she was shifting from one gear to another. the current and failure mileages were 100000.

Our 2004 volvo xc90 transmission recently "gave out". after looking up the problem on the internet i discovered many instances of the same issue. it appears to occur in 2003-2005 vehicles. volvo realizes there is a major problem but has refused our request for compensation. *tr

2004 volvo xc90 t6 transmission failures. alarmingly high rate of premature failures at sub-hundred thousand miles. my personal vehicle failed at 72,xxx miles with my wife and 4 daughters in the car leaving them stranded at an intersection. dealer replaced the transmission at a cost of nearly $5000. research shows surprisingly high numbers of failures. volvo admits problem with transmission but fails to issue recall and placates only the "squeaky wheels" with full or partial refunds. refused my repeated requests for refund but promised to replace "next failure" at half off parts and labor. *tr

Volvo - 2004 xc90 t6 awd. car experiencing hesitation, gets locked in either 1st or 4th gear. repeat trips to service, none of which corrected the issue. complete transmission failure requiring replacement transmission, radiator and front axle. appears to be common in this vehicle, with no recourse from volvo. *tr

In august of 2009 i began noticing that my volvo xc90 t6 was slow to switch gears or would chug before switching. it would not happen all of the time and when i mentioned it to my husband he said he had not noticed it. i figured it was no big deal or that it was related to a cold engine. during the middle of october 2009, i was coming home from work and merging onto a two lane bridge when my volvo refused to switch gears and would not go over 20 miles per hour. the transmission light went on. thankfully no other cars were around and my lack of speed did not cause an accident. after about 10 minutes i was able to speed up and made it back home. the car is in need of a new transmission. it has sat in my driveway for 5 months because i can not afford it. i've gotten online only to find out that i am now a member of a rapidly growing club of frustrated volvo owners. it frustrates me that this is a common problem with this year/make of volvo's. my car has 40,000 miles on it. the transmission problem in these cars needs to be formally addressed. it is a huge safety hazard when a car all of a sudden jerks around and won't accelerate to safely merge into fast moving traffic. *tr

I own a 2004 volvo xc90 suv. in september 2009 , during an out of town trip, the transmission emergency indicator light came on reading "urgent transmission service required". the volvo was taken to a volvo dealer in ma. and the software was reprogrammed and the vehicle checked. the light went out and i drove home to in. on jan. 11, 2010, the transmission light came on again and my volvo was taken to the dealer checked and software reprogrammed. in addition, the volvo was slow to excellerate and a noise was evident in the rear end of the vehicle, on jan. 13, 2010, the transmission light came on a third time and the volvo is now parked at the dealer awaiting a new transmission. i thought a transmission is suppossed to last for ten years. is this not true? they will give me a new transmission with only a one year guarantee. is this fair? was there a defect in this particular make / model / year of volvo? *cn

2004 xc 90 t6 transmission failure at 68k miles, transmission shuts to "limp" mode in middle of manhattan (nyc) and requires immediate assistance. volvo na refused any financial help and denied any other reports of similar occurrences. *tr

Slippage of the transmission leading to failure of the transmission at 70,000 miles. car failed on the highway. volvo states that do to so many failures there are no replacement transmissions available. *tr

2004 volvo xc90 2.5l transmission. complete failure at 65,000 miles requiring replacement of entire transmission. four days after repair, vehicle has loud engine thump and check engine light comes back on. repeats thump with entire electrical system going out requiring a 3.5 hour tow home from 1/2 to our vacation destination. dealer replaced alternator. had for 2 days and check engine light comes back on and the thump/electrical issues start again. barely got to dealer who has had for a week. they replaced alternator as put in the wrong one, but still haven't fixed it yet. *tr

1. since day 1, the transmission on my 2004 volvo-xc90 has always given me trouble, it doesn't engage trough gear as quickly as it should. on may 25th 2009, the transmission completely went out leaving me in the middle of the intersection with cars behind me traveling 35 miles and almost caused an accident. 2. the transmission has never operated properly since i purchased the car in april of 2009. the shop and every other one i called knew exactly what the problem was. they said that the transmission in this model and year was a faulty gm transmission and have seen many in for this type of service. i did some research on the internet and found that many owners have experienced the same problem, the exact problem. i bought it from autowest acura in san jose, i ask them for help with that matter, (4 times) they were evasive and refused to help, or to get to any arrangement. the "transmission service urgent" light came on. took the car to the dealer and they said i need a new transmission. there seems to be a large number of these same complaints for this same car from volvo. there is a serious problem with this car and i'm writing you for consumer protection. *tr

I've been getting a roaring sound from under my '04 volvo xc90 t6. after spending $3000 replacing an "angle arm" at the volvo dealership, there's been no improvement. i'm now told i need to replace my transmission. cost estimate is $7000. *tr

Failure of transmission in a 2004 volvo xc 90 with 64,000 miles while driving on the highway. entire transmission and radiator had to be replaced. *tr

1. the transmission on my 2004 volvo-xc90 has always given me trouble, it doesn't engage into third gear as quickly as it should. on april 17th 2009, the transmission completely went out leaving me in the middle of the intersection with cars behind me traveling 35 miles and almost caused an accident. 2. the transmission has never operated properly since i purchased the car in june of 2008. 3. i have an extended warranty and so the car is in the shop now for repair. the shop and every other one i called knew exactly what the problem was. they said that the transmission in this model and year was a faulty gm transmission and have seen many in for this type of service. i did some research on the internet and found that many owner have experienced the same problem, the exact problem. my car only has 54,000 miles on it and some of the complaints i found on the internet reported were as low as 20,000 miles. there is a serious problem with this car and i'm writing you for consumer protection. *tr

After months of gear slippage in the transmission, the "transmission service urgent" light came on. took the car to the dealer and they said i need a new transmission. there seems to be a large number of these same complaints for this same car from volvo. *tr

Volvo 2004xc90 t6awd transmission failure. *tr

With each service at point west volvo now park place volvo since purchasing the car, dallas tx, i reported a problem with my 2004 xc90 t6 that my engine surges on takeoff. with each service, they could not duplicate the problem and did not list this on the invoice. well, since they did not find a problem, i did not question why it was not listed. two days ago the 'transmission service urgent" light came on, so i called the dealer to see if the car is safe to drive in for service. assured that it may just be a commuter problem, i deliver the car. i am now at 72000 miles and did not purchase extended warranty. the dealer has completed a software download ($600.00) and thinks this may fix the problem. if not, i will need a new transmission to the tune of $6,000.00. i have not missed a service, even scheduled service early because of the continued problem with the surges. why did the dealer not address this problem, when it appears to be a know problem with my make and model? when i went to pick up the car today, my service rep. went to talk with the service manage. they kept the car overnight but i am concerned that this was just a stall. what can be done? this is a know problem and ford (volvo) is doing nothing! *tr

I was driving the vehicle and the transmission simply stopped propelling the car. it was as if it went into neutral while going 50 mph. fortunately i was able to pull over before becoming a road hazard. *tr

Transmission simply died with no warning. i was driving the car and suddenly it just stopped. no accident occurred, but certainly could have. i believe the transmission in this car is defective and this has happened to numerous others. *tr

Car started making a loud, metal grinding sound while pulling out of a shopping center parking lot. no previous problems or failures. no service code. brought car to dealer and confirmed my fear it was the transmission. only 69,000 miles on car. i've been aware of transmission problems on xc90's. i even have a neighbor who had to replace the transmission on his 2004 xc90. have always had volvos, but this is the last one. volvo no longer stands behind its vehicles. very disappointing for the price paid. *tr

After 60000 mile service transmission appeared to be slipping when cold. "transmission service urgent" message appeared. transmission would not shift from third gear. shop indicated there is no adjustable part. transmission replacement would likely be needed, when contacted volvo indicated the warranty was off at 55k miles. upon researching through the internet there are an extremely large number of transmission replacements for this vehicle and yet no recall has been issued. i contacted volvo of north america and it appears they are dealing with this on a squeaky wheel case by case basis and some individuals are paying full replacement cost while others are being covered by volvo. this does not seem equitable to the individuals who are unable to do the research or have time and resources to convince volvo to replace the defective transmissions gratis. *tr

2004 volvo xc90 transmission failure. *tr

I was driving on the parkway and notice a warning light on the dash. it stated urgent transmission needs service. i've taken it to the dealer and needed to replace transmission and radiator among other things. *kb

On the way bringing our daughter home from hospital, third gear went out of the transmission. after saving enough money to replace the transmission, not five thousand miles later the reverse goes out of the transmission that we replaced, leaving my six month old daughter and i stranded. the vehicle is now sitting at the transmission shop, and has been for seven months, waiting to get fixed. however, i am now a single mother trying to go to school and live off of financial aid, so what i am saying; there is obviously something wrong with these transmissions. please investigate further. *tr

Transmission replaced two times, at approx. 38,000 and at about 48,000 miles. units start slipping when shifting to second gear and leave you right where you are until they decide to rengage. ball joints and all four hubs replaced by 50,000 miles. axles (front) need replacing now at 70,000 miles. sway bar ends replaced at 55,000 miles. this is the neediest vehicle i have ever owned. front bearings on drive shaft replaced last month, worn since abut fifteen thousand miles, finally got so loud that we could shake the drive shaft and get a quarter of play at the bearing set. *tr

I have a five year old 2004 volvo xc90 t6 that has had two transmission failures. it is currently at the dealer awaiting a third transmission. the first transmission failure was in august 2007, the second was in december 2008. i was told by the dealer that the first transmission failed due to "excess metal" and that the metal somehow traveled to the cooling system and then to the second transmission, which caused it to fail. this is a dangerous issue and i fear that the car is neither safe nor reliable at this point. i paid $1900 for the first transmission to be replaced. one week later, i returned to the dealer and complained that the transmission was hesitating and was not shifting smoothly. they could find nothing. i returned four additional times over the next year with the same complaints and the dealership could never find anything wrong. now i am waiting to find out if volvo will even offer to pay for this third transmission. *tr

I have had 3 complete transmission failures in a volvo xc90 t6 without warning requiring replacement of the transmission. the first two failed on the highway almost causing an accident as the transmission cut out completely. the last once occurred on a busy 2 lane highway while making a turn across traffic. the first one failed at 28,000 miles, the second at 55,000 miles and the third at 80,000 miles. the first one was replaced under warranty without an argument, the 2nd one was replaced under warranty with an argument, and the third one volvo won't even talk about replacing for free and wants to charge over 5k, without giving any assurances another 25k won't go by and it won't fail again. they don't care that the "safest" car can instantly become a death trap. a transmission isn't a disposable item that should fail every 25k, they should last at least 100k and not cut out in these dangerous fashions without warning. the third one there weren't even any warning lights. the company should fix this dangerous problem at no cost to the owners with a solution that gives the transmission a life similar to other vehicles in it's class. there answer is to put another one in, knowing it will fail and maybe kill you. *tr

I have a 2004 volvo xc90 t6 awd suv that i purchased from a volvo dealer. while on a cross country trip the transmission seized and had to be replace. the vehicle was still under warranty (lucky), but the mechanic told me that this model and year had a engineering flaw and he had seen a number of these with this same problem. the flaw, the turbo engine puts too much torque on the 4 speed gm tranny in the car. i asked if volvo had a recall on this issue and he said no. this first tranny went out at 60,000. at 66, 000 miles the second tranny went out. when i asked why this one went out, he explained that they do not know b/c when it is under warranty, volvo tells the dealerships to just replace it and then send it to them and they will try and diagnosis the problem. i have been told that since gm does not make the transmission any longer they have to put a rebuilt into it. i have done some research on this issue and there seems to be 100's of xc 90 owners with the same problem. i have contacted volvo customer service and they have been nice but not very willing to address this issue and i don't have very much confidence in this recent tranny. i was lucky when the first one went out, b/c i was not drive at 70 mph when it seized, i was just getting back on the hwy. the second one went out also at a slow speed. i searched through your site and did not find any mention of this issue so i thought i would post with you and see what happened. if you need further details please let me know. thanks *tr

My 2004 volvo xc90 transmission had to replaced and they had to tow the car twice because the first time they told me the problem was fixed . my little children were in the car that just about made it home. *tr

My 2004 volvo xc90 t6 transmission has failed. i bought the vehicle in january 2007, with no extended warranty. i have about 67k miles on it and bought it with 38k. the dealership is charging me $4,200 to replace it. i have been reading many complaints from people having the same complaint. i feel that this transmission is a lemon and should be recalled. *tr

While driving my 2004 volvo xc-90, the transmission went out on the highway and the vehicle would not accelerate. there was not warning, and we almost got into a car accident with a truck. my wife is 8 months pregnant, and we were very scared. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. the contact noticed transmission and radiator fluid near her vehicle. she experienced hard shifting when changing gears. while driving approximately 55 mph, the transmission light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. the vehicle would no longer "pull" and was towed to the dealer. she was informed that a new transmission and radiator were needed. she also found out that the radiator coolant contaminated the transmission. the repair would cost approximately $5,900. the contact wrote a letter to the president of the manufacturing company, but did not receive a response. she also spoke with the manufacturer's customer service line and was informed that they could not assist because the vehicle was outside of the warranty. the current mileage was approximately 122,000 and failure mileage was approximately 100,000.