Problems with 2004 Volvo XC90 POWER TRAIN

It appears my story has been written here by many others. i own a 2004 xc90 t6. last saturday my husband returned home in our xc90 and told me he had car trouble. the car was sluggish and the transmission service urgent light had come on. i took it to our volvo certified mechanic two days later who said he had 3 other xc90's in during the month of october for the same thing. his course of action was to flush the tranny, replace the transmission fluid (w/volvo synthetic) and update the software. i was told if that didn't remedy the situation a new transmission would be needed. after having this work done (cost $350) i drove it home. the next morning as i drove up a mild incline at about 25 mph the car seemed to be unable to shift. when it finally did all of the indicator lights for the transmission were back on. the transmission is slipping. i called the mechanic back and was told that a new volvo tranny would be needed at a cost of between $4500-$5200. unfortunately, it will be the same defective/inadequate tranny that is already used in the 03/04 xc90's. this is not my first volvo. we have bought from them before and were happy. it seems this is not just an intermittent issue, it is chronic and volvo needs to take responsibility. this problem substantially affects the use and value of this car. i can't sell it the way it is so i am essentially trapped into spending this additional $5k. these cars are expensive to begin with and you expect quality, longevity and dependability from volvo, not to be told that at 51,000 miles the transmission problem is due to normal wear and tear. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. while driving less than 60 mph, the contact heard a loud drilling noise whenever she released the accelerator pedal. the dealer stated that the transmission was failing and needed to be replaced at the cost of $3,400. the radiator also needed to be replaced at the cost of $2,100. the failure and current mileages were less than 74,000.

Our company owns 3 - 2004 volvo xc90 vehicles. all three have required transmission replacements at low mileages (77,000, 90,000 and 106,000 miles). we believe this is an extraordinarily low mileage for a vehicle to have transmission failure when it is a $50,000 vehicle new. after doing much research, this seems to be a chronic problem with this vehicle as evidenced by the fact that they cannot get a transmission for this in the us at this time and the many consumer complaints about these vehicles. we believe this should be reviewed by the government due to the high rate of failure at mileages lower than acceptable for transmission failures. all three of our vehicles are driven for work purposes only, mostly highway miles and do not pull trailers or are abused in any other way. *tr

Car does not accelerate and skips as it shifts gears dealer says transmission needs to be replaced. *tr

At 78,000 miles my 2004 volvo xc90 t6 transmission jerks and the "urgent transmission light" shines 25 miles from our house. the service center says we need new transmission $5,200 but for now they drop pan and flush. not sure how long it will last. plus they bill me for upgrading "software" $300+. transmission failure is common due to inadequate design (gm) relative to power plant in car. this is epidemic. transmissions do not fail at 25,000 - 90,000 miles. *tr

My volvo 2004 xc90 t6 has transmission problems. the first indication of failure was a lack of motion when initially accelerating despite the tachometer reading 3500 rpm. the dealer was unable to replicate the problem and did a firmware update to the transmission controller. the second failure was the same as the first. the third time the engine engaged the gears with a series of shuddering jerks forward and a foul-smelling (smoky) odor was briefly present. the car is back in the repair shop presently. the car has not been used to tow anything and the driving has been mostly in town (average speed 27 mph). *tr

Transmission failure. *tr

2004 volvo xc90 t6 awd transmission failure at 55,000 miles - when purchased from carmax both volvo dealership (who fixed an alternator problem carmax couldn't) and private mechanic stated "this vehicle has been meticulously maintained" and "it is still a baby" - all service done as recommended. no suitable replacement transmission, seems ridiculous to replace with another transmission to fail as most reported here have. volvo offers no compensation whatsoever, from dealer to volvo of na. *tr

My 2004 volvo t6 awd transmission had been slipping slightly shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, but there was no warning or service light. i was driving up a hill in victor n.y. when the transmission totally disengaged, the engine revved up to 4,000 rpm's and i needed to swerve off onto the shoulder in order for traffic get around me. no one was hurt, i came to a stop on the shoulder, restarted the car and the transmission engaged. i pulled away slowly and the transmission was ok, but still slipped and failed to shift up occasionally. now 6 weeks later the slipping was becoming much more frequent. the "transmission service urgent" light came on and i took the car to the dealer today. i have not heard the outcome yet, but after reading the incidents reported here, and all the internet forums, including:http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx/.f0a069b/ select volvo xc90 t6 transmission, i am quite sure i know the outcome. my car had 105,000 miles on it when the problem was first noticed, but this is the second transmission, the first was replaced under warranty at about 30,000 miles. my volvo dealer did not seem at all surprised by the problem. i am quite certain they see it on a regular basis. *tr

My 2004 volvo xc90 t6 has had several ridiculous issues that i have never experienced in any of the german vehicles i have owned over the past 20 years. i have been fearful of this car of late mainly because i read several complaints about the reliability of the transmission on this vehicle. well my fears became reality on friday night while my wife and 22 month son were coming home from the market. my wife called me frantic about how the car will not go into reverse and now that i have managed to drive out of my parking spot it is not moving above 20 mph. needless to say, i was angry and very concerned for my family's safety. she was able to creep home and we called the tow truck company to take this piece of junk to mooer's volvo in richmond virginia 804 755-666. i wish to file a complaint about the reliability of this vehicle and the danger it places it's owners (mostly people who turn to volvo due to it's safety record, we sure did!) and their families. i have read hundreds of people experiencing this exact problem with this vehicle. the dealers know there are issues with these cars yet they dumb you down as if you are a unique case. monday morning i will be in my attorney's office with my facts i gathered over the weekend showing this is such a ridiculously common problem that if volvo hasn't done right by consumers they better get ready for major lawsuits. to start, they need to buy these cars back from consumers for what ever they owe on these cars and issue a statement apologizing for putting out such a terribly dangerous product for families. *tr

My 2004 volvo xc90 t6 has produced a "transmission service urgent" message but the dealer could not find a problem in the vehicle memory. it intermittently would rev over 3k rpm with no acceleration and would violently jerk into gear from a stop after revving for a few seconds without acceleration. just before the dealer finally agreed to replace the transmission (71k miles) it was jerking repeatedly into gear at only mild acceleration. *tr

The gears started slipping . i brought into volvo dealership and they say i need a new transmission. after reading up on internet this is a problem alot of people are having. transmissions should not fail at 60, 000 miles. *tr

2004 volvo xc90 t6: transmission failure at 64,000 miles. other issues: brakes every 1.5yrs (15,000 miles); tires every two years (20,000 miles). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. the contact stated that he experienced tons of failures with the vehicle. the rack and pinion was replaced at 52,000 miles. the struts failed on the rear of the vehicle and the dealer had to repair the u joint. while driving 60 mph, the vehicle would not shift gears and the dealer stated that a new transmission was needed. later, the contact discovered hundreds of complaints in regards to the same year, make, and model vehicle. the seals for the power transfer unit failed. recently, the entire thermostat unit had to be replaced and the transmission failed. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 76,500.

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

Vehicle unable to shift properly, computer reading "transmission urgent service" locks in third gear in "limp mode". vehicle caused very near fatal accident when stopped on a hill and after initially moving out into traffic, seized to operate. towed to dealer, dealer first flushed out transmission at $240.00, then without road testing, suggested we try again. vehicle failed once again while in the dealership parking lot and was told the transmission needed to be replaced, $6,000 later. *tr

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

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

Transmission failure. *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

Transmission replaced june 08 front control arms and bushings and coolant reservoir replaced sept. 08 thermostat & housing & temp sensor replaced jan. 08 brake vacuum pump replaced for 2nd time jan. 08 brake vacuum pump replaced sept. 07 gasket, o-ring, hose clamp recall sept. 07 power steering pump and brake vacuum pump installed july 07 steering rack solenoid replaced july 07 - (recall may 3, 08?) new bridgestone tires may 07 upper engine torques mount replaced march 07 recall wiper arm 156, ball joint 157 oct. 06 brake pad & rotors replaced oct 06 upgrade software a & c july 05 abs brakes warranty fix may 06 front pads & rear pads & rotors replaced dec. 05 exhaust rubbing on driveline, install kit to hold exhaust off driveline dec. 05 left rear wheel bearing & hub, rear pads & rotors replaced june 05 4 new tires june 05 turbo control valve replaced march 05 front pads and rotors replaced oct. 04. *tr

At approximately 62,500 miles, the transmission of my 2004 volvo xc90 failed. after researching, i found this to be a common problem for this particular model car, as well as the 2003 and part of the 2005 year. i had the transmission rebuilt by an independent transmission repair shop, they were able to provide me atra manuals, which i have copies of, that shows the particular defect with the transmission which demonstrates as the direct cause of what seems to be a common problem. that problem is that the 2nd and 4th clutches are burning and eventually spewing bits of metal shavings throughout the entire transmission, destroying it. the problem was identified in the 2005 atra manual as something to look out for and inspect, in 2006, the cause was identified as improper machining of the accumulator housing, the angle and depth have now been modified to avoid damage like my car and many others owners like me have experienced. the particular model is the gm 4t65e transmission. not only an inconvenience, but in my opinion, a severe safely hazard, prior tot he repairs, the transmission light came on and effectively made it impossible to maneuver the car forcing me to pull over and assess the situation, fortunately for me, traffic was light at the time, this may not have been the case for someone else, potentially causing an accident and even worse death or dismemberment. i believe volvo should issue a recall and reimburse owners for the expense of a new or rebuilt transmission. *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

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. ...

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

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

Transmission failure at 55,000 miles. *tr

Transmission failure on our 2004 volvo xc-90 t6 awd at approximately 56,000k miles. fortunately it was a warranty repair; however my research on automotive discussion boards like edumds indicates a very large pattern of failure of the transmission on this model. *tr

Grinding noise in drive train rf wheel bearing seized , replaced for 257.50 labor charge. vehicle is making noise again now. *tr

Transmission failure twice and fuel pump replaced and still leaking in our volvo xc90 2004 t6 truck. volvo replaced the transmission twice, but we still had repair costs both times. fuel pump replaced and still leaking causing large amounts of gas fumes in vehicle. taking into volvo to fix fuel pump again today that is covered under the recall but just got it back from 2nd transmission repair where i had to pay for the internal engine leaks that could not be detected that in turn contaminated the 2nd transmission. i do not believe i should have paid $1600 in repairs when it has been serviced and cannot detect these internal oil leaks from the engine. this make and model year has been costly and dangerous. truck has stopped in the middle of left turn, almost resulting in head on collision. this truck seems to fall under lemon law. we have had problems with this truck since 2007.it has had 2 transmission replacements and now 2 fuel pumps,both volvo pumps. i should incur zero costs other than oil changes and general maintenance. these are major equipment failures in this volvo xc90 t6 2004 and the entire vehicle should be recalled. i will be submitting my repair costs to volvo north america. thank you for your review of this in advance. *tr

Nov. 23, 2004 - purchased a volvo xc90 t6 from lehman volvo in york, pa - the vehicle had 10.042 miles on it at the time of purchase june 26, 2007 - automatic transmission needed to be replaced - volvo of cary in nc paid for the transmission and we paid for the labor - $1425 - mileage 68,306 feb. 2008 - the transmission service required lights/message came on periodically while we were traveling in the ne- we called volvo of cary and they said that if we continued to see the light to bring it to a dealer where we were march 2008-july 2009 - a variety of messages would appear periodically saying that transmission service was required or urgent july 7, 2009 - i took the vehicle to volvo of cary while the light was on stating that transmission service was needed as they installed an updated version of transmission software - $123.38 mid-july 2009 - the transmission began to slip noticeably july 22, 2009 - cottman transmission rebuilt the existing transmission - $3643.04 - mileage 116,030. *tr

I have my 2004 xc90 t6. at about 34k miles a noticeable 'thrum' began somewhere in the drivetrain. original diagnosis was worn tires. after replacing tires, the noise has become worse. now at 35k miles is very loud. new diagnosis is failing wheel bearing. a bit of research indicates i am not the only xc90 owner with a wheel bearing failure. wheel bearing failures at 35k miles this should be declares a defect and recalled. please research this problem. *tr

There appears to be a problem with the xc90 volvo transmission in all years. the message error code given is "transmission service required". the dealers claims it just has to update the car software to correct the problem. however, if you check the internet for problems reported on this same issue, you will find it is not just an isolated problem which need to be investigated. *tr

I am experiencing continuing safety problems with my volvo xc90. this vehicles all wheel drive (awd) system is malfunctioning without warning and at random times. this results in unpredictable and erratic vehicle handling which creates serious safety issues to the vehicles driver and occupants. this has been occurring for at least one year and was confirmed and documented by a volvo dealer during the summer of 2005. i must point out this safety problem involves an active system that cannot be controlled, adjusted or disabled by the vehicles driver. this safety problem caused an accident during the winter of 2005. at that time, the all wheel drive system failed suddenly and without warning on a snow covered road. this caused sudden and uncontrolled front wheel spin which led to a loss of vehicle control and with the vehicle sliding off a road. a tow truck was required to move the vehicle back on the road. the volvo dealer that confirmed the problem has made several failed attempts to repair it. they have documented communication problems within the vehicles high speed network and reloaded vehicle software. they have also replaced: 1) the vehicles front wheel sensors, 2) the mfi module used for vehicle diagnostics, 3) the bcm module used by the awd system, and 4) the awd aoc unit with clutch and transmission. none of this has resolved the safety problems i am experiencing from this vehicle. this volvo dealer has told me the problem cannot be repaired because: 1) the vehicles diagnostic system does not report any diagnostic codes, 2) their own technicians cannot diagnose the problem, and 3) volvo technicians cannot determine the problem. my requests to volvo cars of north america have been ignored or rejected, even by volvo consumer affairs and volvo regional managers. i am left to driving a vehicle with obvious safety problems that cannot be diagnosed or repaired by anyone. *nm

1) 7,500 mile checkup (under 7,000 miles on car) 2) check engine light keeps activating. this started on tuesday. i only use premium gasoline in car. 3) received ''anti-skid service required'' message with yellow indicator light remaining on. this happened on tuesday and later disappeared after driving the car again. 4) there is a problem with the gearshift indicator. when i change gears from park to anything else, the display panel is either blank or it shows an incorrect gear '' it will show neutral when i am in drive or reverse. also in all cases, the gearshift on the floor will not light up so it doesn''t show at all what gear i am in. this happened once last week and has been happening on and off since then. 5) i think because of number 4 on my list, the car seems to hesitate and even buck a little bit upon acceleration. these symptoms resulted in volvo having to replace the transmission on my car. the car was just reaching its one year mark and had less than 7,000 miles on it when this happened. thankfully the car is under warranty, but i find it completely unaccaptable and unsafe that something like this would happen to my car. also, the day the car was to be picked up for service i received two brake failure pull over safely messages. this also had to do with the transmission needing replacing. again, completely unaccaptable.

2004 ,volvo xc90 t6 awd - vehicle was parked in driveway. upon returning to vehicle, remote unlock was hit twice to open all doors, and vehicle began to roll down driveway. this occurred two times. vehicle has been at volvo garage for two weeks. at this point not aware of what repairs may have been made. it appears the transmission locking mechanism was disengaged with the remote unlock.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph the transmission failed. the engine was still on, but the vehicle did not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was engaged. the service transmission light was illuminated. the vehicle had not been inspected when the complaint was filed. the failure and current mileages were 120,000.

My car makes a throbbing humming noise causing the gas peddle to vibrate while accelerating at a slow speed. the car was brought back to the dealership for review and they said it was normal. i brought it to another dealership for a second opinion. the shop foreman reviewed it and concluded that it was not a normal feature of the car. they had a field technician from the manufacture to look at the car and they do not know what's causing the noise. coincidently, they had another car owned by volvo just like mind that made the same noise and vibration. they changed several components in the drive train for that vehicle but the problem was still there. the dealership have no other speculations or suggestions of what to do next. i feel unsafe with my car since volvo doesn't even know the source of the problem. i contacted customer care center at the very beginning and they did not help much. i contacted the president & ceo of volvo north america a couple of months ago. i have not heard from them. *ak

The vehicle have a problem with severe rollback on a slight incline or a steep hill. the vehicle is an automatic transmission, but responds like a manual transmission vehicle when on any type of incline. the dealer and the manufacturer claims that the vehicle is designed to do that. *la

My volvo xc90 continues to have a loud knocking noise while driving. after 4 trips to the dealership, where problems were verified with the axle, the splines, the brake pads and brake calipers, the car still knocks!! i feel very unsafe driving it! volvo corporate has been no help. *jb

1. i was driving my vehicle when the transmission did not shift from 2nd gear up on the highway. the check engine light came on, coolant low and urgent service of transmission. 2. the transmission issue was constant. 3. we took our vehicle to the volvo dealership garage. it was determined that we needed a transmission replacement as well as coolant and other engine parts replaced. we were told that the faulty transmission damaged these other parts. we spoke to volvo customer service and they originally acknowledged a problem with the t6 transmissions and said that volvo would pay for the parts but not labor. we found out the labor would be $2000 or more. we called volvo back and spoke to a debbie that threatened us if we pushed for volvo to pay for labor, she might take back the original offer of paying for parts and told us she might have been willing to pay for labor if we had used a volvo dealership for all of the inspection or other service saying "money in and money out of volvo". *tr