KnownCarProblems2004 Volvo XC90 Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 462 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Volvo XC90, most often about the electrical (34% of complaints, typically around 94,500 miles). It is the most complained-about XC90 model year since 2000 and has 6 recalls.
Most common 2004 Volvo XC90 problems
Electrical
158 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 94,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, wiring, software.
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle became unresponsive to the contacts attempts to accelerate. All electrical components also failed. The vehicle was pulled over and shut off for approximately 3 hours. Upon restart, the vehicle would drive as normal but all of the…
My 2004 Volvo XC90 sef has been experiencing intermittent engine failures/power shortages for the past several months. After driving for approximately 1 hour, often at highway speeds, the car will make a large sound and intermittently jerk, and simultaneously the gauges go down, exterior lights go out, interior lights…
Transmission
145 complaints · 31%Half of these problems showed up before 78,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, driveline, axle hubs, transfer case (4-wheel drive).
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…
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…
Fuel system
77 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 101,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. When the contact entered the vehicle, there was an odor of fuel inside and outside the vehicle. The odor of fuel could be smelled whenever the vehicle was driven. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and it was discovered that fuel was leaking from the vehicle, however…
I just purchased this vehicle used a few days ago and now notice there is a smell of gasoline when we get out of the car. I went on line and discovered that there was a recall for the fuel pump which sits on top of the gas tank. I contacted Volvo and they said to take it to the local dealer in waterbury ct. They told…
Engine
52 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 91,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system.
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, all of the warning lamps on the instrument panel illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the driver information module and electronic control module were faulty and both needed to be…
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…
Lights
33 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 104,500 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
On our 2004 Volvo XC90 the headlights suddenly went dark, no low or high beams at all. I am now being told it is a module and the repair cost is in excess of $1200. The car has hid headlights. This outage created a very serious safety issue in that we were driving up highway 395 at night when the complete failure of…
2004 Volvo XC90 2.5t ...driving at about 65 MPH with no warning aloud thump noise, windshield wiper comes on radio goes off dash lights go off, last for a sec. Then resumes to normal . This has happened several times now, while I have only owned this vehicle for a month. Today it happens again only worse ..after the…
Air bags
31 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
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
While on the interstate at 60mph, experienced temporarily loss of power, the ip displays and an abnormal 'jerking' in the transmission/drivetrain. The SRS airbag and brake failure error messages appeared in the ip error display. The wipers momentarily came on. Lights dimmed. Power failure was only for a split-second…
Suspension
23 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 62,500 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear.
: the contact stated there was a continuous humming noise that became louder as the vehicle speed increased; the humming was present at all speeds. The dealers service mechanic determined the problem was the hub and bearing assembly in the left rear wheel. The part was replaced and the manufacturer was notified.…
Tl contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the passenger side tire detached from the axle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer and they stated that the axle and ball joint failed. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 67,000.
Steering
20 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles. Parts named most often: linkages, steering wheel/handle bar, hydraulic power assist system, column.
After driving 125 miles without incident, we left our 2004 Volvo xc 90 t6 AWD parked for 4 hours before driving again. After less than a half mile at low speed, there was a "thump" from the front of the car, the wipers cycled, the gauges all went blank, some of the windows stopped working, the A/C went out (blower…
While driving our Volvo xc-90, the entire electrical system shuts down (dashboard display, lighting, AC, power windows, power door locks, everything electrical etc.). Additionally, for a split second the engine/transmission jerks and/or stalls before resuming. The first time this happened was in 2010 and never…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2004 Volvo XC90 recalls
Equipment: navigational system(global positioning system)
Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.
Fix: Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable GPS device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.
Full defect summary
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (GPS) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump installed in the vehicle, and if necessary replace the fuel pump with a part of a modified design. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on january 15, 2010. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
Volvo is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 s80, model year 2001-2004 v70, s60, xc70 and model year 2003-2005 xc90 vehicles sold in or registered in the states of alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the u.s. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump can develop cracks in the fuel pump flange.
Steering: tie rod assembly
Risk: The driver may notice that the vehicle is difficult to maneuver increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the outer ball joint tie rods with improved outer ball joint tie rods free of charge. The recall began on june 23, 2006. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
On certain passenger vehicles,the outer tie rod ball joint can deform at high loads causing a loss of the clamping force and the nut may loosen, which may eventually lead to a fatigue fracture of the outer tie rod ball joint.
Visibility and wipers: windshield wiper/washer
Risk: Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiper arms and retaining nuts. The recall began on september 5, 2006. Owners may contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
On certain vehicles, if the wiper arm is activated in extreme winter weather conditions and without lifting the wiper arms and cleaning the windshield prior to moving, the wiper arm might slip on its driveshaft, resulting in an inability to move the wipers from the park position.
Wheels and tires: wheels
Risk: This can adversely affect a number of vehicle functions, including brake, engine, transmission, and torque distribution control which rely on this signal for proper operation.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front wheel sensors. Owner notification began on december 8, 2003. Owners should contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles, the front wheel speed sensors may be defective, causing an erroneous wheel speed signal.
Seat belts: rear/other
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the second and/or third row seat belt attachments. Owner notification began on december 8, 2003. Owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles, the seat belt attachment(s) for the second and third row seat(s) may not have been fitted properly.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Central electronic module failure
Summary
Volvo acknowledged a problem affecting some subject vehicles involving water seepage into the plenum box area in the engine compartment.when this occurs water may enter into the interior / passenger compartment and track along the wiring harness for the central electronic module (cem), the device that controls many of the vehicle's electrical functions including wiper operation, lighting, and transmission operation.if the water reaches the cem connector electrical faults may result.in response to such faults the cem, a microprocessor controlled device, will attempt to reset by temporarily shutting down (for 100 milliseconds, or 0.1 seconds) and restarting; this effects various cem functions
Fuel pump leak
Summary
Volvo has determined that due to exposure to certain environmental conditions (hot climates and temperature cycling) and varying fuel quality, the fuel pump flange in the xc90 vehicles can develop cracks.owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel seepage.due to similar material usage, this issue also affects other my2001-2005 s60/s80/v70/xc70 and my2003/2005 xc90 vehicles.review of the volvo data indicate the frequency of complaints/repairs is higher in the hot climate states. Volvo will recall and replace the fuel pump with a part of a modified design/material in approximately 136,100 my2001-2004 s60/v70/xc70, my2001-2005 s80 and my2003-2005 xc90 vehicles in 19 states.these states include al,
Windshield wiper arm performance
Summary
The manufacturer notified NHTSA by letter dated april 21, 2006, that a safety recall has been initiated for correction of this problem on certain model year 2003 - 2006 volvo xc90 vehicles. The recall affects approximately 122,400 subject vehicles produced between august 2002 and october 2005.NHTSA has assigned no. 06v-144 to this recall action.the corrective action will consist of replacing the existing windshield wiper arms with a new reinforced design.based on this action, the subject pe has been closed.
Questions about the 2004 Volvo XC90
- What are the most common problems with the 2004 Volvo XC90?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (158 complaints, typically around 94,500 miles); transmission (145 complaints, typically around 78,000 miles); fuel system (77 complaints, typically around 101,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2004 Volvo XC90 have?
- 6 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from November 8, 2010 (equipment). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2004 a bad year for the Volvo XC90?
- It is the most complained-about XC90 model year since 2000, with 462 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.