While driving on the highway my vehicle hiccuped intermittently three times and then the electronic panel, windows, locks, radio, A/C, signals, hazards all shut down and a message about the brakes came on. I was near the dealership so I stopped in and described the problem. With a smirk on his face the service consultant said it would cost $85.00 for diagnostics and then he would give me a cost estimate of the repair. They were busy and he said that he didn't think that they could get to it that day so I decided to take my chances and drive to my own mechanic. To my surprise when I started my car all power came back on and a message to get my air bag checked. When I arrived at my service station the mechanic put it on diagnostics (free) and couldn't find any error codes so he reset the car computer. Everything was fine until july 12 when the same thing happened again. This time I was driving at night on the highway about 65mph, my wife with me, when we got quite a scare when the car hiccuped. We lost all power again but fortunately our headlights and rear lights stayed on. We drove slowly and arrived safely home. What a scare! Our mechanic put it on diagnostics again, found nothing and reset the car computer again. He doesn't know what's causing the problem (probably a computer issue) and told me I should take it to a dealer. Checking similar complaints on the internet this seems to be quite a problem with no fix. We fear for our safety driving the car and going any long distance. Help!
2004 Volvo XC90 electrical complaints
Page 4 of 6: complaints 71 to 100 of 158, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Driving on street and engine just died, no reason can think of, no engine light or message in text. Happened again 2-3 weeks (yesterday) while slowing down for street accident, lost all power, had to stop car without power steering or brakes, put in park and started again. No problem afterwards and drove home. Took to volvo dealer today where I regularly go and of course no reason found for two time failure. Luckily not driving on freeway or may have been rear-ended due to engine failure. Quite scared now to drive - when is it gonna happen again? 111,500 miles - has had new transmission 2 years ago and major service several months ago. Service manager has no idea, recommended throttle cleaning for $400+ dollars and not even sure that is close to problem.
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 great risk with the failure of these said item in the car.
Driving from phx to tus at 75 mi out of phx at about 2200hrs. The car completely failed for fraction of a second then resumed normal operation until arriving at destination 10 mi. Later. The second time a week later was traveling to phx at 1800 hrs. 70mi out of tus. The car failed like the first time then a few seconds later did it again reached destination about 15mi. Later. When this happens the lights, radio, windows, dash light and gauges all stop working the mess. Comes on ABS,SRS. Its happened 5 or 6 times now with the worst being yesterday 16 june 2012 . I got off loop 202 and pulled in a parking lot and shut down the car and then attempted to restart 4 times before it restarted. The A/C,windows, lights, gauges,turn signals all failed. The mess. Abs, SRS, check engine came on. I drove about 5 mi to destination. I'm now scared to drive it if the SRS, ABS warning are on are they working? If in an accident will the passengers and driver be protected ?
The volvo xc 90 2004 lost all electrical power. The car continued to drive but, there were no dash lights, turn signals, radio, defroster etc.
Drove to the grocery store on saturday morning, car was fine. When I came out, I couldn't unlock the vehicle with the fob, I had to use the key to open the drivers door. Then I tried to open the locks and was unsuccessful. The car did start, but had no dash info (nothing worked), AC, radio did not work either, front windows only worked, rear did not. I limped home because the car did not have any power. Had it flatbedded to volvo dealer on monday, 6/4/12 and they still haven't determined what the problem is. Had this same issue (only worse) in 2008 and they finally replaced (so they said) the computer. At the time of the 2008 incident, the vehicle only had approx. 33k miles. Now in 2012, it has 53k! 20k additional miles and still issue still exists even with replaced computer!
While driving, the electronic panel all shut down and I got msg regarding brake failure and to stop safely. I was on left-most lane of highway and my signals and hazard lights would not turn on!!! Even my power window would not work so I couldn't open for me to make hand-signals. Lucky my father-in-law next to me had window open so I told him to make motions to surrounding cars for me to change lanes safely. When I was able to stop, I turned off car, turned on again and got SRS airbag urgent msg on panel. Since car started ok but with msg, I took side streets home but it shut off again 2 times. I did same thing (stop/restarted) and made it home. I had my in-laws with me and my 3 young kids when it first happened on 12/23/11. Because of holidays/vacation and since nearest dealer is 20 miles away (an hour drive with traffic) and service department only open on weekdays, we couldn't take to dealer right away. Since it was an airbag message, my husband not too concerned - he wasn't with me when it first happened so I don't think he realized the gravity. He used it few times and 2 wks later, it happened to him. This time when restarted, there was also check engine msg and noticed difficulty steering. He took to dealer, and both technician and manager could not diagnose problem! They just reset to remove the SRS msg and did a software update. We thought/hoped it was fixed but then yesterday the same thing happened (all shut down)! Last night we started checking on-line and found many similar complaints! We are devastated because we love/take care of this car, which we use primarily on weekends and trips. We thought it's safe for our family but now aren't comfortable that taking back to dealer will fix problem. I am very surprised there has been no recall. Something needs to be done because it's only a matter of time before there are fatalities.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. The contact stated that the lights on the instrumental panel illuminated, indicating a failure with all components. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a diagnostic test and the dealer stated that electronic driver information module and the central electronic module failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 68,000 and the current mileage was 75,030.
While driving at highway speeds (typically on long trips of 4hrs or more) I hear a loud thumping noise that is very unnerving. It feels like the piston has left its bearings and is ramming into the car. This is followed by a sharp jerk then a momentary loss of engine power. At this point the dashboard goes blank, the headlights flicker and the windshield wipers turn on. This turn of events gets so scary that I pull off the road and wait for a few minutes. I am then able to turn the car on and keep driving. But once the issue has occurred it keeps occurring more and more frequently if I keep driving, about every 10 to 15 minutes. However if I let the car rest for a few hours or overnight I am able to drive the car fine. As a trend this problem is worsening. When I first experienced this problem in the summer of 2010 it only occurred once. I was able to resume my long road trip with no other incident. The next time it occurred was on the saw mill river parkway, a winding road from ny city to ct. It occurred at night and was far more scary than before. Again I was able to resume my trip but this time the problem occurred twice before I reached home. The third time it happened was on the last leg of a long road trip from ct to florida. Same symptoms but with more frequency. On all the occasions I was traveling with my family that included two small kids and on one occasion two elderly people too. Not only has this cost me a lot of money by way of emergency car rentals and overnight stays (on the 3rd failure) but it has also put me and family at risk of serious accidents. I have had my car examined by 3 different volvo dealerships in 3 different states and none of them could figure out the root cause. I notice that many 2004/2005 volvo xc90s have the same problem and am surprised that you have not issued a safety recall.
Radio fails to reliably power up and after occasionally operating, ceases to work after a few minutes. Radio interfaces with rear collision avoidance system, which is now nonoperational.
While driving on the highway at night, all electrical indicators on dashboard including the turn signals stop working then the vehicle started slowing down. After stopping I was unable to open gas tank and tailgate where the battery is located. I took the vehicle to the volvo dealer and they were unable to duplicate the incident. Now this has happen 7 more times. I am a single parent with minor children in my vehicle. Please assist. Someone inform me the problem might be with the central electrical module. I purchase this vehicle used and it is out of warranty. I have seen lots of complaints about this vehicle why is there not a recall on the central electrical module? Please do something before there are fatalities.
I purchased my 04' xc 90 six months ago from a private party (original owner) who kept the car in immaculate condition. The reason I purchased a volvo was that I wanted a dependable and safe car for myself and my young children. Recently, I was left stranded with my children and no cell service because my key would not turn past position one to turn on the car. There were no signs that the car had anything wrong with it prior to this happening. After finding our way to a telephone and having the car towed to a mechanic I was told that it needed a new ignition switch. I did some research to find that this is a very common problem with volvos. I read stories on multiple forums that were very similar to mine. My children and I were put into a potentially life threatening situation that easily could have been avoided had there been a recall on the ignition switch. This part is obviously faulty on multiple volvo models and it seems like it should be something that they should fix.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH the vehicle loses all electrical components. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and the dealer performed a software upgrade as well as an upgrade to the central electronic module. None of the upgrades remedied the issue with electrical components. The dealer stated that the vehicle may need a new wiring harness installed. The failure mileage was 110,000.
As I was driving down a busy road, the dashboard gauges starting flickering on and off, and then the engine completely died out. As I was traveling at about 45 MPH, I attempted to steer the car towards the right shoulder. The steering was very tight and difficult. As I moved right, the car behind me came around to pass because my car was slowing rapidly. As I started to move right, I could not correct my steering fast enough to avoid a collision. This is a very dangerous situation. When the dealer hooked the car to the computer, they could not diagnose a problem. It has now happened several more times with no explanation.
While driving the electronics shut off and the engine dies as if its in neutral. Took to volvo service and they said a can software upgrade would solve it, this did not solve it, immediately after we left the same thing happened within a few miles, engine shut down, power went out, when restarted the SRS airbag error code came on as well as the ABS break failure message. I see you guys have completed an investigation (pe10025) on this but what the heck is being done about it. This car is very dangerous to my wife and newborn!!!! The car goes from 70 to 10mph on the freeway, how is this not as important as the issue with toyotas excessive acceleration problem, does someone need to die before you guys take this serious!
I was driving on the freeway and there was a slight thumping noise and the electrical systems failed and shutdown in a second. The power was lost and the vehicle came to a sudden halt. Luckily I was on the right side of the road and I had pulled over to the side of the road. It was very scary, as I was on the freeway in the night and I could have very well been in an accident causing damage to my life and others. The electrical failure caused the car to loose complete control of the speed and the car came to an immediate halt. There was a message of break failure for a second before the car shut down completely. Request you to please look into this concern as it is a potential safety hazard. I have researched over the internet and I read that most of the owners of 2004/2005 xc90 are facing similar issues, which is very scary. Kindly help us and help save lives. Thanking you.
Driving down highway and all the gages went off-- had some minor electrical issues for years, tail lights not working one time and then okay. Finally dealership said it needed a new central computer. Just picked up the car $1,100.00+
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact noticed that the headlights began to flash and the instrument panel gauges and windows failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician stated that the central control module and the driver information module had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000. The VIN was not available.
I own a 2004 volvo xc90 t6 and it has been a disaster the last 4 years. One day I was driving on i90 (nyst) when my car whole dashboard went out . It was a moment I cant forget . I couldn't do anything, I was driving 65 MPH and can only force my car off the road because I have lost control of it . This is safety issue in my book. No one is going to do anything until someone gets hurt. I know I am not the only one complaining about this random shut down on the xc90's . Volvo tells me they are unsure on how to fix the problem ... How can you be unsure about a safety issue that puts my life on the line . I take it to the dealer (northtown of buffalo) . They "fixed" the problem . Now 3 months later its happening again. Everytime I get in this car I am unsure if its going to happen again. I need help and many more citizens out there encounter the same situation. This is not normal . Thank you *tr
An electrical failure in our 2004 xc90 occurred late at night while we were nearing the end of a 60 mile trip...and it almost killed me and my family. I was driving home at night after attending a fireworks show in san jose, ca and for some reason the engine stalled during de-celleration as I was changing lanes while exiting the freeway. I first noticed it when there was a loss of headlights, then no acceleration plus a loss of power steering/brakes. I was lucky to wrestle the car into a gas station right off of the exit as it was coasting to a stop. I turned the key off, then attempted to re-start the vehicle...and it re-started right away and everything worked fine...so I drove the last 6 miles home with no issue. I have read numerous complaints from 2004 xc90 owners and cannot believe there hasn't been a more aggressive recall action against volvo for this issue...or the transmission failure rate. This is ludicrous. I am thankful that it happened late at night while we were exiting the freeway: under other circumstances the loss of control of this vehicle could have had serious consequences. I am also thankful it was me driving when it happened...and not my wife. I doubt she could have steered this vehicle with no power to the steering or brakes.
2004 volvo xc90 jerked, then all electric components went out suddenly including headlights as we drove along tn hwy 840 causing us to almost wreck as it was nighttime and pitch black on this highway. Pulled over and restarted SUV. Normal activity for 30 minutes, then problem recurred. Took SUV to volvo dealership and they replaced faulty cem.
I was driving my 2004 xc90 on the highway when suddenly all the lights in the dashboard went out. The car slowed down. Everything electrical in the car stopped working. I could still start the car however. But acceleration wasn't the same, the car crawled. Took the car to the volvo dealership who say this is a cem problem. A computer defect the car is barely 7 years old and this is apparently a problem with many other xc90 owners and a real safety issue. And to replace this cemchip is 1400 dollars. Lease look into this matter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. The contact stated that when driving the vehicle for more than one hour, the vehicle would exhibit electrical failures. The instrument panel would fail and when the vehicle was turned off and then restarted, there were several warning lights illuminated sporadically. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the vehicle would need a software upgrade. The contact stated that the upgrade temporarily corrected the problem, but the failure recurred when the weather became warmer. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 91,000.
2004 xc-90 awd: for over two years the vehicle has been experiencing the same issue which appears to be an electrical problem. The vehicle will suddenly seem to stall or "hiccup" while driving. This occurs at any speed but it is most prevalent at highway speeds. It normally happens at speeds of 65mph or higher. The windshield wipers will engage for one sweep (they will be selected ?off?), the radio (if on) will turn off and on again, the gauges on the panel will go dead and then come to life. The most unsafe thing is a loud ?thump? That occurs in the front of the vehicle. It feels like someone has suddenly slammed on the brakes and then released them. This all happens in a matter of seconds. The engine does not stop during this sequence and the brakes appear to keep working. This has occurred with and without the cruise control engaged. There are no warnings, lights, or caution messages associated with this during or after it occurs. None of the dealerships we've taken it to have discovered the cause. I recently discovered a the federal safety agency investigation that was completed in november 11, 2010 on 20 cases involving similar issues with 2004 xc-90s. The investigation number is pe10-025. It appears the problem may be electrical but neither I nor the dealerships can narrow it down. The vehicle has approximately 125k miles on it. I have been the only owner of the vehicle and all required maintenance has been kept up to date with volvo dealerships in wichita, ks, stockton, ca and now tacoma, wa. Most recently this occurred three times during a day trip which covered approximately 288 miles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. The contact stated that when driving various speeds, he could hear a clicking noise coming from under the dashboard and various lights on the instrument panel would illuminate rapidly. The failure recurred intermittently. The contact also stated that after the most recent failure, he was unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The failure and current mileages were unavailable. The VIN was unavailable.
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.
This is in regards to my volvo 2004 xc90. While driving my volvo starts jerking and then all of the electrical systems go out - all the interior dash light go off, signal lights, and hazards will not work. I get a message about brake failure and then SRS airbag service. Once you stop the car and restart it functions normally with just the SRS message remaining.
Engine warning light alerted a "bulb failure". Replacement of the headlamp cartridge did not fix the problem. Since the incident happened, I noticed several other xc90 SUV's with same daylight lamp out on the driver side.
I own a 2004 volvo xc-90. I have owned it since 12/2007. Approximately 7 months ago I started having intermittent electrical problems (navigation failure, engine service alerts, security alarm system failure). Messages would appear and then stop. Recently while driving in the mountains a message appeared about a position light failure, then progressed to multiple light failures. This occurred at night on the blue ridge parkway which is poorly lit in many areas and has winding roads with steep drop offs. We had to drive with my passenger aiming a flashlight to see the road until we could turn off on an exit. There is no where on most of the parkway to pull off and we were at great risk without headlights. We checked fuses, and then started again and headlights worked, so drove on. Later on the interstate they failed again and we had to pull off and park and get another ride home. Volvo confirmed that the cem failure is a very common occurrence with xc90s. They used to keep some of these on hand due to common need to replace. As with other owners, I now have a $1200+ repair to replace this. This should be a recall item - high rate of occurrence and safety issue. Why wait until someone is killed? It is only a matter of time till happens with cem failures..
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. While driving at any speed, the contact noticed a loud thumping noise coming from the front end of the vehicle folwed by the illumination of all warning lights including the check engine, ABS and SRS warning lights. The engine continued to run; however, all the electrical power failed. The dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The contact did not inform the manufacturer since he was awaiting a service appointment with the dealer. The current and failure mileage was 62,000. The VIN was unavailable.
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