2004 Volvo XC90: sudden loss of power

Filed Dec 21, 2017 · Airbags, Electrical · 78,000 miles · NY

Tl-contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90 ---- contact called volvo dealer in white plains ny... Contact stated airbag light came on while driving and was on for a month.... Vehicle stalled going 50mph ... Power steering went out on main highway vehicle lost power and shut off.... Vehicle restarts and then shuts off again after going a couple miles...spoke with mechanic at dealership who stated that airbags are recalled....mechanic by the name of anthony.... Told contact that airbag light being on was not a big deal....that airbag was faulty so it would not deploy in accident........ 0 recalls associated with this VIN.. Cb

Filed Jun 7, 2016 · Electrical, Lights · 130,000 miles · VA

2004 volvo xc90 sudden engine stall with lose of headlights: I was traveling on the interstate at night with the cruise set at 75 MPH when suddenly it was like someone turned the ignition key to off for about 3 seconds, and then turned the key back on without restarting the engine. With all the warning lamps illuminated, and the engine at a stall I pulled into the emergency lane, and stopped. I then shifted to park and attempted to start the vehicle, where it took several attempts to start. The headlights did not stop working while pulling over, and when I stopped I switched the lights off before I restarted the engine. The first thing at mind was a fuel pump that was starting to act up. After restarting I revved the engine up a few quick times (to clear the engines throat). I then got back on the interstate accelerating to 75 MPH , but doing so manually this time(no cruise control). About 10 min had passed when suddenly the engine started losing power as I was having to press the accelerator harder to maintain speed. While still coasting at 65 MPH or so I placed the transmission into neutral, and attempted to restart the engine, when I turned the key to the start position I lost all the lights, I quickly released the key to the on position, and the lights remained off. I quickly pulled to the emergency lane and used the force to avoid the guardrail and the ditch. All the warning light were illuminated, and the engine was at a stall. I then turned the ignition key off and then back on, and that restored the headlights. It took 5-8 attempts to restart the engine, and again I'm thinking fuel pump acting up. Each time I attempted to restart the engine it would spit and sputter like if the fuel pump were only delivering half the pressure needed for the fuel injectors. After the engine restarted I made it home, and the problem has not arisen since,

Filed Feb 8, 2016 · Electrical · 84,500 miles · WA

After driving for at least an hour the vehicle suddenly shuts down for a split second. All gauges go out, loss of power briefly, wipers sometimes kick on and fog lights reset and shut off and there is a thump from the transmission. This happens mainly at freeway speeds but has happened a few times at 30 MPH and slower. Can happen several times on a 2.5 hour trip. Once it happens it can happen anytime. Doesn't do it on trips around town. Called volvo of north america and they denied any problems with the cem and said since it's an '04 with 85,000 miles that I'm out of warranty and they can offer no help.

Filed Nov 20, 2015 · Acceleration, Electrical · 133,000 miles · WA

This report is about a hazardous situation with our 2004 xc90. The engine shut down without warning on the i5 freeway! The car suddenly lost power and we had to coast to the side in the dark. We were lucky to not get hit! The display showed the following error code: ECM-981a. We are aware of the fact that this problem is not new to the federal safety agency and that you have received several reports on it already. It appears that the problem has to do with the cruise control, and ever since the incident we have been driving the car without engaging it without any problems. The mileage on the car is 138,000 miles. The problem occurred when engaging the cruise control on an uphill slope. We speculate that it might be caused by engaging the cruise control at the same instant as the car shifts down automatically. I talked to a volvo service technician who aid that he had experienced the same problem with his own 2004 xc90 but he was unable to find what had caused it.

Filed Oct 9, 2015 · Body, Electrical · 113,000 miles · MD

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. While driving at any speed, the vehicle jerked and lost power. The contact also heard water running on the right passenger side door and underneath the dashboard. The air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,00. The VIN was not provided.

Filed Feb 3, 2015 · Acceleration, Electrical · 133,514 miles · OR

Car lost all power and message window read "reduced engine performance". We were traveling in the left lane and had to coast through traffic to the shoulder. There was absolutely no throttle response, so we shut the car off. Upon restarting it, the message disappeared and we were able to continue our trip. It happened again, and we reset it once again. We stopped at the first volvo repair facility we found and had them scan all the computers using the volvo diagnostic equipment. The code they retrieved was ECM-981a. They cleared our computer using the volvo computer, but the problem returned on our return home. We were barely able to get out of the way of a semi barreling upon us! The problem still persists, and I finally went to my computer to find some information on my own. Apparently, this is not so uncommon a problem with these cars. There is already a recall on some of the 2003-2004 s60's and v70's. We have already spent close to $2,000.00 trying to remedy this problem, but that becomes inconsequential if someone gets killed because the issue doesn't get resolved.

Filed Sep 10, 2014 · Electrical · 148,000 miles · FL

I have experienced the known issue with the central electronic module many times now. I have been driving at highway speeds and then experience the momentary jerking, loss of power, loss of instrument panel, and more. Sometimes I start my vehicle and it starts in limp home mode. Very frustrating and dangerous. This should be recalled and repaired by volvo.

Filed Aug 4, 2014 · Brakes, Electrical · 155,000 miles · WA · crash

3 hours into a 3-1/2 hour weekend road trip there was a clunk in the engine compartment. Thinking I hit a pothole, I continued on cautiously. While continuing on these unfamiliar 2 lane windy roads going 43mph (the speed limit was 55) about 2 miles from where the clunk happened my entire dash cluster stopped working. All my dome lights and leg lights came on. The car clunked harder this time. I lost power to the engine, steering was like trying to turn a tank, and the brakes were very spongy. Still traveling on windy roads with large semi trucks behind me and cars passing by in the opposite lane I veered to the right to avoid being rear ended by a semi. Not being able to steer or stop as efficiently as before I coasted into a residents 2-3 man rock landscape traveling at about 5mph. I dented my front license plate and scratched the bumper. With my heart pounding, I turned the car off and got out to see the damage. I went to the residents home and told them my story. They were thankful my fianc and I were okay. Since I hit rock there was no damage done to their landscape. After 20 minutes I started the car. It was hesitant to start. The brake failure light was on for a few seconds then the SRS service warning light came on and stayed on. For the remainder of the weekend trip the car would lurch like the tranny was slipping. Especially after taking off from a stop light. It still clunks once in awhile but we only drive it around town. It's currently at a certified volvo specialist being serviced. This morning all lights stopped working and I couldn't get it out of the garage. The key stuck in the ignition. In conclusion, this mishap could have resulted in a serious injury or fatality. If every car of this make and model is doing this, they need to be recalled and repaired!

Filed Jul 15, 2014 · Electrical · 130,000 miles · NY

While going up a hill about 45 mile per hour the lights on my dash as well as the radio turned off. I pulled over turned the car off and back on all the lights returned however my gas gauge no longer works as well as unlocking back doors and door to gas tank. There are many complaints about this part I don't see why there are no recalls this is very unsafe I could've easily crashed due to loss of power breaks and the car not making it up the hill.

Filed Jun 18, 2014 · Airbags, Brakes · 90,000 miles · WA

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 (at 60mph) before returning to normal. After normal power was restored, error messages continued to be shown in the ip error display. The brake failure message instructed me to pull over and bring the vehicle to a safe stop. Upon bringing the vehicle to a safe stop and turning off ignition, I heard excessive electrical clicking under the dash (like relays clicking). All ip displays were non-responsive (dark). I locked the car (alarm armed) and later returned with a tow-truck. Upon return to the car, I was unable to unlock it or disarm the alarm. Car was unresponsive. Alarm was armed (unable to be disarmed) and the engine bypass feature of the alarm prevented me from starting the car. Could only gain entry into the car from the driver's side door with physical key. Car was placed in neutral and loaded onto a flatbed truck for tow back to volvo dealership. Temperature at time of failure was 110f.

Filed Apr 23, 2014 · Electrical · 105,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 volvo xc90. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle momentarily lost power without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician could not diagnose a failure however, the battery was replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000 and the current mileage was 109,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2013 · Airbags, Electrical · 111,000 miles · GA

At highway speeds, the windshield wipers randomly start, followed immediately by a loud thump sound from the engine, also immediately followed by all the electrical items on the instrument panel going dark, all gauges go to zero, speedometer doesn't work, radio goes dark and stops working along, A/C stops working, error message appear for the ABS and SRS. There is also an slight loss of engine power. Problem has occurred 4 times over the last year. Dealer could not replicate the problem on the first visit which is not surprising since the problem is completely random. On a more recent visit dealer says car needs a instrument panel module replacement at a cost of $1,500. According to my online research, this complaint is by far the most prevalent problem with this year and model by maybe a 20 to 1 margin.