Volvo XC90 Maintenance and Repair

jenchick79

I hate to be a negative influence, but I'd defiantly wait until the 2nd model year. I have the early 2004 XC-90 (1st model year) and I have 50k miles on it & I don't think we will be keeping it much longer. I've read a lot about the first model year being a problem for the XC-90, so just to save yourself the hassle of having your car in the shop all the time, I'd wait another 6 months for the 2 model year. Also, most Volvo shops give you a complementary car to drive if they have your car in the shop, I'd make sure that your shop does that (my car has been in the shop for 1 month-twice, and with other problems 2 more months).

I don't want to discourage you from buying Volvo but I don't want you to have to be in the shop all the time either. We have talked to an attorney about the Lemon Law and we could go through that process and get our payment price back, because our car broke at 6k miles. But I love my car. I love driving it, I love the safety and I adore the service people that I go to. But sometimes you might see the service department to often.

Good luck!!

jenchick79

Hello,
We had a few problems that took a little while for our service shop to figure out so here they are-hope they might help someone:

Peculating Coffee Maker sound = broken vacuum line/nipple (we had both)

Ticking while driving = in our case the "propeller blade" on the drive line broke (the car was in the shop for a month for that)

skimbear

I got a new 2005 XC90 about 3 months ago. Last week, the car would not start, and there was no message in the "Message Center." I called Volvo Roadside, and the customer rep had me go through a series of steps such as turning the key to position 1 and back, opening the door, etc... After tying these step about 10 times, the car finally started. Haven't had a problem since. Has anyone had the same problem, and should I have the dealer inspect the car? I don't know if this was a sign of a serious problem or just an electronic glitch. Advice anyone?

jenchick79

I'm not positive about this but our sales man said that the yellow button on the remote will disable the start. I don't know if they had you try that...

skimbear

No, I hadn't tried that. I thought the yellow button was to turn on the lights as you approach the car??? Well, I'll try to find out what else the yellow button does. Thank you.

jpoche

I bought a XC90 in April - I've had a rattle since I drove off the lot. Seems to be in the driver's side door near the dash. I can make it stop by pressing one particular spot on the door. Service removed the fuse box cover, replaced the plate surrounding the parking brake latch, added foam to the door, blah, blah.
Please share with me how your rattle problem was solved.

guyf

We had a rattle in our S-60. Turn out it was the plastic clip to hold parking slips at the left of the windshield.

mnmatches

I have a 04 XC90 T6. Brought the car in with the following issues:
1. Left rear wheel wobble sound. No shaking...just the sound. Dealer found a bad bearing in the hub. Replaced the hub.

2. Defective HID right headlight. There was a prominent yellow/amber line under the main beam. Most noticeable when shining against a vertical object (garage door for example). Dealer replaced the headlight.

3. Slight pull to the left. Dealer re-aligned.

4. Moderately loud buzz and vibration when stopped at a light. Usually happens on a hot day with the A/C on. The sound does not stop when the A/C is turned off. No word on this yet.

5. When backing up, the breaks squeal terribly. No word on what this is yet.

This, to me, is all trivial stuff (except the bearing failure) and has not prevented me from loving the vehicle any less. Best purchase I've made.

On a side note.. the wife wants to buy a second car. S40 is too small she says. so a used S60 is on the list. Now comes the challenge of hunting down an affordable S60 R. :P

Thanks for listening.

jenchick79

A lot of state have auctions of seized cars or repos-but if Volvo has the "Drive for Life" thing for the S60's then you might be able to pick one of those up pretty cheap. When we did that with the XC90 the organizers said that we were the last group to drive 2 of the cars & they would be sent back to the factory, repaired & sold at auction...hope that helps

mounrock

I just picked up my new xc90 a week ago and already found the same seat memory issue. The buttons work fine, but the remote control does not works except for a couple of times. Have you got this problem fixed? BTW, I am in LA area also and bought this car from power volvo in torrance.

dano1193

I recently purchased a 04 XC90 T6. Loving it so far. Anyhow, I have noticed that the doors do not automatically lock when the car is in motion. All of my previous cars have had this option. Does anyone have any insight on this? Volvo is famous for safety so it surprised me a bit that the doors don't lock automatically.

spoiled_rotten

Hey--I had that, too. Solved it myself----- You know those clear plastic stickies you buy at the house improvement stores???the ones that you use to keep the drawers and doors in the kitchen from slamming shut loudly???---anyway--I bought a small pack for a very nominal price--clear ones---placed the stickie on the tip of the clip that touches the window--no more sound and not unsightly.....best 2 u

spoiled_rotten

I love my volvo S60---had it 3 years---wonderful experience!!! Best car I've ever had!! and I've had many---fyi---I will be purchasing the XC90 in a week or 2--so excited! roomy--comfy---and even more quiet than my S60! Blazers are nice, too...but Volvo is my fav.

spoiled_rotten

the V8 will MOVE!---love it!

thejoester

Yo rdp,
We have a 2003 xc90 2.5T AWD and have experienced the same rubbing sound when you turn the wheel. Dealer said they could not find a problem, twice. Have you gotte any satisfaction?

annoyedbyspam

Um, I prefer to maintain control over whether the doors lock or not. In fact, I always hated cars that locked the doors "for me." I use the child lock-out feature which works fine. As for front passenger doors, that's up to the individual. In case of a major crash affecting onboard systems, wouldn't you want the doors to be unlocked? Sorry for being dense, but this really seems to be a personal-preference thing to me.

summerremmus

I have the 2005 V8 and in my manual it describes how to override the factory settings so that the car will automatically lock upon driving. However, if your doors are spontaneously opening that sounds like a bigger problem.

skimbear

The dealer can program the car so that the doors lock automatically when the car reaches about 3 mph. It's not free though, it cost me $150 for the software and installation.

skimbear

No. I first took the car to the dealer on May 26th for this problem, and it's still not fixed. Like I said, the dealer's technician could not fix it, so I need to wait for the Volvo factory engineer to take a look at it. I bought the car from Rusnak in Pasadena. The dealer said there is only one factory engineer for the greater LA area, and he's still on vacation. Back in May, the dealer told me that the factory engineer would be back in 3 weeks. I've been calling the dealer every week for the past 3 weeks, they keep telling me, he'll be back next week, next week... I finally got fed up with the dealer. So, yesterday, I went to the dealer and had the service manager give me a signed statement as to when the car will be fixed.

I like the car in every other aspect, but Rusnak service dept is the absolute worst I've dealt with, especially for a luxury brand dealership. The service dept never answers phone calls, and when you leave a message, they are terrible with returning your calls. Hope you have better luck with Power. Let me know about your experience.

hank4

Any ideas... my 850 with 167,000 miles will not idle at times, it dies down and speeds up, sometimes stalling. I also have to step on the gas when starting the car or it will not start.
The car has a new fuel pump and fuel filter.

stephaine

I've narrowed down where I'll purchase a car to 2 dealers and am interested in comparing the dealer service centers. Does anyone know where I can obtain customer reviews on a specific dealer and their service center?

tshen

Anyone has wheel balance problem on their 18" Atlantis Alloy Wheels? It seems my front wheels are out of the balance, but the problem only occurred at speed 65 and up. I have the dealer check the balance twice on different machines but all wheels are within the spec. Could there be any suspension problem?

This is XC90 V8 with less than 900 miles. Any input would be great!

thanks!

44ad

I just had a similar, but more lucky experience - my wife's 05 T6 (7,100 mi) had an oil slick under it in front of my house this morning - one flat tow later to the nearest dealer with Sat service, they found a bad o-ring on the canister oil filter. Fortunately it had about 3 qts. left and was never driven with oil press lite on, so I doubt there is any serious risk of long term damage. I had 7500 mile service done about two weeks before this happened. I had fears of needing a new engine or new turbos - I'm very disappointed that Volvo wouldn't pay to replace your turbos or extend the warranty - this is my fourth volvo (I've owned/own other makes too), and if they did that to me (it wasn't necessary here), I'd never buy another one of their cars.

Otherwise, this car is below average in reliability compared to my other Volvos (66 122S, 95 945Turbo, 00 S40) - this is fourth warranty problem in 8 mos./7,100 miles.

dross54

I have a 2003 XC90. While making a right turn and then straightening the wheel I notice a vibration or rubbing in the steering wheel. This began over a year ago. It is becoming more noticeable. The noise subsides after the wheel is in a neutral position. The dealer could not find ther cause. Any suggestions? It seems to eminate from the right front axle(wheel)

dross54

I am going to take my vehicle in this coming Monday for the same problem. This will be the second time.Any clue to waht the problen is?

3boyzdad

mc,
We are in the same boat, my wife got the S40 turbo from Military Sales here in Belgium and we plan to buy a xc90 when we rotate back to the US in 07. So far for any service we went to the sales guy here at the Military Sales office and he would call the servicing dealer an speak the lingo, and so far no problems. As for returning to the world our Volvo's are road ready and should be under the full warranty for the US. Check your US paper work the came with your vehicle for your warranty status. Good luck.

AJ

elias

our 2004 xc90 is making the steering wheel rubbing sound too - so far i've only noticed it just for the first few degrees of turning the wheel off of its center position. i have not reported this problem to the dealer but will surely do so at the 22500 oil change later this year.

a coworker of mine with a 2005 S40 T5 is having a similar problem.
dealer has not been able to fix it yet, but they did confirm/reproduce the problem.

golfrgrl

Just bought a 2005 XC 90 that has been in the shop 3 times in less than 30 days. Air conditioner works sometimes, other times not at all. Any thoughts?

theponi

Have a 91 240 with 426000 miles. Started doing same thing about 300000. Got a new computer installed for $1500 works fine. It had to do with the air to fuel mixture. Only problem I ever had with it (knock on wood).

theponi

And when did Ford buy Volvo? I'm nervous to get a new Volvo, because I'm afriad some of the Ford magic might rub off...

guyf

I've owned Volvo's since 1988. I've got 2 2004 (S-60 and XC90) and they are by far the best Volvo's I have owned. The Ford influence seemed to have improved things if anything.

golfrgrl

Just bought a new 2005 Volvo XC 90 V8. The air conditioner does not get the air real cold. Havre been told by a service manager they've had this problem with other V8's and the condenser has needed to be replaced. Anyone else have this problem? Apparently, my VIN # is not one of the ones with a bad condenser.

klockboy

Just curious as to which VIN's fall within this apparent problem and also what constitutes not "real cold" air. We just picked up our V-8 over the last weekend and with temp's in the 90's for the last few days here in the east, our's seems to be OK.

Thanks...

elias

today my wife started our xc90 (cold) and it reported "coolant low - stop engine".
dealer service dude advised that this is not uncommon in hot weather - he said the A/C system uses some of the coolant and causes this condition and that the workaround is to pour a pint or two of water into the overflow tank. while i find this a bit strange, i will give it a try and will report back if any oddities persist after that.

merk850

I have just purchased a used 04 2.5AWD and it does not have rear parking assit. My fear is a child behind the vehicle some time. I assume this would detect that. Can this be installed now?
Does volvo have to do it?
Does anyone know where to purchase cheaper?
Can it be after market or has to be original?

Any experiences with this would be appreciated!

mudfud

Yes, the rear park assist can be installed. Any Volvo dealer can do it, but it would be more expensive than if it were factory installed. I called the local (Chicago area) dealers recently and they charge around $650 installed (for the original Volvo version).

merk850

Thanks I just got similar price here in NY. Would anyone know if aftermarket unit can be installed or is that not advisable?

guyf

An aftermarket unit will not be nicely integrated into the vehicle as the Volvo one. The Volvo unit reduces the volume of the radio so you can better hear the bip tones of the rear park when in use.

skimbear

I have a 2005 XC90 2.5T AWD. Before I got mine, I test drove the same model at another dealership. As I headed toward a dip on the road, I slowed down, but the sales person said to hit the gas. My wife and I did not feel the dip. The sales person said XC90 has special suspension to handle rough road surfaces. Well, I got mine at a different dealership, and it's pretty stiff like most other SUVs. I can feel all the bumps and dips. I don't mind this as much as my wife. At her urging, I asked the dealer I got mine from when I took it in for service. They said they'll look into it, but ignored it. How do other people's XC90 handle dips and bumps? Is mine normal or does anybody think the one we test drove was altered?

guyf

Check the air pressure in your tires. If too high you will feel everything on the road. How much mileage on your XC? You have to give the time to the suspension to "loosen up" a bit. If the demo you tried had more miles than your's that may explain the difference.

tdnj

I'm having a different problem with my A/C. Well, I should say I'm being told of the problem, since my wife never lets me drive! It seems to me that it's not a problem with the cooling system per se, but rather with the thermostat or switches, since when the A/C does come on, it's cold - I just can't get it to come on. Turning the whole system off, then pressing the AUTO climate button repeatedly is the only thing that sometimes makes it come on (it's an intermittent problem). Took it in - work order says "replaced pressure sensor... evac & recharge a/c... perform CCM upgrade and calibrate damper motors."

Still have the same problem.

golfrgrl

Dealership won't tell me which VIN's fall under this problem. Not real cold air means I have to turn it to 62 to get some semblance of coolness. The temperature is nowhere near 62 - I would say it's maybe like 74.

crazboutcars

I am having the same exact problem with my '05 XC90 V8. I would be interested in knowing your outcome. Additionally, I will post mine when it is resolved. I say WHEN, because my XC90 is barely 2 weeks old and I will accept nothing less than resolution to this and a few other problems that I am having.

golfrgrl

Have you had any luck getting your ac problem fixed yet?

port1

05 XC90 AWD

Still have 1000 miles before first service.

Computer says Coolant low, stop safely. I stopped the vehicle for a while (15 mins) and started later and found it went away. I have driven 100 miles after that back home on the long weekend. Today the light came up again with the same message.

The reading on the coolant enclosure says 50/50 Volvo coolant/water.
What do I do? I am stuck at home.
Thanks

guyf

Call Volvo on Call....

jccai1

What size of wheels does yours have? Do you have the 3rd row seats? If your wheels are 18", it's possible the one you test drove had the standard 17" wheels, which provide a slightly softer ride. Those equipped with the 3rd row also come with a slightly different rear suspension than those with only 2 rows of seats. I have had my 2005 model (18" wheels and 3rd row) for almost a year, and the ride has been stiff since day one. It does not filter out much when it's driven over rough road surfaces.

skimbear

I have the standard 17" wheels and 3rd row seats. I did not know the 3rd row seat models come with a different rear suspension. That must be to compensate for the extra weight in the rear. That makes sense. Thanks for clearing up the mystery.

skimbear

I have a 2005 XC90 2.5T AWD. The factory clock is running slow. Need to adjust the time by about a minute or two each month. It's a minor but irritating problem. Anybody else have the same problem? Can the dealer re-calibrate the clock?

elias

our 2004 xc90 did this. dealer service rep said it is common for them all to do that once hot weather starts. he gave me some line about how the A/C uses some of the coolant or something like that, which i didn't believe. however, his workaround advice DID WORK: add a couple pints of water to the coolant overflow tank. no problem since then. so i concluded that there is no coolant leak, and that perhaps there was some truth in his explanation as to root cause - or that i misunderstood his explanation - or both. if i saw some diagrams/schematics of the cooling system & the A/C i might be able to understand more. but anyway, bottom line, add the couple o pints of water to solve the problem and you'll be done with it. that little bit of water is not going to throw off the coolant mixture percentage significantly.