Volvo XC90 Maintenance and Repair

guyf

On a T6 I would buy the extended warranty.

smwls8

With all of the posts on this thread about failed transmissions in XC 90's, my post was both warranted and appropriate. A bill of $4,400 for an out of warranty transmission replacement is more than adequate "incentive" to post on this thread. By my calculations this thread is averaging about 2.5 posts per day. Sorry, didn't mean to clog up the pipeline here with my ridiculous post about reliability problems and extended warranty's for Volvo's. Please...

tidester

The message to which you replied was simply an attempt to allay your stated fears about the XC90's reliability. Obviously, a maintenance and repair discussion is going to generate discussion of problems with the vehicle and one should not infer general reliability problems on that basis alone. Also, you specifically sought advice on extended warranties and my cohost graciously pointed you to where extended warranties are being discussed and where you will find the most useful information to answer your question.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

volvomax

If you are planning on keeping the car, an extended warranty is probably not a bad idea.
Personally, I would not own ANY modern car without a warranty.
I don't care who makes it. With all the electronics and complex systems that modern cars have,your chance of a repair goes up exponentially.

Second, you have to understand that the internet isn't an accurate barometer of a cars reliability or longevity.
The vast majority of XC90's function very well. The owners of those cars simply don't post "50,000 miles and all's well" posts.

lovnthevolvo1

I took in my 2006 XC90 for its 30,000 mile maintenance. The normal service ran about $225. I just read that the first four services are provided free by the manufacturer? Is this true? Also, they recommended to change the transmission fluid for another $250. I declined so that I could look into this further. Is that a fair cost?

volvomax

Free maintenance ended with the 2005 models.

sedonasunrize

Oh my gosh... I just picked up my '06 XC90 from local Volvo dealership. I know my Rockville MD. dealership can't diagnose major problems; they like to just start replacing stuff randomly, but I figured I'd be safe enough there with a simple oil change and check-up. I dropped car off, service guy showed me $18 oil change price (I'm on some service deal thing), I say fine, check stuff over too. I come back to THREE page bill for $68.51. HUH?? I think they TRY to make the bills long & confusing so you have NO clue what you are looking at! Eventually I figure out my wiper blades were replaced for $49.94. HUH?? 'SPECIAL' wiper blades, they say. For $50, they ought to be VERY special! So I pull out a coupon I got in the mail...$20 off any service or repair" gift certificate. Nope, can't use that, because I have that service deal thing! Okay, if I got these wiper blades at a reduced price, how much do they normally cost?? Somehow, I can't see $50 for wiper blades as being a GOOD deal - is it?? And what's up with not taking the coupon?? I asked service why my bill says "customer hereby acknowledges receiving original estimate of $70 (+ tax) when I didn't. All I saw was $18 oil change price. "Whoops - sorry - must have been an oversight on our end" was Volvo's reply. I found it all quite shady... am I right? :confuse:

pluto168

I lost my 2006 XC90 key and want to replace it. My local deler is asking for $300 for the full key (with key, remote, SW, and SW dowload) and $150 for the valet key. This seems to be too much for just one key. :mad: Does anyone know where to find a reasonably priced key? Thanks

jtla

Just curious, is your 2003 XC90 the T6 or the 2.5T model?

volvomax

Well, thats about right.
You can only get the key and software from the dealer.

dmedmonds

It's the T6. My story gets worse before it gets better. While Volvo is replacing the transmission, a few more problems are arising (some a result of the a faulty transmission). The repair bill is now close to $6K. My husband and I were having continual conversations/discussions with the dealership and Volvo of North America. In the end, they actually covered all but $800 of repairs....sounds like they know this is a HUGE problem. The service manager did admit (when I picked up the car) that the transmission on the 2003 and 2004 models have posed big problems. So, Volvo says "Volvo for life"; I say, "Volvo for life of the warranty"!

kben

2003 t6 xc90

jtla

Sounds like the transmission problems happened mostly to the T6. Glad to learn that Volvo picked up most of the tab of the new transmission for you. This can be an encouraging news for kben who is having a similar situation as yours.

msindallas

I was talking to a Volvo SM about all the repair/mtnce problems I read on Edmunds, and he said the troublesome engines and transmissions have either been fixed or discontinued - the newer models, especially the V8 AWD version has no known problems and very few repairs. Do you (owners of late XC-90 models) concur? Regards, - MS.

chiefstoner

Concur, that they fixed my 2004 Volvo's transmission after it died at 61k miles?
Not really, we split the bill and they never admitted the problem. This was obviously our
biggest repair, with many smaller ones as well. Volvo national customer service was absolutely horrible.

volvohno

I just took delivery of an XC 90 3.2 AWD today, and I think I may have had a similar problem. I was turning right out of a parking lot and heard my 3 year old (who was sitting in the back seat) say OH NO! I looked back and the rear drivers side door was wide open. Just before we pulled out of the parking lot, I had reached back to "test" the door because it was the first time my little ones were riding in the car. I pulled on the rear door handle (from the inside) and the door seemed secure. I'm pretty sure the doors were all locked. It's possible that I unlatched the door, but it makes me very nervous to think it could happen again. I'm almost positive the doors were locked. Has anyone else heard of this issue? Any information would be greatly appreciated. :confuse:

gambiaman

I have a 06 XC90 V8 via OSD and all's well at 23K. Just did the 22.5K service and still on original brakes, tires etc. and no problems at all. Very happy with vehicle.
And I agree most people don't post when things are going well and no problems to discuss.
Em

elias

apparently the battery is covered by warranty , prorated, 25%... and it will need a 2nd set of replacement tires soon.
i call that normal maintenance. i'd love to have an excuse to trade it for a diesel 6+ people-mover, but it's just too reliable and useful to trade.

zkaudio

crap... I am on a 2yr 15k/yr lease on my 07 3.2

am I going to need tires before my lease is up?

elias

yes i think it is likely you will need new tires by 30k miles, or else probably the leasing company will charge you for new tires when you turn it in.
in other news, our xc90 need new front brakes and rotors at 49.9k too. also they fixed an observed-one-time water-leak - clogged sunroof drain tube.

garrett11

Oh, yea. We had all 4 tire of our XC 90 replaced at under 20k miles. Volvo ate quite a bit of the cost. The dealer told me that they were fitted with tires for European driving, not north american driving...stupid.

garrett11

Transmission issues....
I have (had) a brand spanking new 2003 XC90 V-6, fully loaded, custom ordered. The tires wore horribly and had to be replaced before 20k. Volvo helped on the upgrade to better tires (thankfully). The first transmission went out completely at 64k. We had purchased the 100k extended warranty (again, thankfully), and got a new transmission because they couldn't find a used one. NOW at 101k (+1k over the warranty expiration) (and 3 weeks after we had a major service appointment, before the 100k warranty expired), the dealer tells me today that I need yet another new transmission because of a rattling sound that I heard inside it. We have only had this transmission 36,500 miles - 1.5 years. WHAT THE HECK???
Has anyone else out there needed a first or second (in our case) transmission on their 2003 XC90 before or close to 101k miles???
This all just happened today so I'm still shell shocked.

We don't don't know what Volvo NA is going to do (if anything) to help us with the cost of our THIRD transmission.
OMG. Is this common? Has ANYONE else encountered this type of transmission failure? Feedback would be great.
Thanks. :confuse: :mad: :lemon:

garrett11

I posted a message last night but thought I would reply to this one. OMG. My first transmission went out on my 2003 XC90 at 65,000. We had the extended warranty thank goodness. Yesterday I was informed that that replacement transmission is going out (at 101,000)(of course the extended expired at 100,000).
What the heck??
The dealer is researching what Volvo NA will do to help but after reading the various submissions this afternoon I'm not hopeful.
Please, we bought a high end, reliable vehicle that we hoped to own for many problem free years.
Has anyone out there had to have 2 NEW TRANSMISSIONS in their 2003 XC90??

bummednova

XC90 2004 T6 with 72K miles ... transmission died (according to dealer) with permanent fault code in 4th gear ... they did not even crack the case and decided their best recommendation was a $4700 full replacement ...

With no extended warranty and car still moving, we wandered over to AAMCO for a second opinion ... this one, not far from Volvo dealer, said that Volvo has gotten so backed up on transmissions that they are doing the dealer's transmission work now ... true or not, sounded pretty dismal ...

AAMCO price ... $2294 ... have to bite the bullet and get it done ...

The car has made me feel safe despite having gone through 3 sets of tires, 3 sets of brake pads, 2 sets of brake rotors, broken engine mount ...

I trust the XC90 is in its final days ... at 17 mpg and 0.10 per mile for maintenance, I am going to have to find a new home for this guy ...

One has to wonder why Volvo is not acting, but then you have to think of what a huge financial impact this problem would be when they only sell 40,000 vehicles per year in the US ...

BummedNOVA

:sick:

bummednova

Went to look at disassembled transmission ... even though this vehicle has had every scheduled maintenance dome by the dealer, the internals of the transmission look as if they had never been attended to ...

Drive plates were deeply scored, clutch plates worn down to bare metal, value body ruined ... in other words, a complete mess ... all of the internals have to be replaced ... but still cheaper than Volvo dealer replace the entire transmission option ...

AAMCO shop is now doing 2003/2004 frequently ... apparently, you cannot get the rebuild parts from Volvo only full transmission ...

As AAMCO guy notes, these are GM transmissions ... the 2005 and beyond are Japanese and don't have the same problems ...

Good luck to all of you 2003/2004 owners ...

PS: AAMCO guy noted on way out, that the turbos go at 90K ... I won't make it there to find out ...

BummedNOVA

:sick:

volvomax

AAMCO guy is full of S--t.
The T6's had the GM trannies.
The 5cyl,from 03 on had the Aisin-Warner 5 speeds.
I haven't heard of a Turbo failing in ANY Volvo engine,unless the owner didn't follow the proper oil change interval.

bummednova

I have 2004 T6 ... thought he said 2003 was same, could be wrong ... my bad ...

He was passing on the Turbo comment from his other customers ... could also be wrong ...

One thing we do know ... T6 transmissions STINK ... period ... in this day and age for a transmission to fail with 72K miles of gentile suburban and commuter driving after having been serviced religiously is simply inexcusable ...

As I said before 10 cents/mile for maintenance is beyond reason ...

BummedNOVA

chiefstoner

I really do not understand Volvo, they have lost us as customers. Our XC90 had the tranny go at 61k - no help at all from Volvo customer assistance. They would not admit any faults with trans even though all trans shops knew about this problem.

elias

chief geologist, it stinks to have to replace a :lemon: transmission at 61k but apparently you elected not to buy extended warranty. "you win some you lose some".
presumably yours was the T6? mine is a 2.5T with 'geartronic', 51K, no problems, no extended warranty... :shades:

max63

Just to pass on a word, my 04' 2.5 has an exhaust leak with just 39k miles on it. If your car idle's high in the morning and does not sound right, you may have the same problem.

macsmom

I have a 2007 3.2 XC90. I have noticed increasingly rough acceleration. This is no longer specific to gears 3&4. The only time there is a smooth ride is when I stay at a constant speed. Does anyone else have this problem?

pwd1

I have an '03 XC90 w/ 64K miles. The transmission appeared to go out this past Fri. Dealer just started to look at it today (3 business days later). Reports metal shavings in the transmission pan. The car has had all required maintenance, two sets of tires, new struts and is very expensive to maintain. Although it is safe, I will never purchase another Volvo unless they do something to compensate me for what is going to be a $2-5K repair. Volvo asked me to authorize $1250 just to take the transmission apart. PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH AND THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE BUYING A XC90. As I read this email thread, it is obvous that I am not the only person having significant problems with the XC90. Very disappointed in the quality of the Volvo XC90. For $45-50K a car that has all of its normal maintenance and is well maintained should not have these issues.....

jgallagher1

I have 2003 T6 XC90 - I have 90K miles - I bought the car second hand through a Land Rover dealership with just 28K miles. I have no way of knowing if the transmission has been replaced before by a dealership but it needs to be replaced for me. Thing is it was at a dealership 3 weeks ago and the dealership and the volvo representative witnessed this transmission problem because I did buy the extended warranty an adjuster was sent into the dealership but could not duplicate the problem. So now I spend $3000 for the extended but cannot get them to fix the transmission issue. Everyday I drive with my 5 year old in the car not knowing if the transmission will fail in stop and go on the highway.
I called the extended warranty again yesterday and told them I want a written letter with them denying my claim. I have the dealerships paperwork which clearly states I need a new transmission. So don't feel bad if you didn't buy the extended warranty because so far it has done me no good!

dlsparks88

What was your resolve on the car bearings issue? Did Volvo pay for the bearings repair?

My wheel bearings( back) need to be replaced 75000miles. This after I had front bearings replaced at 51000 miles. My car is only 3 years old. :lemon:

jccai1

Do you have the T6 or the 2.5T? Most transmission failures I read on this board seem to be with the 4-speed unit in the T6.

44ad

Used to have an 05 T6 (lemon lawed it for an electrical fault, now have 07 V8). My transmission on the T6 didn't fail in the 21K miles we had it, but from a day to day driving perspective, it was a lousy transmission - the 6 speed on the V8 is significantly better.

templeton3

Your tranny went out at 61K. You had better luck than us. Ours, 04 XC90 T6, went out at 52,500. No help from Volvo at all.

monag

I need to purchase an exteneded warranty for my 04 XC90 by the 23rd of July. I have a quote from the dealership that seems really, really high...any leads, or insights on buying an extended warranty at a reasonable price?

jonds

There is a LOT of margin in the extended warranties. I got one when I originally purchased my '04 XC90T6, and after some negotiation they dropped their "rock bottom" price from about $2600 to $1800 (100K coverage with what's NOT covered listed). I walked after their initial quote, telling them they wanted way too much. They asked how much I would pay, and I gave them a number that I knew I could get it for online, and they agreed! This was after saying that $2300 wouldn't give them any profit.

So I'd do a google search for extended warranties and get a quote for what you're looking for, then negotiate with them based on that price. And I'd say the convenience of going with a dealer-provided warranty is worth a bit extra, as I've had both in the past, and found the simplicity of the dealer's warranty significant.

Good luck!

nsxman2

My XC 90 has died several times on the highway. While going about 70-75 miles an hour the engine will just quit as though out of gas,although at 1/4 to 1/2 tank and appropriate mileage for the tank to be that full. The local dealer has replaced the fuel pump and a fuel programmer on two separate week long stays in the shop. We just got the car back and it's happening again. Did they ever figure out what to do for your vehicle. Any info would behelpful.

jpb610

I recently took my 2004 Volvo XC90 into the dealership for maintenance. It currently has about 26,000 miles on it. The dealership said that the front brake pads need to be replaced. He said that I might be able to get another 2,000 miles on these brake pads. He said that they could replace the brake pads for $155. I asked if this included turning the rotar and they said it would not. He mentioned that they never turn rotars. They only replace the rotars at the dealership. I thought that sounded odd.

I called Midas to get a quote from them on a new set of front brake pads. I was told it would cost $89.95 with a lifetime guarantee. They could also turn the rotar for $20 if it needed it.

I have a couple of questions.

1) Is it worth having the dealership do the work with Volvo brake pads?
2) How reliable are Midas brakes?
3) Do you have any recommended brake repair shops to use?
4) How long should brake pads last with city driving conditions?

Thanks :confuse:

volvomax

Volvo rotors cannot be turned. they aren't thick enough to survive being turned.
Volvo rotors are thin to dissapate heat quickly.
If you turn them,chances are they will warp.
If Midas doesn't know this, I don't think I would feel comfortable having them do brake work.
Also, it sounds like they are using aftermarket pads instead of factory ones. Often times,the aftermarket pads will squeal.

gambiaman

Volvomax:
When replacing brake pads does Volvo have any problems with using ceramic pads? I understand there is much less brake dust with ceramic pads.
Thanks
Em

volvomax

Problem w/ ceramics is that sometimes you get alot of brake squeal.
Some people have good luck with them,others don't.

jim314

I have used Mobile1 synthetic oil in my Volvos since 1996. In my 2004 V70 I use Mobile1 10W-30 extended performance and change at 7500 to 10,000 miles.

The owner's manual of my wife's 2007 XC90 3.2 recommends 0W-40 or 10W-40 in our hot Dallas climate. I wonder why the Europeans are going to 40 instead of 30 as the hot viscosity number.

I guess I'll use Mobile1 0W-40 and change at 7500 miles, but I'm considering Amsoil 5W-40*. Any opinions? With either one of these I'll use a 7500 mile change interval for the XC90. This XC90 was put in service in April 2007 and has about 4000 miles on it. It has not used any detectable amount of oil.

*"AMSOIL Synthetic 5W-40 European Engine Oil
Extended Drain Intervals 25,000 miles or 1 year

AMSOIL Synthetic 5W-40 European Engine Oil is specially formulated for the lubrication needs of European gasoline and diesel cars and light trucks. Formulated with advanced AMSOIL polyalphaolefin (PAO) synthetic base stocks, premium additives and a broad 5W-40 viscosity rating. AMSOIL 5W-40 allows motorists to take advantage of the maximum extended drain intervals recommended by European automakers while providing second-to-none protection and performance in the most demanding operating conditions."

christop123

My 2006 XC-90 AWD has died 8 times on the highway while driving 65-70 miles an hour. When my foot is pressing the accelerator I suddenly get no response from the car and have to pull off the highway - put the car in park - rev the engine a few times and then can pull back on the highway to get to the nearest gas station.
Twice the car has completely died. This happens when the gas tank is at 1/4 of a tank or less. They have already replaced the fuel filter and pump twice and the problem continues. The service department at our dealer has been great but the car has been in the shop 4 times (the first time for 3 weeks and each time after for a week each) we have only owned the car for less than a year and the problems started 5 months after we purchased it.

I am frustrated that Volvo has not been able to do more about this issue. This is a major safety concern. Has anyone with this issue had this repair resolved?

elias

christop, do you live in a lemon-law state? if so the dealer gets one more chance to fix the problem else they are required to give you a full refund or a new vehicle. or something like that. in fact the lemonlaw may already have been 'triggered' given the # of days in shop, # of times they did a "retake" for the same problem.
you are correct it is a safety problem, of course.
is there only one fuel pump in this model? some vehicles have two.

john_black

This is a minor quibble, but it bugs me... Almost every other day the little "CAL" icon lights up in the compass mirror. So I find an open parking and drive around in circles like a circus clown until it goes off. A couple days later and it's back again. I have not been able to establish a pattern yet. I'm not sure if it comes randomly or if it's linked to turning-off the XC, not removing the keys and then turning it on again (this is my latest theory!) I thought the toll tag might be the cause, so I removed that but that wasn't the problem. May be the satellite radio is interfering???

The compass works & seems accurate, so my question is why does the calibration icon keep lighting up? I've read the manual, the correct zone is selected (and that value is retained) and I'm following the calibration process. Obviously the XC is under warranty, so I'll ask the dealer at the next service - or maybe sooner 'cause it's hitting the obsessive compulsive nerve quite often.

jim314

In six months of service (April 17 to Oct 20, 2007) my wife's 2007 XC90 3.2 has consumed 263.3 gal of gasoline to go 4904 miles, giving 18.6 mpg overall. For very short trips in town the mpg is terrible, 13 mpg or less; on the highway under the best conditions the mpg is 26 mpg. It still has the original filling of conventional ("dino") engine oil and it hasn't used any oil. At the first change I intend to change to Mobile1 0W-40 ("full synthetic European formula") which is the viscosity range available and recommended for our climate climate. 0W-30 is recommended in a cold climate. I'm hoping that the synthetic will give slightly higher mpg. This 3.2L inline 6-cylinder engine takes 7.7 US qt per change! Once I start putting synthetic oil in it, at about $6.50/qt, I intend to change at the longest interval which will satisfy the warranty.

I took the vehicle over to a Volvo dealer on Saturday (odo at ~4900 mi), but the service advisor recommended waiting until 6500 miles on the odo. He said that Volvo pays for the first oil change (which I didn't know) but only past 6500 mi, and Volvo wants the original oil to stay in for 6500 miles, he said.

The idea behind this is that synthetic oil is such a good lubricant that the rings and other parts won't wear enough to properly seat. Once broken-in, the engine lasts longer with synthetic, and synthetic is much more resistant to heat breakdown. Reportedly, unless the oil is changed on a fairly short interval (say 5000 mi) over time conventional oil can leave deposits on the valve stems or guides which can cause valves to stick, and in the worst case conventional oil can "sludge-up" the engine.

Since the first change is free, I may let the dealer use whatever oil they put in, and save my 8 qts of Mobile1 0-40 for the first change I have to pay for.

volvomax

Volvo uses a synthetic blend oil, not conventional mineral oil.
If you want to use full synthetic, feel free.
My Volvo's have run on conventional and now synthetic blend with no issues at all.