Just want to provide an update on the gas mileage. Took a road trip and drove 800 miles on mostly highway (with 10% to 15% on hilly roads). Through 3 tanks of premium gas, I got 21.6mpg, 22.2mpg and 22.5mpg. These are not figures from the trip computer. I did my own calculations.
I have experienced the same problems in my xc90. The wife's side which is typically much warmer than mine (76-78) occasionally starts to blow cool air. This does not make MY drive enjoyable.
I've attributed the problem to the inside temperature getting to the desired point, and then blowing air at a temperature equal to the set temp. This feels like its cold in comparison.
Personally I would rather have the blower slow down and continue to blow warm air, than to have a moderate air speed and blow cold air (windchill factor anyone?)
Once the cabin temperature has reached, risen, to the setpoint, or something very closeby, the temperature of the system airflow on one side vs the other will be heavily dependent on the amount of sunlight striking the left solar sensor vs the right.
If you wife's airflow is too cool then it might help to simply cover the solar sensor on her side.
As of 04 the Lexus RX330 has a new C-best option. You can have the dealer set this option such that the climate control system does NOT shift automatically from the footwell (predomenantly warming airflow), to dash outlets (predominently cooling airflow) once the setpoint temperature is reached.
For the RX this also aids in preventing windshield condensation from forming because when the system is left in footwell mode a significant level of warming airflow is still routed to the interior surface of the windshield. Whereas in dash or mixed mode NO airflow warms the windshield.
The RX also has c-best settings that allow you to prevent the A/C from operating all year around and if the windshield defrost/defog/demist function is selected.
Use of the A/C during cool weather willonly serve to dehumidify the incoming airflow during the wintertime and MOST of the time, especially in the country's colder winter regions, the A/C is completely non-functional for this purpose.
As a matter of fact as the OAT declines below about 55F, the A/C efficiency for dehumidification also declines dramatically, until at about 35F it is non-existent.
Some of this may also apply to your Volvo climate control.
On a side note I'd like to comment on how well the vehicle warms up. It seems as though I'm no more than a few blocks from my starting point before the thermostat is moving!
Has anyone experience intermittent hesitation from 1st gear to 2nd, more noticeable when you are turning or coming out of a turn? my 2005 XC90 T6 does this, but not all the time. At first, I thought it might have to do with it warming up in the morning, but it has happened during the day after driving for a while. The dealer says they can't duplicate the problem, so they can't fix it.
Still in the first 500 miles, but have noticed a number of minor things. Just wondering if any of this sounded familiar.
1 -- The driver's side mirror distorts the shape/distance of vehicles. (The rearview and passenger side mirror seem fine). Is this related to auto-dimming or indicative of a mirror problem? I don't really want the "fun-house" mirror experience everytime I check before changing lanes or turning.
2 -- The turn signal (left and right) doesn't always click at uniform intervals. It goes click ... click ... click ... clickclick ... click. Electrical issue? The lights themselves seem to work fine.
3 -- Homelink doesn't seem to "learn" from our garage door opener. Is it the same system used by Acura/Mercedes-Benz -- which have both worked flawlessly with our garage door openers?
Can the backup distance system be added as an aftermarket accessory or is it something that needed to be factory-installed?
1- Driver side mirror is fine. Have your's checked, compared to others on the lot at the dealer.
2- Turn signal is fine. What yours does does not seem normal.
3- Homelink did learn from my remote. I had to put fresh battery in my remote before the Volvo homelink would learn the code.
I don't think the back up alarm can be installed as an accessory. It's a nice feature. My only problem is that I don't have it in my other 2 cars. I get used to back up until I hear the beep. In the other cars I will likely hear a bang before a beep....
Rear park assist is available as an accessory that your dealer can install including the proper software changes.
We had some problems initially in getting our Homelink to work because our garage door opener uses "rolling codes" which has a separate procedure in the owners manual that has to be followed. It was different than the procedure needed to get our Homelink to work in our Chrysler van. But in the end we were able to successfully to get it to work. Also we noticed that we have to depress our XC90's homelink button a little longer than we are used to in order for it to open/close the garage door (something like a full second versus just a quick tap).
I live on a very slight hill and cannot park the car in a flat space - bought an XC90T6 in Nov. 04 to replace 95 940 Turbo wagon. Problem is that the doors won't stay open when the vehicle is parked - the spring or other thing used to hold the doors open is too weak - I never had this problem on the 940, though I have had it on my 2000 S40 - the difference is that my 6 and 4 year olds ride in the XC90 and I'm very worried that one day the door will slam on one of them. Given that the 2000 is almost as bad, I'm very surprised Volvo still uses this design - the 940 had a very good and very different door hinge/restraint to keep the doors open.
Has anyone else had this problem? Does Volvo have a fix for it? Next time I take it in for service I'm going to talk to the dealer who does the service on it and my other Volvo.
New door stops are available for the front doors of the XC90 which have more distinct opening positions. These door stops (P/N 30661161) also improve the ability of the doors to remain open when the vehicle is parked on an incline.
I have ~2600 miles on my 2005 XC90 2.5T. Sometimes after I get home from a 12 mile commute (city traffic), a small fan still runs for a a min or 2 after I turn off the ignition. Is this normal? Is it a cooling fan for the turbo?
The manual says that I need to let the engine idle to cool down the turbo before I turn it off. But when I bought the car, the dealer said it wasn't necessary. How long should I let it idle?
When I was still shopping for this car, after I got out the car (a different XC90) at the end of each test drive, I always smelled something from the front grill area, as if something burned. It wasn't very strong, but I could definitely smell it. The sales guy dismissed it as nothing. I just assumed it was some protective coating on the engine parts burning off. Is it possible that the smell was caused by the salesman not allowing the turbo to properly cool down?
The radiator fan is electronic, and will continue to run on ocassion for a short period of time after shut-off, depending on the coolant temperature at the moment of shut-off.
I agree. The same is true on both my XC90 and my 2000 S40 - it is a standard feature of electric radiator fans on transverse engine cars and is entirely normal, especially in warm weather areas.
Thanks for the replies! I remember that the fan did stay on after shut-off a few times on the Honda cars I owned before, but that didn't happen nearly as often as on the Volvo, especially not in winter. That's why I had the question about the proper cool down procedure for the turbo. Any recommendations?
Thanks for the replies! I remember that the fan did stay on after shut-off a few times on the Honda cars I owned before, but that didn't happen nearly as often as on the Volvo, especially not in winter. That's why I had the question about the proper cool down procedure for the turbo. Any recommendations?
I'm a little concerned if the fan runs exessively after shut-off in the winter, though I don't know what winter is where you're located.
Something I've always done to ensure that I'm giving the turbo an adequate cool-down is once I've entered my subdivision, I stick to the speed limit (20 mph) and coast it the 0.5 mile to my driveway. Once I'm in the garage, I'll wait about 5 - 10 seconds to shut it off (as the coasting thru the subdivision will already facilitate the cool-down anyway).
Wife purchased an 05 T6 overseas in Germany at a military dealership. Its has 700 miles on it and the engine light has come on for the 3rd time. 1st time they said malfunctioning fuel filler door, 2nd time vacuum hose, now who knows. A little difficult to communicate when the techs only speak German. After reading previous posts I see it seems to come on for no apparent credible reasons. The vehicle is being shipped here next week (US specs) as she is returning home in a few months, will they remedy any problems at Port of Newark and change any settings as others have mentioned for a/c, door locks etc. there?
We got our XC90 last July for a steal at $39,500. It has 3rd row seating and every option except navigation. We have had some small problems that others have noted. At highway speeds I can quickly pulse the gas pedal once (can repeat in about 20 seconds)and produce what sounds like a short baby cry, cats meow, or what I think may be turbo whine? Is this normal? The other complaint I have is a knocking from the driverside seatbelt/sidemount. The knocking seems to be related to the tension of the seat belt.
Unfortanately these small problems feel far worse because the local dealer has such a poor service departement. It is a night and day difference from the Acura dealership we take our other car. Volvo does not even wash/vacuum out your car, no onsite loaner cars and no computers in the waiting area? We have only dealt with them 3 times and it has been a horror. It took them 3 months to get a hinge cover for the 3rd row seat they lost during recall work. We had a cracked front windshield and they told us over and over they do not do windshields. Every windshield place said it was a dealer only job. After a few days of calling all around we called the salesmanager and he said "sure we do windshields" "who aaid we don't". They took a week to install the windshield (ordered the wrong one)but at least we got it replaced? When we first bought the car there was a small faint stain on the rear seat, they said to bring it in and they would detail the car for free (we paid $200 extra for the interior teflon option). I bring it in 3 days after buying and drop it off. Come back 6 hours later and some girl in service is saying I have to file a claim with the teflon company before they will try to clean it. I got the salemanager and he took care of the job and had it ready an hour later. They had had it for 7 hours! I've only been to this one Volvo dealership in Fairfax, VA and I am shocked and what a piss poor job they do. It is like you are going back in time to some car dealership in the 70s. Plus because Volvo is a premium brand the service dept. should at least be above average. Some of the perks I mentioned are now offered by Toyota/Nissan etc.
Sorry to hear about what you've had to put up with. I would never have guessed that DB in Fairfax has a crappy service department. Their sales guys were easy to deal with when we stopped in.
I guess I should be glad we went with M, across the river in DC. Haven't dealt, yet, with the service department, though we have some adjustment items (see post 316) that we'll be taking it in for.
For what it's worth, when the XC90 was delivered to us, it had a discarded envelope and candy wrapper stuck between the passenger seat and the center console, which had been overlooked. Like your stain, I guess that the pre-delivery inspection that Volvo dealers do isn't that awesome.
We also have an Acura as our second vehicle. Just one routine service in Bethesda, MD at CCA. Nothing to remark about one way or the other. What local dealer do you use?
The DB Volvo is in Falls Church, the one I have had problems with is Fairfax Volvo a little further out on route 50 in Fairfax. Pohanka Acura is where we go. They really role out the red carpet. You drive into a heated garage. They come out and discuss what you need to have done. The lounge/waiting area has a fridge stocked with drinks. Lots of computers to surf the internet. You can get a Loaner car there for whatever work you are having done, even an oil change. When you are done they wash and vacuum your car. Great service! But the car has some problems 2001 CL Type S on its 3rd transmission. As you may know a lot Hondas/Acuras have transmission problems. But I can't blame the dealer for this b/c it just seems like Honda America put out a lemon and are trying to just get away with extending the warranty on the tranny to 7 year/100,000 miles. At this rate I'll be on my 8th transmission by then.
My wife and I just leased an 05 2.5T from the aforementioned dealer on Rt50 in Fairfax. We experienced the same radio/cd problems mentioned earlier. It was indeed the controls on the steering wheel and it took 2 weeks for the part to come in. They wanted to put my wife and 2 kids in a rental, some economy size until she requested a comparable size SUV.
She finally called and asked if the part was in and they told her it was. After waiting for 2 hours in their waiting room with 4 year old twins, they said they were 20 mins away from being finished but their mechanics were going to lunch and it would be at least another 2 hours. They again put her in a rental, something small, and asked her to come back.
I agree with the earlier comments on the sales staff...they were wonderful. Their service, however needs a major overhaul. Got a great price on the lease but we are paying for it in the service.
hello..for the last 6 or 7 months i have been dreaming of buying the xc90 t6 awd.but after reading 18 pages of this discusion iam starting to doubt the dream. i have never owned a volvo or any other luxury suv. the only suv's i've owned were 92 and 98 blazer. now i am ready to jump into the higher priced arenia. but after reading all these messages i don't know if spending this kind of money for a suv with volvo's rep.is a smart choice. so i'll ask..is the xc90 worth the risk. thank you.
There is no risk at all if you were satisfied with the Blazer. It will be definitely a big jump up in the overall refinement which is called "luxury".
The boards like this one are heavily negatively skewed - Who is going to post a positive message on a "Problems" board? But if you read the XC90 board you will see the different picture.
hello..for the last 6 or 7 months i have been dreaming of buying the xc90 t6 awd.but after reading 18 pages of this discusion iam starting to doubt the dream. i have never owned a volvo or any other luxury suv. the only suv's i've owned were 92 and 98 blazer. now i am ready to jump into the higher priced arenia. but after reading all these messages i don't know if spending this kind of money for a suv with volvo's rep.is a smart choice. so i'll ask..is the xc90 worth the risk. thank you.
Additionally, posters on any forum amount to a minute fraction of owners - be it Honda, Volkswagen, Volvo or Acura, etc.
I perused these and other boards for months before we decided on a vehicle.
The bottom line is, if we let the the relatively small number of posts regards to problems dictate what vehicle we choose to buy, we wouldn't buy anything.
Hell, look at ANY of the problems and solutions boards for most cars hereon, and you'll find posts.
The chances are still in your favor that you won't have those problems.
For additional info, check NHTSA's website and check consumer complaints by make, model and year.
You'll find that several makes had more complaints in their first year of production than in successive years - Toyota, Honda, Lexus and Acura are no exception.
thank you for your honesty, the xc90 will still be my first choice but i'll do a little more homework before i go in march to purchase.........thanks again.
I have a 2004 XC90, not AWD. For the past few months I have noticed a consistent clunking noise the first time I brake after shifting from reverse to drive. For example, every morning after I back out of my driveway I drive approx. 100 yds to a stop sign and brake. When I brake I hear a very distinct clunking or heavy click sound. The sound seems to be coming from the front of the car. After the first time, the noise does not recur until I have stopped, placed the car in reverse, then drive again, at which time the noise happens again at the first braking.
Any clues? I have not had the dealer look at it yet.
I had the same problem with my wife's Honda. The front brake calipers were loose. I took the car in and the dealer new the problem right away. Volvo may even have a bulliten posted for this problem. Hope this helps.
The radio/stereo in my 20904 XC 90 will not turn on when the outside temperature is below -12 Celsius. The dealer keeps blowing me off when I raise this issue saying that they can't replicate the problem in the shop. It happens at 5 in the morning when I leave fro work - after the car heats up the radio will come on but the AM station is at 530 and the 2 FM selections are at 105.3 - every time. Something is wrong and Volvo won't do a thing about it though the dealer confirmed other customers have reported the same problem.
In addition to the minor stuff listed in Post 316, our XC90 has now started choking on CD's in the CD player. Sometimes it'll start off playing a CD just fine, but if we try to change discs, it'll just stop operating. Usually, it seems to reset itself between the time we turn the car off and the time we next turn it on. Is this sounding familiar, or is it likely we just got an atypically bad radio/CD player that'll need to be pulled and replaced or repaired?
(A busted CD player -- unlike the other stuff -- probably means a trip to the dealer in the coming week, since my wife doesn't like to travel without music.)
I called the service dept of my dealer, and I was told that the fan running after engine shut-off is the "after-blower" (or something like that) tied to the A/C system. I was told not to worry about it. Not sure if it's true. Nonetheless, I always follow the cool down instructions outlined in the owner's manual, just to be on the safe side.
Is it possible for the dealer to program the DRL of my car to use the two inner headlamps instead of the regular headlamps? That's how it worked on my last car and I liked it.
Also, does anyone know if it's possible to program the keyless entry system to flash the parking lights when I UNLOCK the doors? Right now it's hard to tell whether the doors are unlocked, especially day time. Thanks.
I purchased an XC90 with the 2.5T. I previously had a 99 Honda Passport and an 02 Explorer. This was also my first premium suv purchase. The Volvo was nice to look at but everything else was a disappointment. When I read these positive posts I can only assume that Volvo employees or salespeople are making these comments. The 2.5T is a dog. The car is a load and five cylinders can't move it. The gas milage is dismal. I was able to get 16 mpg with a combination of suburban and highway driving. Keep looking there are better choices. Try the Lexus, Acura or BMW. Even the Caddy!
A Couple of questions: 1. How long did your test drive last? 2. Why do you think that EPA 15/21 X5 3.0 or 16/21 SRX V6 will give you any better mileage than 17/22 XC90 2.5T? Do you own any of them, besides the Volvo?
And a statement - I am not affiliated with Volvo in any way, I am just used to them. The XC90 2.5T drives no different from the S80 2.9 for all intensive purposes and is much better than 740. And I like (d) all three of them a lot.
hi. we have 04 xc90 awd 2.5t and it's been great so far. it's our 3rd volvo. the only problems were drivers powerwindow/powerlocks failed and the wacky radio symptoms others have described. dealer quickly fixed these things but it took two trips - first they replaced parts - failures continued - then they discovered pinched wires somewhere. ours has the michelins. 10k miles. looks like they'll be gone by 20k. we run 87 octane oxygenated & winterized, and have seen 20 mpg highway when very new. lately it's 15 mpg, city driving.
i took the xc90 driver training class at lime rock. it was AWESOME. until that class i was basically afraid to drive it - fearing suv rollover & lousy handling. after the training class, i concluded it is *impossible* to roll over this suv as long as you stay on the pavement.
what is this rear shock problem folks are referring to? i think there are two different rear shock setups depending on whether 3rd-row seats are installed. nivomat shocks only come with the 3rd-row option?
I purchased an XC90 with the 2.5T. I previously had a 99 Honda Passport and an 02 Explorer. This was also my first premium suv purchase. The Volvo was nice to look at but everything else was a disappointment. When I read these positive posts I can only assume that Volvo employees or salespeople are making these comments. The 2.5T is a dog. The car is a load and five cylinders can't move it. The gas milage is dismal. I was able to get 16 mpg with a combination of suburban and highway driving. Keep looking there are better choices. Try the Lexus, Acura or BMW. Even the Caddy!
I can safely say that I'm not a Volvo OR Ford employee. This is the first Volvo we've ever owned and it's been the most trouble-free as well. We've owned a Toyota Tercel (bought 2 years old), and a 1996 Mercury Sable (bought new).
In 21 months of ownership, we've only had 2 warranty issues - both minor. One was replacement of the antenna amplifier (radio would delay power up for nearly 10 minutes at times) and replacement of the end cap on one of the roof rails.
We've got 30,300 miles on it to date, and haven't even had the problem of eating tires (Michelin 4x4 Synchrones)others have had. We'll likely be replacing them at 40k, which isn't bad.
Last week I tracked city mpg driving at about 19 mpg. My wife is a bit more lead-footed from standing starts, thus she tends to get around 17 mpg city mpg.
We've gotten 23-24 mpg no problem loaded with 4 adults,luggage and golfclubs for a week long trip.
If I were you, I'd sell your XC and buy something that you like.
As for Lexus, Acura, BMW, etc. One can find people complaining about problems with those vehicles as well on any number of forums.
Hi. My 2003 XC-90 replaced rear right bearing at 16000 miles. The dealer said that it was a faulty bearing. I also had excessive outer edge wear on both rear tires (Pirelli) and had to replace all 4 tires with Michelin. The latest Consumer Report indicates that Volvo is not a reliable automobile which I 100% agree with. KKH
I was told by the dealer that they disinfected the vents in order to remove the mold/mildew. However, my receipt from the dealer says they "performed odor eliminator treatment." There is a big difference in disinfecting/cleaning/removing mold/mildew versus masking the problem with an odor. Does anyone know if the odor eliminator treatment disinfects/removes the mold/mildew from the vehicle or just masks the smell?
By the way, my vehicle is new and they said the fan was turned off. They said they turned it on now. In any case, mold/mildew remain if not properly removed, so I would like to understand more what was done to my vehicle with this "odor eliminator treatment."
I just brought my car in due to a problem with a mold/mildew smell coming from the A/C (see previous post). In their response to me, he said the fan was off. I replied that it did not sound like it because it sounded like a fan kept running after I shut the engine off. The dealer responded that the fan I heard was the engine cool off fan and not the A/C fan as that function was off on my vehicle. It must have been delivered to me with the A/C fan off because it has not been anywhere other than the dealer for any services. Sorry to add to your fan confusion.
My test drive did not last long enough. The BMW X5 3.0 was far superior during my test drive than anything I experienced during my 7 month XC90 ownership. I can live with poor gas if there is some performance. The Volvo is clearly very slow with the 2.5 Turbo. I really enjoy the BMW and I was lucky to dump the Volvo recently. It out handles and out performs the XC 90.
I do not remember to hear any claims from Volvo of XC90 2.5T being a performance car. It is an SUV. However, the objective figures that I see put 2.5T at about 15% lower than X5 3.0. The 0-60 9.5 vs. 8.1 sec. the 1/4 mile - 18 vs. 16 sec., something like that. And also EPA reports better MPG for XC90 2.5T as for the X5 3.0. I will wait for your report after 7 month of BMW ownership on average gas mileage to draw any conclusion.
I can definitely live with the XC90, consider that it has 7 seats and is much roomier inside.
Comments
I am looking forward to it.
We are getting around 22MPG going up and down to the ski resort (about 600Mi round trip).
I've attributed the problem to the inside temperature getting to the desired point, and then blowing air at a temperature equal to the set temp. This feels like its cold in comparison.
Personally I would rather have the blower slow down and continue to blow warm air, than to have a moderate air speed and blow cold air (windchill factor anyone?)
If you wife's airflow is too cool then it might help to simply cover the solar sensor on her side.
As of 04 the Lexus RX330 has a new C-best option. You can have the dealer set this option such that the climate control system does NOT shift automatically from the footwell (predomenantly warming airflow), to dash outlets (predominently cooling airflow) once the setpoint temperature is reached.
For the RX this also aids in preventing windshield condensation from forming because when the system is left in footwell mode a significant level of warming airflow is still routed to the interior surface of the windshield. Whereas in dash or mixed mode NO airflow warms the windshield.
The RX also has c-best settings that allow you to prevent the A/C from operating all year around and if the windshield defrost/defog/demist function is selected.
Use of the A/C during cool weather willonly serve to dehumidify the incoming airflow during the wintertime and MOST of the time, especially in the country's colder winter regions, the A/C is completely non-functional for this purpose.
As a matter of fact as the OAT declines below about 55F, the A/C efficiency for dehumidification also declines dramatically, until at about 35F it is non-existent.
Some of this may also apply to your Volvo climate control.
You also can manually reduce the speed, if the auto speed appears too high.
On a side note I'd like to comment on how well the vehicle warms up. It seems as though I'm no more than a few blocks from my starting point before the thermostat is moving!
Any suggestions or comments?
Wouldn't be very surprised that as a stabilituy factor, even with FWD, they delay as upshift at the same time.
1 -- The driver's side mirror distorts the shape/distance of vehicles. (The rearview and passenger side mirror seem fine). Is this related to auto-dimming or indicative of a mirror problem? I don't really want the "fun-house" mirror experience everytime I check before changing lanes or turning.
2 -- The turn signal (left and right) doesn't always click at uniform intervals. It goes click ... click ... click ... clickclick ... click. Electrical issue? The lights themselves seem to work fine.
3 -- Homelink doesn't seem to "learn" from our garage door opener. Is it the same system used by Acura/Mercedes-Benz -- which have both worked flawlessly with our garage door openers?
Can the backup distance system be added as an aftermarket accessory or is it something that needed to be factory-installed?
1- Driver side mirror is fine. Have your's checked, compared to others on the lot at the dealer.
2- Turn signal is fine. What yours does does not seem normal.
3- Homelink did learn from my remote. I had to put fresh battery in my remote before the Volvo homelink would learn the code.
I don't think the back up alarm can be installed as an accessory. It's a nice feature. My only problem is that I don't have it in my other 2 cars. I get used to back up until I hear the beep. In the other cars I will likely hear a bang before a beep....
Guy
We had some problems initially in getting our Homelink to work because our garage door opener uses "rolling codes" which has a separate procedure in the owners manual that has to be followed. It was different than the procedure needed to get our Homelink to work in our Chrysler van. But in the end we were able to successfully to get it to work. Also we noticed that we have to depress our XC90's homelink button a little longer than we are used to in order for it to open/close the garage door (something like a full second versus just a quick tap).
Has anyone else had this problem? Does Volvo have a fix for it? Next time I take it in for service I'm going to talk to the dealer who does the service on it and my other Volvo.
The manual says that I need to let the engine idle to cool down the turbo before I turn it off. But when I bought the car, the dealer said it wasn't necessary. How long should I let it idle?
When I was still shopping for this car, after I got out the car (a different XC90) at the end of each test drive, I always smelled something from the front grill area, as if something burned. It wasn't very strong, but I could definitely smell it. The sales guy dismissed it as nothing. I just assumed it was some protective coating on the engine parts burning off. Is it possible that the smell was caused by the salesman not allowing the turbo to properly cool down?
I'm a little concerned if the fan runs exessively after shut-off in the winter, though I don't know what winter is where you're located.
Something I've always done to ensure that I'm giving the turbo an adequate cool-down is once I've entered my subdivision, I stick to the speed limit (20 mph) and coast it the 0.5 mile to my driveway. Once I'm in the garage, I'll wait about 5 - 10 seconds to shut it off (as the coasting thru the subdivision will already facilitate the cool-down anyway).
Thanks all for the input
Unfortanately these small problems feel far worse because the local dealer has such a poor service departement. It is a night and day difference from the Acura dealership we take our other car. Volvo does not even wash/vacuum out your car, no onsite loaner cars and no computers in the waiting area? We have only dealt with them 3 times and it has been a horror. It took them 3 months to get a hinge cover for the 3rd row seat they lost during recall work. We had a cracked front windshield and they told us over and over they do not do windshields. Every windshield place said it was a dealer only job. After a few days of calling all around we called the salesmanager and he said "sure we do windshields" "who aaid we don't". They took a week to install the windshield (ordered the wrong one)but at least we got it replaced? When we first bought the car there was a small faint stain on the rear seat, they said to bring it in and they would detail the car for free (we paid $200 extra for the interior teflon option). I bring it in 3 days after buying and drop it off. Come back 6 hours later and some girl in service is saying I have to file a claim with the teflon company before they will try to clean it. I got the salemanager and he took care of the job and had it ready an hour later. They had had it for 7 hours! I've only been to this one Volvo dealership in Fairfax, VA and I am shocked and what a piss poor job they do. It is like you are going back in time to some car dealership in the 70s. Plus because Volvo is a premium brand the service dept. should at least be above average. Some of the perks I mentioned are now offered by Toyota/Nissan etc.
I guess I should be glad we went with M, across the river in DC. Haven't dealt, yet, with the service department, though we have some adjustment items (see post 316) that we'll be taking it in for.
For what it's worth, when the XC90 was delivered to us, it had a discarded envelope and candy wrapper stuck between the passenger seat and the center console, which had been overlooked. Like your stain, I guess that the pre-delivery inspection that Volvo dealers do isn't that awesome.
We also have an Acura as our second vehicle. Just one routine service in Bethesda, MD at CCA. Nothing to remark about one way or the other. What local dealer do you use?
She finally called and asked if the part was in and they told her it was. After waiting for 2 hours in their waiting room with 4 year old twins, they said they were 20 mins away from being finished but their mechanics were going to lunch and it would be at least another 2 hours. They again put her in a rental, something small, and asked her to come back.
I agree with the earlier comments on the sales staff...they were wonderful. Their service, however needs a major overhaul. Got a great price on the lease but we are paying for it in the service.
Acura "lemon"? No...o...o...o...
The boards like this one are heavily negatively skewed - Who is going to post a positive message on a "Problems" board? But if you read the XC90 board you will see the different picture.
Additionally, posters on any forum amount to a minute fraction of owners - be it Honda, Volkswagen, Volvo or Acura, etc.
I perused these and other boards for months before we decided on a vehicle.
The bottom line is, if we let the the relatively small number of posts regards to problems dictate what vehicle we choose to buy, we wouldn't buy anything.
Hell, look at ANY of the problems and solutions boards for most cars hereon, and you'll find posts.
The chances are still in your favor that you won't have those problems.
For additional info, check NHTSA's website and check consumer complaints by make, model and year.
You'll find that several makes had more complaints in their first year of production than in successive years - Toyota, Honda, Lexus and Acura are no exception.
Any clues? I have not had the dealer look at it yet.
rear wheel bearings need to be replaced! Is this
going to be a continuing problem after the warranty is over? Why is this happening?
I also have a 2000 Chevy 1500 Silverado with
100,000 miles and no problems with the bearings.
(A busted CD player -- unlike the other stuff -- probably means a trip to the dealer in the coming week, since my wife doesn't like to travel without music.)
Also, does anyone know if it's possible to program the keyless entry system to flash the parking lights when I UNLOCK the doors? Right now it's hard to tell whether the doors are unlocked, especially day time. Thanks.
1. How long did your test drive last?
2. Why do you think that EPA 15/21 X5 3.0 or 16/21 SRX V6 will give you any better mileage than 17/22 XC90 2.5T? Do you own any of them, besides the Volvo?
And a statement - I am not affiliated with Volvo in any way, I am just used to them. The XC90 2.5T drives no different from the S80 2.9 for all intensive purposes and is much better than 740. And I like (d) all three of them a lot.
i took the xc90 driver training class at lime rock. it was AWESOME. until that class i was basically afraid to drive it - fearing suv rollover & lousy handling. after the training class, i concluded it is *impossible* to roll over this suv as long as you stay on the pavement.
what is this rear shock problem folks are referring to? i think there are two different rear shock setups depending on whether 3rd-row seats are installed. nivomat shocks only come with the 3rd-row option?
I can safely say that I'm not a Volvo OR Ford employee. This is the first Volvo we've ever owned and it's been the most trouble-free as well.
We've owned a Toyota Tercel (bought 2 years old), and a 1996 Mercury Sable (bought new).
In 21 months of ownership, we've only had 2 warranty issues - both minor. One was replacement of the antenna amplifier (radio would delay power up for nearly 10 minutes at times) and replacement of the end cap on one of the roof rails.
We've got 30,300 miles on it to date, and haven't even had the problem of eating tires (Michelin 4x4 Synchrones)others have had. We'll likely be replacing them at 40k, which isn't bad.
Last week I tracked city mpg driving at about 19 mpg. My wife is a bit more lead-footed from standing starts, thus she tends to get around 17 mpg city mpg.
We've gotten 23-24 mpg no problem loaded with 4 adults,luggage and golfclubs for a week long trip.
If I were you, I'd sell your XC and buy something that you like.
As for Lexus, Acura, BMW, etc. One can find people complaining about problems with those vehicles as well on any number of forums.
My 2003 XC-90 replaced rear right bearing at 16000 miles. The dealer said that it was a faulty bearing. I also had excessive outer edge wear on both rear tires (Pirelli) and had to replace all 4 tires with Michelin. The latest Consumer Report indicates that Volvo is not a reliable automobile which I 100% agree with. KKH
By the way, my vehicle is new and they said the fan was turned off. They said they turned it on now. In any case, mold/mildew remain if not properly removed, so I would like to understand more what was done to my vehicle with this "odor eliminator treatment."
However, the objective figures that I see put 2.5T at about 15% lower than X5 3.0.
The 0-60 9.5 vs. 8.1 sec. the 1/4 mile - 18 vs. 16 sec., something like that.
And also EPA reports better MPG for XC90 2.5T as for the X5 3.0.
I will wait for your report after 7 month of BMW ownership on average gas mileage to draw any conclusion.
I can definitely live with the XC90, consider that it has 7 seats and is much roomier inside.