CarComplaints.com Notes: The XC90 took its “freshman 15” of transmission complaints and turned it into a “sophomore 45.” The 2004 XC90 saw 3X as many complaints about the transmission failing as it did in its inaugural North American model year! By the following year, transmission complaints fell back in line with the 2003. That sharp spike in complaints means we recommend avoiding the 2004.

On top of transmission complaints, the 2004 XC90 also has problems with a sudden loss of power. The lucky ones are met with a “reduced engine performance” message, while others are left stranded on the side of the road waiting for a tow.

2.5

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,150 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Volvo XC90 wheels / hubs problems

wheels / hubs problem

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2004 Volvo XC90 Owner Comments

problem #10

Sep 242008

XC90

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Steering-linkages: Tie rod assembly on certain passenger vehicles, the outer tie rod ball joint can deform at high loads causing a loss of the clamping force and the nut may loosen, which may eventually lead to a fatigue fracture of the outer tie rod ball joint. Consequences of defect: The driver may notice that hte vehicle is difficult to maneuver increasing the risk of a crash. Wheels: On certain SUV's the front wheel speed sensors may be defective. Causing an erroneous whill speed signal. Consequences of the defect: This can adversely affect a number of vehicle functions, including brake, engine, transmission, and torque distribution control which rely on this signal for proper operation. Visibilty: Windshield wiper/washer on certain vehicles, if the wiper arm is activated in extreme winter weather conditions and without lifting the wiper arms and cleaning the windshield prior to moving, the wiper arm might slip on its drivershaft, resulting in an inability to move the wiper from the park posiiot from the park position. Consequences of defect: Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility. Seats belts: Rear on certain SUV's, the seat belt attachment for the second and third row seats may not have been fitted properly. Consequences of defect: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury. Corrective action: Dealers will inspect and repair the defects free of charged. In my case, the manufacturer has declined to repair the defects even when the dealer has diagnosed my SUV with the power steering problem, plus the defects already mentioned. Therefore, the dealer will not repair free of charge. Number of vehicles affected: 122431 dates manufactured: Feb 2003 to Jun 2004

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #9

Sep 242008

XC90

  • miles
On certain passenger vehicles, the outer tie rod ball joint can deform at high loads causing a loss of clamping and the nut may loosen, which may eventually lead to a fracture of the outer rod ball joint. The driver may notice the vehicle is diffcult to maneuver increasing the risk of a crash. Wheels: On certain SUV's, the front wheel speed sensors may be defective, causing an erroneous speed signal this can adversely affect a number of vehicle functions, including brake, engine, transmission, and torque distribution control which rely on this signal for proper operation. Seat belts: Rear on certain SUV's, the seat belt attachment for the second and third row may not have been fitted properly. In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury. Corrective actions: Dealer will inspect and repair free of charge. In my case, the manufacturer has refused to repair free of charge, therefore, the Volvo dealer will not repair defects on my SUV.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #8

Oct 242016

XC90

  • 172,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that the all wheel drive sensor malfunctioned. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic, but was unable to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 03V434000 (wheels). The contact stated that the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 172,000.

- Redding, CA, USA

problem #7

Apr 152016

XC90

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

There has been problems with steering the driver shafts the fuel pump airbags and wheels making a clicking noise while driving on highway. The gas smell is always inside the car and mechanic has said it's from the fuel pump defect during manufacturer. Along with the other fore-mention defects.Volvo does not want to address issues because age of car. There is a defective sunroof that allows water to leak inside the car during rain fall. There has been a top class action placed against Volvo for this. They wanted to charge me $700 to $800 for this defect and $1200 to $1500 for fuel pump.

- Trenton, NJ, USA

problem #6

Jan 102011

XC90

  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. The contact took the vehicle to have the tires replaced. The front right tire was replaced and air came out of the tire. The technician stated that there was a crack in the rim which caused the tire to lose air. The dealer stated that the rim was no longer under warranty. The current and failure mileages were 48,000.

- Corona, CA, USA

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problem #5

Jan 052009

XC90

  • 123,000 miles
I have 2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T. At approximately 60,000 miles, two of the wheel bearings (1 front, 1 rear) malfunctioned. The front was so loose, the wheel almost fell off at high speed. I had to have the vehicle towed to a mechanic. At approximately 100,000 miles, the other front wheel bearing malfunctioned. Once again, the wheel almost fell off at high speed. Now at 123,000 miles, the other rear wheel bearing has malfunctioned. I am a safe driving mother of two. The vehicle is never driven off road. I live in southwestern Colorado where we do have snow and ice in the winter. My mechanic has told me that he has replaced many wheel bearings on XC90's over the past few years. I've also read many posts online from other XC90 owners about the failure. Here is a link to a discussion regarding Volvo's recognition of the defect: forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?cmd=print&id=57983. I called Volvo customer care and they said that they do not have any plans to recall these wheel bearings. I feel this is a safety concern and would like to bring this defect to your attention and request recall consideration.

- Durango, CO, USA

problem #4

Aug 232008

XC90

  • 65,098 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2004 Volvo XC90 with 65,000 miles on the vehicle. We recently noticed noise while driving the vehicle. We took it to the dealer and they said that both rear wheel bearings are going bad for one to go bad is one thing, for both highly unlikely. Fortunately, we took it to the dealer for repair. If the rear wheels would have lockup up, it could have resulted in an accident. I spoke to other mechanics and they informed me that it is highly unlikely that both would go bad and there was a problem with the parts. I believe that the real wheel hubs on the Volvo Xc90S from 2004 forward should be review for faulty mechanical issues. This is concerning to me since other could be harmed by a defective product.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #3

Nov 032007

XC90

  • 56,000 miles
Transmission failure on our 2004 Volvo xc-90 T6 AWD at approximately 56,000K miles. Fortunately it was a warranty repair; however my research on automotive discussion boards like edumds indicates a very large pattern of failure of the transmission on this model.

- Apo , AE, USA

problem #2

Apr 242007

XC90 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 55,400 miles
Wheel bearings have been replaced twice under warranty. The problem has recurred. This part needs to be recalled.

- Macedonia, OH, USA

problem #1

Nov 132006

XC90 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 82,000 miles
: the contact stated when he pulled the rear seat cushion to flip the seat back up, the seat pulled right out. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined three metal clips (slides) on the seat were fractured in half and needed to be replaced. Additionally, while driving 20 mph, there was a thumping noise coming from underneath the vehicle. It was towed to an independent repair shop who determined the right rear wheel was fractured and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was alerted. Updated 12/5/2006 -

- Racine, WI, USA

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