Automatic Transmission problems of the 2004 Volvo XC90 - part 1

The transmission on my 2004 Volvo Xc90 went out while I was driving with my children in the car. This is a well known defect in this car yet Volvo has refused to recall these vehicles and repair them. They have quoted us $7700 to repair and replace transmission and other parts damaged by the failed transmission. Does someone have to be killed before something is done? these cars need to be recalled and Volvo needs to take responsibility for putting in defective transmissions. A simple web search will reveal thousands of posts from owners with the exact same issue with these faulty transmissions.

I have a 2004 Volvo Xc90 with 78,000 miles on it and the transmission needs to be replaced. This is rediculous for such a nice car. I don't have $5,000 to replace a transmission. Volvo needs to step up to the plate.

2004 Volvo Xc90 t6 "transmission service urgent" error message appears. Car jumps when changing gear and sometimes has no power when pushing the gas. Car has 72k+ miles.

Liquid (probably water) inside the frame of Volvo Xc90 causing electrical issues.

I have a 2004 Volvo Xc90. At approximately 52k miles, the Xc90 1st generation transmission went bad and had to be replaced. Carlsen Volvo (palo alto, CA) agreed to cover the cost of the transmission replacement. I was very pleased with the service and went on my way. In December 2010 at ~107,000k miles, the transmission started to hesitate & function erratically while driving. . Within a few days, the car was parked at my home, and was unable to engage in forward or reverse. I towed the car in; it was diagnosed w/ internal transmission problem. The service rep said that she would talk to the factory rep regarding compensation. The dealer rep called Volvo n. A. Rep, wyatt, who offered to pay for the parts (~$3,500) but I would have to pay for the labor(~$1,500). My husband countered that we would like the whole thing paid for since it was well-known factory defect. When wyatt heard of our counter offer, he not only denied this, but simply stated that the deal was off the table, period. The next day, I reconsidered and asked the service rep to call wyatt again with our acceptance of the initial deal. Wyatt refused to put the deal back on the table and said we should pay for the repairs ourselves. I then called Volvo customer care who documented the complete story,contacted wyatt via email to again. However, wyatt refused. Apparently, because I have chosen in the past to have a personal mechanic service my car, change the oil and tires, etc. , I am considered to be a "disloyal vovolvo customer" and this was a consideration in wyatt's decision not to pay for my transmission, even though it is a defective part. At this point, I had to have my car back, and told carlsen to replace the transmission. Carlsen offered a 10% discount off the total price. A very kind gesture, however, I had to pay $4,600 out of pocket for another new transmission for this car. It is well documented that the 1st and 2nd generation transmissions for this model have been defective. I am disgusted.

Failed transmission.

Volvo cx90 2004 faulty transmission. The transmission on my car failed. . . No warning, no transmission light. Volvo has placed a faulty gm transmission in the car and they need to recall it. It is a safety issue and a cost issue. Volvo, I believe is aware of this issue and they need to step up and fix it.

The contact owns a 2004 Volvo Xc90. While driving at 35 mph, the transmission began dragging and the vehicle would not accelerate. The dealer performed a diagnostic and found that the transmission would need to be replaced. In addition, the dealer advised there was a small leak from the power steering pump. There were no repairs. The failure and the current mileages were 39,000.

After driving 125 miles without incident, we left our 2004 Volvo xc 90 t6 awd parked for 4 hours before driving again. After less than a half mile at low speed, there was a "thump" from the front of the car, the wipers cycled, the gauges all went blank, some of the windows stopped working, the a/c went out (blower stayed on). The car stayed on, but seemed "stuck" in second gear and the brakes became "spongy," but operable. Turn signals were inoperable and the power steering went out. The indicator light on the gear shift went out and the central locking system stopped functioning. We got out of traffic and into the shade. I checked all fuses and tried to restart the car. It would restart, but within seconds there were multiple "clicks" coming from the area near the fuse box in the passenger compartment followed by the electrical failures described above. After letting the car sit for a couple of hours we moved it to a secure location two miles away. During that drive all of the above problems happened again, including the engine being "stuck" in second gear. After letting the car sit overnight, it started and ran without incident. However, the "check engine" light and the "srs" light have remained on. A repair shop could not diagnose the problem. Prior to this incident, the same things happened to my wife in the same car. The symptoms lasted a few seconds and disappeared.

Vehicle has already had the transmission replaced at least once by previous owner. It went out again on us at about 70,000 miles. Had transmission replaced with "new high class Volvo parts" transmission. Now the engine is 3 times louder than before and we're in some serious money for our car. We're very disappointed.

Purchased a 2005 Volvo sc90. One owner been to Volvo dealer every time it has been serviced. Seemed like a good deal. This is a weekend vehicle. And well the transmission went out at 112000 miles. Only 4500 to fix. I really thought Volvo was a reliable vehicle. What a joke something is really wrong with this.

Purchased an '04 Volvo Xc90 t6 on may 1st from a private seller. Did research on the vehicle through msn reliability, Volvo, etc. Only issue highlighted was engine concerns, not transmission. It wasn't until the transmission went out on June 6th that I found numerous consumer complaints about the transmission going out at around 60k miles. Mine went out at approx. 57k miles. I've contacted Volvo and asked about recalls, etc. And was told I should've driven my car, or had it towed 40+ miles to the dealership to have it diagnosed to then have it repaired at the dealership so that I might get a reimbursed. About two weeks prior to the "transmission service urgent" message on the dash I received a "coolant low stop engine. " I've taken my Volvo to a certified Volvo repair service where the cost is going to be $5,335. The transmission went out after getting off the interstate and coming to a stop at a red light. When I tried to accelerate the car just wound.

Transmission not working properly only have 60,000 miles on car.

At 65,000 the transmission on my Volvo Xc90 began slipping and causing stuttering after doing research online found that there is an abundance of people with the same problem. This defect is known to Volvo and they still over charge to replace the transmission.

Purchased a 2004 Volvo t6 Xc90 used with 98,000 miles. At 104000 the trasnmission failed. They need $6500 to repair it. If it had gone at 99,999 they would pay for the repair as it is a known issue and are paying for 100% if under 100,000. . Read more...

2004 Xc90 has a huge problem with transmission problems. For a brand new 2004 xc 90, every two years expect to change the transmission. Otherwise you will stuck in the freeway especially you are planning to travel, do not use that car if it's close to two years.

Driving on 210-west, my car lost power without warning. The fuel pump had been replaced on Jan. 26, 2010, to correct the strong smell of gasoline inside and outside of the car. Other problems have been replacing the brake pads twice, replacing the abs, faulty gps and cd player, front passenger door automatic lock needs motor replaced, sloshing sound of water heard inside the car after rain.

Failed transmission; sudden/unanticipated loss of acceleration; at dealership for complete transmission replacement including required replacement of radiator and fuel lines.

Our 2004 Volvo Xc90 transmission recently "gave out". After looking up the problem on the internet I discovered many instances of the same issue. It appears to occur in 2003-2005 vehicles. Volvo realizes there is a major problem but has refused our request for compensation.

In August of 2009 I began noticing that my Volvo Xc90 t6 was slow to switch gears or would chug before switching. It would not happen all of the time and when I mentioned it to my husband he said he had not noticed it. I figured it was no big deal or that it was related to a cold engine. During the middle of October 2009, I was coming home from work and merging onto a two lane bridge when my Volvo refused to switch gears and would not go over 20 miles per hour. The transmission light went on. Thankfully no other cars were around and my lack of speed did not cause an accident. After about 10 minutes I was able to speed up and made it back home. The car is in need of a new transmission. It has sat in my driveway for 5 months because I can not afford it. I've gotten online only to find out that I am now a member of a rapidly growing club of frustrated Volvo owners. It frustrates me that this is a common problem with this year/make of Volvo's. My car has 40,000 miles on it. The transmission problem in these cars needs to be formally addressed. It is a huge safety hazard when a car all of a sudden jerks around and won't accelerate to safely merge into fast moving traffic.

Slippage of the transmission leading to failure of the transmission at 70,000 miles. Car failed on the highway. Volvo states that do to so many failures there are no replacement transmissions available.

2004 Volvo Xc90 2. 5l transmission. Complete failure at 65,000 miles requiring replacement of entire transmission. Four days after repair, vehicle has loud engine thump and check engine light comes back on. Repeats thump with entire electrical system going out requiring a 3. 5 hour tow home from 1/2 to our vacation destination. Dealer replaced alternator. Had for 2 days and check engine light comes back on and the thump/electrical issues start again. Barely got to dealer who has had for a week. They replaced alternator as put in the wrong one, but still haven't fixed it yet.

1. Since day 1, the transmission on my 2004 Volvo-xc90 has always given me trouble, it doesn't engage trough gear as quickly as it should. On may 25th 2009, the transmission completely went out leaving me in the middle of the intersection with cars behind me traveling 35 miles and almost caused an accident. 2. The transmission has never operated properly since I purchased the car in April of 2009. The shop and every other one I called knew exactly what the problem was. They said that the transmission in this model and year was a faulty gm transmission and have seen many in for this type of service. I did some research on the internet and found that many owners have experienced the same problem, the exact problem. I bought it from autowest Acura in san jose, I ask them for help with that matter, (4 times) they were evasive and refused to help, or to get to any arrangement. The "transmission service urgent" light came on. Took the car to the dealer and they said I need a new transmission. There seems to be a large number of these same complaints for this same car from Volvo. There is a serious problem with this car and I'm writing you for consumer protection.

I've been getting a roaring sound from under my '04 Volvo Xc90 t6. After spending $3000 replacing an "angle arm" at the Volvo dealership, there's been no improvement. I'm now told I need to replace my transmission. Cost estimate is $7000.

Failure of transmission in a 2004 Volvo xc 90 with 64,000 miles while driving on the highway. Entire transmission and radiator had to be replaced.

1. The transmission on my 2004 Volvo-xc90 has always given me trouble, it doesn't engage into third gear as quickly as it should. On April 17th 2009, the transmission completely went out leaving me in the middle of the intersection with cars behind me traveling 35 miles and almost caused an accident. 2. The transmission has never operated properly since I purchased the car in June of 2008. 3. I have an extended warranty and so the car is in the shop now for repair. The shop and every other one I called knew exactly what the problem was. They said that the transmission in this model and year was a faulty gm transmission and have seen many in for this type of service. I did some research on the internet and found that many owner have experienced the same problem, the exact problem. My car only has 54,000 miles on it and some of the complaints I found on the internet reported were as low as 20,000 miles. There is a serious problem with this car and I'm writing you for consumer protection.

With each service at point west Volvo now park place Volvo since purchasing the car, dallas TX, I reported a problem with my 2004 Xc90 t6 that my engine surges on takeoff. With each service, they could not duplicate the problem and did not list this on the invoice. Well, since they did not find a problem, I did not question why it was not listed. Two days ago the 'transmission service urgent" light came on, so I called the dealer to see if the car is safe to drive in for service. Assured that it may just be a commuter problem, I deliver the car. I am now at 72000 miles and did not purchase extended warranty. The dealer has completed a software download ($600. 00) and thinks this may fix the problem. If not, I will need a new transmission to the tune of $6,000. 00. I have not missed a service, even scheduled service early because of the continued problem with the surges. Why did the dealer not address this problem, when it appears to be a know problem with my make and model? when I went to pick up the car today, my service rep. Went to talk with the service manage. They kept the car overnight but I am concerned that this was just a stall. What can be done? this is a know problem and Ford (Volvo) is doing nothing!.

I was driving the vehicle and the transmission simply stopped propelling the car. It was as if it went into neutral while going 50 mph. Fortunately I was able to pull over before becoming a road hazard.

Transmission simply died with no warning. I was driving the car and suddenly it just stopped. No accident occurred, but certainly could have. I believe the transmission in this car is defective and this has happened to numerous others.

Car started making a loud, metal grinding sound while pulling out of a shopping center parking lot. No previous problems or failures. No service code. Brought car to dealer and confirmed my fear it was the transmission. Only 69,000 miles on car. I've been aware of transmission problems on Xc90's. I even have a neighbor who had to replace the transmission on his 2004 Xc90. Have always had Volvos, but this is the last one. Volvo no longer stands behind its vehicles. Very disappointing for the price paid.

After 60000 mile service transmission appeared to be slipping when cold. "transmission service urgent" message appeared. Transmission would not shift from third gear. Shop indicated there is no adjustable part. Transmission replacement would likely be needed, when contacted Volvo indicated the warranty was off at 55k miles. Upon researching through the internet there are an extremely large number of transmission replacements for this vehicle and yet no recall has been issued. I contacted Volvo of north America and it appears they are dealing with this on a squeaky wheel case by case basis and some individuals are paying full replacement cost while others are being covered by Volvo. This does not seem equitable to the individuals who are unable to do the research or have time and resources to convince Volvo to replace the defective transmissions gratis.

I was driving on the parkway and notice a warning light on the dash. It stated urgent transmission needs service. I've taken it to the dealer and needed to replace transmission and radiator among other things.

On the way bringing our daughter home from hospital, third gear went out of the transmission. After saving enough money to replace the transmission, not five thousand miles later the reverse goes out of the transmission that we replaced, leaving my six month old daughter and I stranded. The vehicle is now sitting at the transmission shop, and has been for seven months, waiting to get fixed. However, I am now a single mother trying to go to school and live off of financial aid, so what I am saying; there is obviously something wrong with these transmissions. Please investigate further.

I have a 2004 Volvo Xc90 t6 awd SUV that I purchased from a Volvo dealer. While on a cross country trip the transmission seized and had to be replace. The vehicle was still under warranty (lucky), but the mechanic told me that this model and year had a engineering flaw and he had seen a number of these with this same problem. The flaw, the turbo engine puts too much torque on the 4 speed gm tranny in the car. I asked if Volvo had a recall on this issue and he said no. This first tranny went out at 60,000. At 66, 000 miles the second tranny went out. When I asked why this one went out, he explained that they do not know b/c when it is under warranty, Volvo tells the dealerships to just replace it and then send it to them and they will try and diagnosis the problem. I have been told that since gm does not make the transmission any longer they have to put a rebuilt into it. I have done some research on this issue and there seems to be 100's of xc 90 owners with the same problem. I have contacted Volvo customer service and they have been nice but not very willing to address this issue and I don't have very much confidence in this recent tranny. I was lucky when the first one went out, b/c I was not drive at 70 mph when it seized, I was just getting back on the hwy. The second one went out also at a slow speed. I searched through your site and did not find any mention of this issue so I thought I would post with you and see what happened. If you need further details please let me know. Thanks.

My 2004 Volvo Xc90 transmission had to replaced and they had to tow the car twice because the first time they told me the problem was fixed . My little children were in the car that just about made it home.