Two problems related to automatic transmission control module have been reported for the 2004 Volvo XC90. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Volvo XC90 based on all problems reported for the 2004 XC90.
The Volvo has constant issues when shifting and getting stuck in a specific gear. Also it will decide to down shift out of know where. I can be doing 55 on the highway then it slams into 3rd and I lose control of the vehicle almost making me crash. Mechanics do not see anything weong with the transmission ie its going bad but something is making the vehicle do this. Software possibly tcm not working properly but my mechanic also insepected that. After much research it seems to be a very well known and unsafe condition.
Three and a half weeks ago my 2004 t6 Xc90 jerked for the first time. I was on leaving the parking lot at work and the rear end made a loud bumping sound and the car jerked forward. It felt like another car had bumped into me, but I was the only car on the road. It didn't happen again for another week or so. Thursday, April 24th, I'm driving to work and the car isn't picking up speed when I push the gas. The rpms go up but it doesn't accelerate. Friday, April 25th I took it to the dealer and there was no problem. The car drove perfectly, even after I picked it up. Saturday, April 26th at 9pm, I'm driving alone on the interstate and the transmission service urgent light comes on, the car loses power the rpms are running up with no acceleration. Fortunately I was in the right lane so I got off at the next exit and was able to make it home, but it continued to have intermittent power loss the whole time. I'm in nighttime traffic putting on the hazard lights trying to get home. I have to wait till Monday to go back to the dealer, the transmission service light has been on since Saturday. The dealership gets the vehicle Monday, and keeps it until Friday saying the cem module had to be replaced. I wasn't confident of the fix so the dealership service rep kept the car to drive over the weekend. I picked it up Monday, may 5th. The invoice says 'code tcm 002b incorrect gear ratio' was the error message found. The software for the tcm was upgraded, but apparently didn't fix the problem because the cem was replaced. This vehicle had 53,897 miles on it when his occurred. I have not owned the car 4 years yet and wish I had gotten an extended warranty because this recent work was not covered and cost $1297. From what I've learned on the internet in the past few weeks this t6 Xc90 has transmission failure as its theme. I find it incredulous that Volvo may be putting me and other members of the public at risk for a problem that could result in an accident.