2004 Volvo XC90

ENGINE PASSENGER SIDE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT, FLAMES SHOOTING OUT THE WHEEL WELL. OTHER DRIVERS FLAGGED TO PULL OVER, TURNED OFF IGNITION KEY AND REMOVED TO GET OUT OF VEHICLE. ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OFF, CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE FOR FEAR OF EXPLOSION. FIRE DEPARTMENT USED AN AX TO STOP THE ENGINE. CAR WAS TOTALED. NO ONE WAS INJURED. *TR

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RANDOMLY START, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A LOUD THUMP SOUND FROM THE ENGINE, ALSO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY ALL THE ELECTRICAL ITEMS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GOING DARK, ALL GAUGES GO TO ZERO, SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK, RADIO GOES DARK AND STOPS WORKING ALONG, A/C STOPS WORKING, ERROR MESSAGE APPEAR FOR THE ABS AND SRS. THERE IS ALSO AN SLIGHT LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 4 TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR. DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON THE FIRST VISIT WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING SINCE THE PROBLEM IS COMPLETELY RANDOM. ON A MORE RECENT VISIT DEALER SAYS CAR NEEDS A INSTRUMENT PANEL MODULE REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $1,500. ACCORDING TO MY ONLINE RESEARCH, THIS COMPLAINT IS BY FAR THE MOST PREVALENT PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL BY MAYBE A 20 TO 1 MARGIN. *TR

WAS DRIVING IN NEIGHBORHOOD AT ABOUT 20 MPH, WHEN RADIO SHUT OFF AND THEN ALL ELECTRICAL SHUT OFF, CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO EITHER GAS OR BRAKES, THEN THERE WAS A THUMP FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, WHICH BROUGHT THE DASH LIGHTS BACK ON. I THEN WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF CAR. RESTARTED THE CAR AND THERE WERE A SLEW OF ERROR MESSAGES ON THE DASH, INCLUDING A BRAKE WARNING. ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE CAR, ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN ON MY DRIVE HOME. VERY UNSAFE TO BE DRIVING AND NOT SURE IF YOUR BRAKES OR STEERING ARE GOING TO CUT OUT. DID SOME RESEARCH WHEN I GOT HOME AND REALIZED THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED ISSUE WITH THE CEM OF VOLVOS. I HOPE NHTSA IS INVESTIGATING. IF THIS HAPPENS TO SOMEONE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IT COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF DRIVING IN THE GEORGIA / NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS WITH THE WIFE AND 2 KIDS IN THE BACK, THE AIR-CONDITIONER AND RADIO ON WITH THE 2004 XC90, THE CAR STARTED EXPERIENCING WEIRD BEHAVIOR. SHORTLY AFTER CROSSING THE GEORGIA BORDER INTO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR AND THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER (NO DASHBOARD, HAZARD LIGHTS, BLINKERS, WINDOWS AND DOOR LOCKS, SUNROOF, ETC.). THE DRIVE TRAIN ALSO SEEMED STUCK IN A HIGH GEAR AND WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT WHICH MADE NORMAL DRIVING CLOSE TO IMPOSSIBLE ESPECIALLY ON MOUNTAIN ROADS. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR MADE THE VIOLENT NOISE AGAIN UNDER THE HOOD AGAIN AND JERKED VIOLENTLY AGAIN. LUCKILY THERE WAS AN AUTOZONE IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT AND I HAD THEM READ THE ENGINE CODES WHICH WAS ONLY SHOWING A 'DSTC FAILURE' (DASHBOARD WAS NON-FUNCTIONAL). I DECIDED TO REPLACE THE BATTERY WITH A NEW ONE IN HOPES THAT THE FAILURE WAS BECAUSE OF A WEAK BATTERY TRICKING THE COMPUTER TO GO INTO SURVIVAL MODE. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, POWER WAS RESTORED TO THE CABIN (AC, RADIO, AND DASH WERE ALL WORKING AGAIN) AND THERE WAS NOW A 'SRS AIRBAG SERVICE URGENT' MESSAGE WHICH I COULDN'T CLEAR FROM THE DASH, NOR COULD THE TOOL FROM AUTOZONE DETECT OR CLEAR VIA THE PLUG TO THE COMPUTER PORT. THERE WERE NO ENGINE CODES IN THE AUTOZONE COMPUTER AFTER THE BATTERY CHANGE BUT WE STILL HAD THE SRS WARNING LIGHT / MESSAGE ON THE DASH. THE NEXT DAY, WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE ABOVE DRIVING HOME FROM OUR DESTINATION. WE WERE HOPING THAT NEW BATTERY WOULD SOLVE THE ISSUE, BUT I NOW BELIEVE IT'S THE CEM. CAR IS GOING TO THE DEALER TOMORROW TO INVESTIGATE SINCE OF COURSE IT HAPPENED ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND NOTHING WAS OPEN OTHER THAN SOME STORES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MILES AN HOUR AND THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. NO LIGHTS, NO ENGINE, NO POWER STEERING, NO DASH LIGHTS. THE CAR WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. I PULLED OVER AND LET THE CAR REST AND THEN IT STARTED UP AGAIN. I NOTICED THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I TOOK IT TO ARBORMOTION IN ANN ARBOR MI AND THEY TOLD ME A CODE CAME UP AND SOME PART HAD TO BE CLEANED. WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH AIR GOING THROUGH THE PART TO ALLOW GAS TO FLOW. THEY FIXED THE PART AND A MONTH LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY ONLY THIS TIME HOWEVER, UNLIKE THE FIRST TIME, JUST THE LIGHTS STAYED ON. I WENT TO THE SAME SHOP AND THEY SAID IT WAS ANOTHER CODE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY XC90 2004 AND SUDDENLY THE UNIT JUST TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. I HAD TO CONTINUE DRIVING WITH THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ANY KIND OF POWER. I PARKED THE CAR BESIDE THE HIGHWAY AND TRIED TO TURNED ON THE CAR AGAIN, THE CAR STARTED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. I CHECKED THE POLE OF THE BATTERY BUT THEY WERE OK AND THE BATTERY ITSELF IT'S NEW. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT HAPPENS, IT IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE AND SPORADIC.WHEN I WENT TO THE VOLVO DEALER SOME MONTHS AGO TO FIX A CAMPAIGN THAT HAVE THE XC90, I TOLD THE MECHANICS WHAT HAPPENED AND TOLD THEM TO CHECK THAT ISSUE. THE TOLD ME IT WAS VERY STRANGE AND WHEN THEY FIXED THE CAMPAIGN THEY TOLD ME THEY DIDN'T FOUND ANYTHING. *TR

FRONT LIGHTS GO OFF GOT A TICKET FOR THAT REASON AND ONLY THRU THAT TICKET DID I KNOW THAT THE LIGHTS GO OFF IT HAPPENS ONCE IN A WHILE AND WHEN SO I HAVE TO GO TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN CAR OFF AND TURN ON AGAIN, WONT HAPPEN FOR A PERIOD AND THEN SURPRISE IT HAPPENS AGAIN.WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED AND WE DONT KNOW IF THERE IS ANY RECALLS IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. *TR

TODAY, WE LEARNED OUR VOLVO XC90'S YAW RATE SENSOR HAS FAILED. THE ROOT CAUSE WAS WATER LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR DUE TO BLOCKED MOONROOF (I.E. SUNROOF) DRAINS, WHICH SHORTED THE YAW RATE SENSOR. THIS IMPAIRED THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND BRAKES OF OUR VOLVO, PUTTING US AT RISK OF ACCIDENT. RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A FREQUENT AND RECURRING PROBLEM KNOWN SINCE AT LEAST 2004. IT HAS CAUSED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS XC90S. VOLVO IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE UP TO AND INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT OF VOLVO USA. EVEN THOUGH EASY AND INEXPENSIVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE WOULD PREVENT EXPENSIVE DAMAGE, NEITHER THE VOLVO USER MANUAL NOR MAINTENANCE SERVICE OPERATIONS GUIDES MENTION THE NEED. THE DAMAGE WE AND OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED WAS COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. THE ROOT CAUSE IS A DESIGN DEFECT, WHICH VOLVO SERVICE PROVIDERS REGULARLY CORRECT BY CUTTING THE BOTTOM END OF THE HOSES. A SERVICE PROVIDER IS REPORTED AS SAYING, "THIS IS A BAD DESIGN. WE DON'T KNOW WHY VOLVO DESIGNED IT THIS WAY, SO WE JUST CUT OFF THE BOTTOM TWO INCHES OF THE HOSES." GIVEN THE RISK THIS DEFECT PUTS OWNERS AT AND VOLVO'S ONGOING FAILURE TO CORRECT THIS DESIGN DEFECT AND/OR NOTIFY OWNERS OF THIS ISSUE AND THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE TO ADDRESS IT, I BELIEVE A RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VOLVO XC90S IS WARRANTED AND SHOULD BE INSTITUTED IMMEDIATELY. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

LAST NIGHT MY 2004 VOLVO XC90 LEFT ME ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTERSTATE 88 NEAR ROCK FALLS, IL WEATHER 7:00 PM 28 HUMIDITY: 73% WIND: NNE DEW POINT: 22 PRESSURE: 30.16 IN BONE DRY WHILE DRIVING 65MPH FELT A "THUMP" IN THE FRONT END, FOLLOWED BY A SPLIT SECOND WHERE ALL DASHBOARD LIGHTS, WENT BLACK. WHILE TRYING TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THEN NORMAL FUNCTION RESUMED. A MINUTE OR TWO LATER, SAME THING AND ALL LIGHTS INTERNALLY COMPLETELY WENT OUT, I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. HAZARD LIGHTS COULD NOT BE TURNED ON. AFTER CALLING FOR A TOW TRUCK, AND WAITING ABOUT 45 MINUTES I RESTARTED IT. THERE WERE 2 MESSAGES ON THE DASH, THE YELLOW EXCLAMATION POINT DASHBOARD ICON/ALERT LIT UP, A SERVICE MESSAGE FLASHED REFERRING TO THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE FAILURE, THE SRS NEEDED URGENT ATTENTION. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN EARLY NOVEMBER 2012 I CALLED THE CLOSEST VOLVO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO OPEN RECALLS AND THEY HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE FOR DIAGNOSIS BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS I REPORTED NOT A SINGLE MENTION OF NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE 2004 VOLVO XC90 THAT SEEMS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO MY SYMPTOMS EXPERIENCED. FROM: ERICA HENRY [MAILTO:[XXX]] SENT: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2012 11:55 AM TO:[XXX] SUBJECT: RE: SERVICE REQUEST - YES I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT FOR JAN 10TH. THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ON YOUR VEHICLE. BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS THAT YOU EXPERIENCED, WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE THE CAR HERE TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSIS. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOME TROUBLE CODES STORED IN THE SYSTEM, AND THOSE WILL HELP MY TECHNICIAN FURTHER DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SCHEDULE STILL PLEASE LET ME KNOW. [XXX], SERVICE ADVISOR -[XXX]WORLD AUTO DIRECT LINE 815-991-2770 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN, THE CAR MADE A KNOCKING NOISE AND DRIVER CONSOLE/DASH STOPPED WORKING. THE LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND ALL GAUGES WENT TO "ZERO." I NO LONGER HAD TURN SIGNALS EITHER. I FEARED FOR OUR LIVES. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH, AND HAVE FOUND THAT OTHERS HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE WITH 2004 XC90S. *TR