2006 Volvo XC90: complaints, problems and recalls

I BOUGHT A 2006 VOLVO XC90 OCEAN RACE (LIMITED EDITION) SUV ON 3/21/06. THE MORNING OF 3/25/06, MY CAR WOULD NOT START. VOLVO ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE, WHICH I THEN DROVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE BATTERY TESTED FINE, AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME. ON 4/27/06, AGAIN THE CAR WOULD NOT START. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME ON 4/29, NO-CHARGE INVOICE SAYS "REPLACE ENGINE MANAGEMENT AND STARTER RELAYS. RECHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES, O.K." CAR AGAIN FAILED TO START 5/3/06. IT IS NOW 5/9 AND 'SPECIAL' VOLVO FIELD TECH SEEM …

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10157037 at NHTSA ↗

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER INSTALLED THE WRONG SIZE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE TIRES TO WEAR PREMATURELY. THE SERVICE DEALER ORDERED A NEW SET OF TIRES IN A SMALLER SIZE. THE WHEEL BALL BEARINGS ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER A KNOCKING SOUND WAS DETECTED. THE SERVICE DEALER DETERMINED THIS WAS DUE TO NOT ENOUGH GREASE IN THE WHEELS. THE CONTACT ALSO EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE SEAT BELT WARNING INDICATOR, WHICH WILL ONLY ACTIVATE AND ILLUMINATE AS THE VEHICLE STARTS AND WILL NOT STAY ON FOR THE RIDE DURATION IF TH…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,314 miles reported. Look up ODI 10169892 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2006 XC90 HAS BEEN STALLING WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. IT IS VERY ALARMING AND DANGEROUS. THE FUEL PUMP AND MULTIPLE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10173919 at NHTSA ↗

A COLLEAGUE AND I OFTEN CARPOOL TO WORK. SHE PICKED ME UP IN HER NEW VOLVO VAN - PURCHASED FROM DEALER IN LATE 2006. THE COLLEAGUE, GOT OUT TO CHAT WITH MY SISTER WHILE I GATHERED THE THINGS I NEEDED TO TAKE TO WORK. THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS HALF-WAY OPEN BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN A MILD JANUARY DAY IN NJ. THE DOOR, THOUGH, WAS LOCKED, AND I WANTED TO GET INSIDE THE CAR READY TO BE ON OUR WAY. I LEANED MY HEAD INSIDE AND PUSHED THE BUTTON I THOUGHT WAS THE DOOR LOCK. INSTEAD, I ACTIVATED THE POWER WINDOW WHICH CONTINUED TO CLOSE ON MY NEC…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10178963 at NHTSA ↗

3/7/2007. 2006 VOLVO X90. CONTACT HAS A REAR BACK UP SENSOR AND SIRRIUS RADIO AND BLUETOOTH PHONE INSTALLED CONTACT STATES THAT THE REAR SENSOR WOULD GO OFF FOR LONG PERIODS WHEN NOTHING WAS VISIBLY NEAR THE VEHICLE. *MC THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SOMETIMES THE REAR BACK UP SENSOR WOULD NOT RESPOND AT ALL WHEN AN OBJECT WAS NEAR THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED HE STRUCK A WOODEN POLE THAT WAS INVISIBLE THROUGH THE REAR VIEW OR SIDE MIRRORS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE SENSOR, BUT THERE WAS A 20 SECOND DELAY AFT…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10184807 at NHTSA ↗

ON JANUARY 29, 2007 I TOOK MY 2006 VOLVO XC90 2WD TO THE VOLVO DEALER FOR THE 15,000 MILE SCHEDULED SERVICE TO INCLUDE THE SCHEDULED TIRE ROTATION AND BALANCE. THE CAR HAD 14,764 MILES. THE SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED LATER IN THE DAY TO STATE THAT (1) I NEEDED FRONT BRAKE PADS, AND (2) NEEDED FOUR NEW TIRES BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT. WHEN I ASKED WHY THOSE ITEMS WERE NEEDED, HE TOLD ME (1) THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WEAR EARLY BECAUSE THEY AREN'T LARGE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR, AND (2) THE ORIGINAL 17" …

Owner-reported narrative. 14,764 miles reported. Look up ODI 10185567 at NHTSA ↗

I HAVE A 2006 VOLVO XC90 SUV WITH ONLY 21000 MILES ON IT AND THE PIRELLI SCORPION TIRES 235/65 R17 ARE WORN OUT. DEALERSHIP HAS SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THEM AT 60%. I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE 40%. IF THE TIRES ARE NOT UP TO STANDARDS AND WEAR OUT AGAIN I WOULD EXPECT A FULL 100% REPLACEMENT. OLD TREAD WEAR WARRANTY DEAL.*AK SEEMS THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR VOLVO AND PIRELLI TIRES, LOTS OF COMPLAINTS BUT LITTLE ACTION FROM VOLVO OR PIRELLI. EACH BLAME THE OTHER'TIRES ARE TOO SOFT, FRONT END TOE SETTING ARE WRONG, BLAA BLAA. CAN YOU LOOK I…

Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10185661 at NHTSA ↗

2006 VOLVO XC90 TIRES - PIRELLI SCORPION ZERO 104H TIRE TREAD WORE VERY EARLY. TIRES HAD 15,000 MILES ON THEM WITH ONE TIRE LESS THAN 3/32'S TREAD LEFT. VOLVO WAS AWARE OF THIS EARLY TREAD WEAR PROBLEM AS EARLY AS MAY 2006. IN THE THREE WEEKS WE HAD TO WAIT FOR OUR REPLACEMENT TIRES THE ONE TIRE HAD ALMOST NO TREAD LEFT. WE PURCHASED THE CAR JULY 2006 WITH THE "DEFECTIVE TIRES" STILL ON THE CAR. IF VOLVO KNEW OF THE TREAD WEAR PROBLEM IN MAY 2006, WHY DIDN'T THE CONSUMERS? *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 15,459 miles reported. Look up ODI 10188738 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2006-04-28 (April 28, 2006)

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 DRIVESHAFT, RESULTING IN AN INABILITY TO MOVE THE WIPERS FROM THE PARK POSITION.

Consequence: INOPERATIVE WIPERS UNDER INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD CAUSE A CRASH DUE TO IMPAIRED VISIBILITY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER ARMS AND RETAINING NUTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2006-05-05 (May 5, 2006)

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.

Consequence: THE DRIVER MAY NOTICE THAT THE VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OUTER BALL JOINT TIE RODS WITH IMPROVED OUTER BALL JOINT TIE RODS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2010-11-08 (November 8, 2010)

VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.

Consequence: AN OVERHEATED BATTERY COULD LEAD TO A FIRE.

Remedy: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW BATTERY AND A SPACER WILL BE INSERTED ON TOP OF THE BATTERY NEXT TO THE PCB. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GARMIN AT 866-957-1981 OR VISIT GARMIN'S WEBSITE AT WWW.GARMIN.COM/NUVIBATTERYPCBRECALL.