2008 Volvo XC90: complaints, problems and recalls

MY 2005 T6 HAS ALREADY HAD A TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 25K MILES (UNDER WARRANTY). THE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION RECENTLY SLIPPED GEARS WITH 32K MILES AND THE DEALER SAID THAT IT WAS "OLDER" VERSION OF THE ENGINE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE CODE WHICH CAUSED IT TO HAPPEN. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 25,848 miles reported. Look up ODI 10218004 at NHTSA ↗

TOOK DELIVERY OF VOLVO XC90 ON FEB 4, 2008. ON FEB 11, 2008 WITH 435 MILES, THE CAR LOST ALMOST ALL ITS ENGINE OIL AND THE COMPUTER DISPLAYED "LOW OIL LEVEL" MESSAGE. ALL THE TIME, IT WAS SPEWING BLUISH/WHITE SMOKE DURING INITIAL START UP AND ACCELERATION. WAS FLAT-BEDDED TO THE DEALER AND IT TOOK 11 DAYS TO REPAIR. SPARK PLUG WAS INITIALLY REPLACED, DIDN'T WORK, THEN IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE INNER TIMING CHAIN HOUSING SEALS WHICH WERE ALL REPLACED ACCORDING TO THE WORK ORDER. I DID NOT GET THE OLD PARTS/SEALS/GASKETS THAT WERE REPLACED. A…

Owner-reported narrative. 435 miles reported. Look up ODI 10222637 at NHTSA ↗

MY 4 YEAR OLD SON WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH OUR BRAND NEW VOLVO XC90. I GOT OUT OF CAR TO TAKE A PICTURE (LEAVING THE ENGINE ON FOR AIR CONDITIONING) AND HE SHIFTED THE CAR OUT OF PARK, CRASHING THANK GOODNESS INTO A FENCE THAT SLOWLY STOPPED HIM. KNOWING HE CANNOT REACH THE BREAK I IMMEDIATELY TESTED THE GEAR SHIFT AND FOUND THAT IT EASILY SHIFTS OUT OF PARK WITHOUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE. WE HAVE RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO HAS ADMITTED "THE CAR'S SHIFTER IS BROKEN". WE ASKED TO CHECK ANOTHER NEW XC90 IT FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THIS CO…

Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10233287 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 10 - 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULTY MOTOR MOUNT BUSHING. THE DEALER HAS NOT MADE A DECISION CONCERNING PAYMENT FOR THE REPAIR. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08V206000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE) WAS REFERENCED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,300 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 600.

Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10237185 at NHTSA ↗

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT LEAST THREE TIMES BECAUSE A SEAT IN THE REAR ROW FAILED. THE SEAT CONTINUES TO FAIL AFTER EACH REPAIR. IN THE BACK OF THE SEAT IS A LATCH, BUT IT DOES NOT REMAIN FASTENED. THE SEAT IS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE DEALER WILL NOT REPLACE THE SEAT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY ONLY INSTALL NEW PARTS ON VEHICLES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10264459 at NHTSA ↗

PARKING BRAKES NOT DISENGAGING. THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE EVEN WHEN IN GEAR AND GAS IS APPLIED. IT FELT LIKE ONE OF THE WHEELS IS LOCKED. IF PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE, CONSTITUTES SEVERE HAZARD ESPECIALLY FOR INEXPERIENCE DRIVERS AS THE CAR MAY SUDDENLY MOVE IF THE BRAKE SUDDENLY DISENGAGES. THERE IS NO TELLING WHEN THE BRAKE WILL DISENGAGE. THE BRAKES EVENTUALLY DISENGAGED AFTER SEVERAL TRIES OF ROCKING THE CAR BY ALTERNATELY ENGAGING THE GEARS BETWEEN REVERSE AND DRIVE. THIS SITUATION HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE PAST. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10351452 at NHTSA ↗

THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE OF THE RECALL VARIETY. I BROUGHT MY 2008 XC90 TO THE DEALER TODAY FOR ANOTHER ISSUE. I SAT IN THE WAITING ROOM FOR 30 MIN WHEN THE SERVICE MAN APPROACHED ME AND ASKED ME IF MY IGNITION HAD EVER LOCKED UP BEFORE. I SAID NO AND TRIED TO TURN THE KEY MYSELF. COMPLETELY LOCKED. THE SERVICE REP SAID "I KNOW WHAT IT IS" AS HIS WIFE IN HER VOLVO HAD RECENTLY HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. HE EXPLAINED THE IGNITION HAS A LOCKING MECHANISM THAT SOMETIMES FREEZES IN PLACE. THE COLUMN NEEDS TO BE DISSEMBLED TO REMOVE THE MECHANISM. HE TOLD ME …

Owner-reported narrative. 38,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10395959 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND HAD TO USE BOTH HANDS WITH AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF FORCE TO REMOVE THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE LOCK CYLINDER HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 24,542. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Owner-reported narrative. 24,542 miles reported. Look up ODI 10418148 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2007-12-12 (December 12, 2007)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, THE CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE (CCM) MAY RECEIVE A 'SHUT-DOWN SIGNAL' FROM THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) AFTER IGNITION KEY INSERTION. IF THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE CLIMATE CONTROL FUNCTIONS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE (INCLUDING THE DEFROSTER) DURING THAT DRIVING CYCLE.

Consequence: INOPERATIVE DEFROSTERS UNDER INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD CAUSE IMPAIRED VISIBILITY WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR VEHICLE AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.

Remedy: THE ECM SOFTWARE WILL BE UPGRADED. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 28, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.

Reported: 2008-05-06 (May 6, 2008)

VOLVO IS RECALLING 102 MY 2008 XC90 AND S80 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH V8 ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH INCORRECT BOLTS TO THE ENGINE MOUNT.

Consequence: THE ALUMINUM BRACKET FOR THE ENGINE MOUNT COULD BREAK DUE TO LACK OF ADEQUATE CLAMPING FORCE. THIS COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO COME IN CONTACT WITH THE SUB-FRAME, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN A REDUCED ENGINE TORQUE OR STALLING OF THE ENGINE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ENGINE MOUNT BOLTS FOR SPECIFIC MARKINGS. IF ANY OF THE BOLTS CONTAIN THE INCORRECT MARKINGS, THE BRACKET AND BOLTS WILL BE REPLACED. ALL OWNERS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED AND ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO REPAIR THESE VEHICLES.

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.