2004 Volvo XC90 T 6 6 cylinder turbo

Summary:

Very disappointed--poor value

Faults:

Repair and tighten loose steering column (twice) 12,000 and 22,000 miles.

Upgrade computer software reinstall at every maintenance--still get persistent and seemingly errant messages.

Replace both rear wheel bearings at 52,000.

Exterior courtesy lights, electric seat memory never worked, cruise control fails and has been addressed by service technicians fix never lasts more than 1 to 2 weeks.

Car gets very light duty used by my wife and has never been on so much as a gravel road and yet has had constant and now increasing reliability issues.

General Comments:

It is comfortable to drive though a bit soft at highway speeds. Acceleration below 60 is sluggish--above 60 is well powered. Handles exceptional well in snow and slick conditions--computerized power distribution is an exceptionally good feature.

Poor rear visibility.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 15th July, 2008

2004 Volvo XC90 T6 turbo

Summary:

Safe, fun to drive, least reliable car I've owned despite having owned 3 other Volvos

Faults:

6 Disc CD changer locked up and had to be replaced.

Cable in rear seat broke and seat wouldn't fold down.

Transmission seized at 45,000 miles. Coolant leaked into the transmission. Transmission was replaced.

Brake pads and rotors wear very quickly. (Roughly every 15,000 miles).

Dealer couldn't pinpoint cause of mildew smell in the interior of the car. Only occurred after rain or a car wash.

General Comments:

The car has great handling, steering, and decent power.

It's also very comfortable, but the rear seats are suited for children under 12.

Gas mileage is poor. On average: 13/14 miles in town and 17/18 on freeway. Combination of hwy/town: 15mpg.

The tires wear quickly on this vehicle. The stock michelins wore out in 22,000 miles. I even added air to balance the wearing on the outside of the tire. Tried Pirelli scorpions next and these are worse. Tires are nearly bald at 20,000 miles. Pirellis are terrible in the rain too. (I live in northern california).

It's hard to see out of the rear windows and the pillars in the front windows are huge blind spots for pedestrians.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th June, 2008

29th Oct 2008, 12:34

I agree with everything you put here. I sold my Jaguar XJR and bought the XC90 T6 2004. I have had so many more problems with the Volvo.

The tire issue is that the front suspension does not allow the tires to turn correctly, thus pitching the tires in a way that make them wear way too fast. It also pushes the car in the direction you want to turn on sharp turns, as opposed to rolling in the direction you want to go.

The mildew you smell is from two issues; one is the interior cabin filter that gets wet when it rains or you wash the car, and the other is a leak that the vehicle sometimes gets through the passenger side door and the carpet gets wet.

I have had no problems with the CD player.

I did have the P45 warranty issue, and did not pass the state smog inspection due to this. (since taken care of)

I replaced the front brakes at 6,000 miles, and now have 22,000 on the car and need the front brakes and rotors changed and the rear brakes changed.

2004 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD

Summary:

Poorly engineered with major malfunctions. Other than that it looks nice and has a comfortable ride

Faults:

1. Transmission failure at 53,897 miles

2. Tie Rod (left) replaced

3. Front brakes replaced 2x

4. All 4 tires replaced at 21000 miles. Pirelli factory tires had excessive wear.

5. Ball joint replaced.

General Comments:

Two and a half weeks ago my 2004 T6 XC90 jerked for the first time. Took it to the dealer Friday, April 25th. The car drove perfectly all day 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.

The transmission problem breaks it for me with Volvo. I bought this vehicle believing it would be the last one I purchased for a long time... that I'd drive it till the wheels came off... little did I know that would be less than 2 years after I owned it, and that the transmission would fail under 4 years and before it is even paid for.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th April, 2008