Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Volvo XC90 submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TRANSFER CASE KEEPS LOCKING UP AND MESSING UP. IN PAST YEAR PAID 1500 TWO TIMES TO REPLACE TRANSFER CASE AND IS NOW IN SHOP AGAIN FOR SAME REASON. TRANSFER CASE LOCKING UP. FEB 2020, JULY 2020, AND NOW JANUARY 2021 FEB GOING SPEED OF 35-40, JULY ON HIGHWAY SPEED OF 70 IN MIDDLE OF FREEWAY, AND JAN SPEED OF 35
WHEN THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IT STARTED WITHIN 4 DAYS TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, AFTER THE TRANSMISSION THE TRANSFER CASE BEGAN TO HAVE PROBLEMS, SO THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN THE SHOP BEFORE THE THIRTY DAYS TAGS COULD EXPIRE AND BOTH PARTS WERE REBUILT BY AN OUTSIDE COMPANY WHICH WAS ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL PRICE TAG OF THE VEHICLE. THEN A YEAR LATER THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN THE SHOP FOR THE TURBO'S HAD GONE OUT ON THE VEHICLE ON APRIL 11, 2015 UNTIL CURRENT DATE. THEY ARE NOW SAYING THE VEHICLE HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND IT IS STILL IN THE SHOP.
TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. HERE'S THE STORY, MY XC90 WAS DEALER SERVICED A WEEK AGO (PM), TOOK ON A SHORT ROAD TRIP OVER WEEKEND, FORTUNATELY MADE IT HOME BEFORE IT BROKE DOWN. WENT TO WORK UPON RETURNING FROM TRIP AND WHILE I WAS PARKING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR. VERY UNSAFE! NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS NO 'LIMP MODE.' THE RPMS ROSE AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL. COULD HEAR A METALLIC RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED FROM WORK TO AAMCO. AAMCO STATED THE DAMAGE WAS INSIDE OF TRANSMISSION AND THEY WOULD NEED TO REMOVE AND TEAR DOWN TO SEE WHAT ISSUE IS, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY IT WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR IN NOVEMBER AND LUCKILY BOUGHT AN AFTERMARKET WARRANTY THAT 'SHOULD' COVER EVERYTHING. ISSUE IS THE WARRANTY COMPANY WILL MORE THAN LIKELY JUST REPLACE IT WITH A USED TRANS THAT WILL FAIL IN A SHORT TIME AND I WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN. THIS IS A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW ON THE PART OF VOLVO AND THEY SHOULD OWN UP TO IT. THE ENGINE PRODUCES TOO MUCH POWER AND THE VEHICLE IS TOO HEAVY FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO TAKE IT. THIS IS A T6 BTW, WITH THE 6 CYLINDER AND TWIN TURBO. VOLVO SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION. I HAVE SCOURED THE WEB AND SEE THIS IS AN ONGOING FREQUENT ISSUE WITH THE XC90 AND VOLVO IS LOSING WHAT WERE ONCE LOYAL CUSTOMERS. SEARCH THIS ISSUE ON THE WEB AND YOU'LL WONDER IF THERE ARE ANY XC90'S THAT DO NOT HAVE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK ABNORMALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE SHIFT GEAR LEVER WAS DEFECTIVE AND BOTH THE POWER STEERING FLUID AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS WERE LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE AGE HAD EXCEEDED THE TIME FRAME IN WHICH THEY WERE WILLING TO OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
I HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE COOLANT HAS LEAKED INTO TO THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO GIVE OUT. THEY SAID IT NEEDS REPLACED AT A COST OF 6000. THIS WOULD BE THE 3 RD TRANSMISSION IN THIS CAR ALONE. THEIR ARE MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS VOLVOX FAULT AND IT NEEDS REPLACED ON THEIR DIME. *TR
LEAVING A PARKING LOT AND HEARD LOUD SOUND CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. VOLVO SAYS THE FOLLOWING IS BROKEN: LOWER CONTROL ARM, CV AXLE, ROTOR AND DAMAGED RIM. WE HAD BEEN PARKED AND WERE ATTEMPTING TO LEAVING PARKING LOT(.BARELY MOVING) COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF THIS HAPPENED AT HIGHER SPEED. WE HAVE CONSTANTLY SPENT MONEY ON THIS VEHICLE AND I FEEL IT IS UNSAFE AND THAT WHEN THE RECALLS WERE MADE THERE COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN A FRACTURE. THIS CAR IS ONLY DRIVEN TO WORK AND HOME ON A REGULAR BASIS. NO ROUGH ROADS. WE HAVE NOT CAUSED ANY DAMAGE. THIS WEBSITE DOES NOT ALLOW PROPER SELECTION UNDER VOLVO AND MAKE TO ALLOW SELECTION OF THE SUSPENSION/CONTROL ARM / ROTORS / AXLE / TIRE RIMS / BALL JOINT, ALL OF WHICH WERE DAMAGED IN THIS 4 MPH ACCIDENT. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT 65 MPH I HAVE NO DOUBT ME AND MY FAMILY WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED. *TR
RIGHT WHEEL AXEL BEARING FAILED. VEHICLE MILES 61,000. *TR
VOLVO XC90 TAKEN INTO DEALERSHIP FOR AXLE REPLACEMENT ON 07/09/08 CONTACTED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED THEN WHEN QUESTION GIVEN VAGUE STATEMENT NO WILL BE A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. CAR RETURNED ON 07/16/08 ADVISED GIVEN NEW TRANSMISSION. DRIVING CAR ON 07/19/08 COME TO A STOP TO CROSS 4 LANE PARKWAY WHEN HIT GAS PEDAL CAR DOES NOT RESPOND RECEIVE MESSAGE REDUCE ENGINE PERFORMANCE. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE VOLVO TRANSMISSION IN THIS MODEL MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE. *TR
AN UPDATE TO ODI #10068267 REGARDING RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING FAILURE. THIS FAILURE ORIGINALLY OCCURRED AT 22K MILES. ANOTHER FAILURE OCCURRED IN MAY 2006 (SAME WHEEL) AT 52K MILES. I REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR WHICH WAS OVER $250. EVENTUALLY NEGOTIATED PAYING 50% OF THE LABOR AT DEALER COST (ABOUT $60) WITH VOLVO PICKING UP THE COST OF THE PART. WAS TOLD LATER BY A DIFFERENT DEALER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT 'WHEEL BEARING FAILURES ARE FREQUENT ON THE XC90' AND THAT 'THE PART IS NOT ROBUST ENOUGH FOR THE SIZE OF THE VEHICLE'.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .