Safe
43000 miles and the "transmission service urgent" light came on. Slipping from stop to first / reverse to first.
Great car otherwise, fuel mileage is terrible though.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 23rd October, 2008
Very poor reliability issues
Replaced Both rear wheel bearings at about 50K
Steering became stiff and made rear end type noises
Dealer said it was Angle Gear (AWD) and would recommend replacing transmission as well. Said it would save labor and several had to replace transmission later. This was not covered by Volvo or assisted. Very disappointing as only 94K miles. This should last 200k miles or more. I've never had to replace a transmission on any other vehicle. The cost of repair was $6000. When I went to pick-up car steering was still stiff. Rack and power steering pump were replaced. Still rear end noise. Dealer replaced rear wheel bearing. This indicates a manufacturing design flaw. I would not purchase or recommend a Volvo. Manufacturer would not help on the transmission or angle gear. I know several XC90 owners that have had transmissions replaced.
Very nice car but not well engineered.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 16th June, 2008
A nice SUV plagued by mechanical issues
Leaking Sunroof at 15,000 miles.
1st Transmission at 36,000 miles.
2nd Transmission at 50,000 miles.
Engine Mount at 40,000 miles.
Steering Rack and sway bar endlinks at 55,000 miles.
Several interior plastic parts have been replaced because they have cracked or broken.
The XC90 is a relatively safe and comfortable vehicle that is plagued by poor design choices.
The exterior flows smoothly and is typical design scheme of Volvo P2 based vehicles.
The interior look standard, however the controls are laid out well and are easy to reach. Interior plastics are of poor quality and they break easily under normal use.
Mechanically this vehicle is a disaster. While the Twin Turbo Inline six is a solid engine, the transmission it is mated to was a poor choice. Volvo decided to use a General Motors 4 speed automatic (4T65AWD). This transmission has proven troublesome, regularly failing in many units due to a combination of poor quality parts, excessive vehicle weight, and all wheel drive equipment being fitted onto a transmission designed for front wheel drive use only.
The rack and pinion seems to be a trouble spot as well, wearing prematurely and resulting in a noticeable 'clunk,' especially when turning while in reverse gear (i.e. backing out of your driveway in the morning).
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 18th May, 2008
We have a 2005 model and have had very similar problems. Now with 96k of miles on it I'm worried about what will be next. My biggest concern is the twin turbo... has anyone had any problems with the twin turbo, and if so what is the cost?
All the transmissions on the twin-turbo 2.9 T6 model sold from 2003-2005 will fail from 40000 to 70000 miles. Replacement transmissions last even less, less than 50000 miles. These transmissions were not designed for the twin turbo engine. Even female drivers who drive their cars very gently had their transmission failed at less than 70000 miles.
30th Oct 2008, 09:57
I purchased a 2005 Volvo XC90 T6 with 39000 miles on it for my wife because I like the superior safety ratings and because the XC90 is a good looking, well thought out car. It was absolutely like new in every detail. However, after one week the transmission went out. The dealer replaced it with a rebuilt, rather than new, GM transmission. Dealer said Volvo would not replace it with anything else. That's not good since the GM transmission is known for having problems. The trans was replaced under warranty along with the radiator.
In addition, the heater/AC went bad and had to have the guts replaced. The entire trans/AC repair took four weeks. I picked up the car on a Saturday and by Sunday had to use Volvo Roadside Assistance because the battery died. On Monday the car died again and had to be towed to the dealership. The AC/heater blower was coming on when the car was parked with the ignition off. Obviously, it would drain the battery. Also the radiator fan would come on when the car was cold and ignition was off. And to ad insult to injury, the battery was bad and had to be replaced.
During the six weeks we have had the car it has spent 4 1/2 weeks in the shop. Is this a sign of things to come? And what if the trans goes out again in 30,000 miles? Who gets to pay the $9000.00 bill the dealer said it would have cost me if Volvo hadn't covered it.
Could it be the Volvo's are so safe because they spend so much time in the shop and so little time on the road?