Your vehicle report
2004 Volvo XC90
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 462
- Received Dec 2003 to Mar 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Transmission fails or loses power while driving78 complaints · 17% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline56 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips25 complaints · 5.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #10V566000Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
- Recall #09V483000Volvo is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 S80, model year 2001-2004 V70, S60, XC70 and model year 2003-2005 XC90 vehicles sold in or registered in the states of alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the U.S. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump can develop cracks in the fuel pump flange.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 9 crashes, 3 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 14 |
| 2005 | 8 |
| 2006 | 13 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 47 |
| 2009 | 57 |
| 2010 | 84 |
| 2011 | 58 |
| 2012 | 31 |
| 2013 | 20 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 28 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 462 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 78 | 17% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 56 | 12% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 25 | 5.4% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 24 | 5.2% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 20 | 4.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 13 | 2.8% | – | |
| Wheel bearings fail prematurely | 12 | 2.6% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 10 | 2.2% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 9 | 1.9% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 8 | 1.7% | – | NHTSA recall #09V483000 |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 7 | 1.5% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 6 | 1.3% | – | |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 6 | 1.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 5 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #03V391000 |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 5 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 1.1% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 5 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #03V434000 |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 5 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 4 | 0.9% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 4 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #10V566000November 8, 2010416 vehicles affected
equipment: electrical: navigational system(global positioning system)
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
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.
NHTSA recall #09V483000December 18, 2009158,733 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Volvo is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 S80, model year 2001-2004 V70, S60, XC70 and model year 2003-2005 XC90 vehicles sold in or registered in the states of alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the U.S. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump Can develop cracks in the fuel pump flange.
If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the fuel pump installed in the vehicle, and if necessary replace the fuel pump with a part of a modified design. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on january 15, 2010. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
NHTSA recall #06V155000May 5, 2006126,743 vehicles affected
steering: linkages: tie rod assembly
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #06V144000April 28, 2006122,431 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #03V434000November 4, 20032,586 vehicles affected
wheels
On certain sport utility vehicles, the front wheel speed sensors may be defective, causing an erroneous wheel speed signal.
This Can adversely affect a number of vehicle functions, including brake, engine, transmission, and torque distribution control which rely on this signal for proper operation.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front wheel sensors. Owner notification began on december 8, 2003. Owners should contact Volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
NHTSA recall #03V391000October 10, 200318,692 vehicles affected
seat belts: rear/other
On certain sport utility vehicles, the seat belt attachment(s) for the second and third row seat(s) may not have been fitted properly.
In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the second and/or third row seat belt attachments. Owner notification began on december 8, 2003. Owners should contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Volvo XC90.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN