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Reliability Concerns About 2006 Xc90

37K views 15 replies 16 participants last post by  delighted 
#1 ·
Looking for honest feedback on any current XC 90 owners would purchase the same car again. We are a first time Volvo buyer, trying to decide between the XC70 and the XC90...love the 90 but we are getting a little scared with all the reports of reliability problems and poor reliability ratings. Are the problems left over from the early 2003 models or is it an ongoing issue with this car. Beautiful car but we can't imagine spending $40K+ for a car that is going to have all these problems...any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks for your help.
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello:

I can only speak regarding my 2005 2.5T AWD XC90.

I am totally pleased with the performance of my new car (12,000 miles so far) and have had really only one reoccuring problem. That is with the emergency/parking brake. The cable keeps coming off the mechanism controlled by the foot pedal. The dealershiip took care of it the first time and now it happened again. I will call Volvo and find out if there have been any service notification about this.
I have read some of the postings on this forum and am quite horified reading some of the postings.
My experience is totally different as I have not had any problems. And yes, I would buy another XC90,but not the big V8. That's overkill for sure. I would definitely purchase another 2.5T AWD.
I would however, choose my dealership carefully. My dealership is not too sharp, and I am thinking of finding another one for my service.
I think that there were some pretty endemic problems with the earlier XC90 models but my 2005 has been a pleasure to own and drive. My XC90 is absolutely the best vehicle for my life style and where I live. I ski and bike and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and the XC90 is just fabulous with dealing with winter driving conditions and can haul/carry all my gear.
I have owned a 240 sedan (1975) and a 240 wagon (1986) and the XC90 is by far a most wonderful vehicle.

Good luck with your choice.

Jonathan in Steamboat Springs Colorado
 
#4 ·
I drive on the average of 90,000 km per year and for that I have chosen the XC90 2.5 T AWD. Just over 20,000 km and only a rear wheel bearing (dealer has no reason why) proved to be faulty. Gas mileage is improving with age and actually enjoy my 1 1/2 hr comute to my office each way each day. Great choice of vehicle!
Cambridge, Ontario
 
#5 ·
I balanced various doom and gloom web postings against my own real experience and just bought my second XC90 ( previously owned 2 S40's then an S60 ).

Never been let down by my 2003 XC90 in the UK - 50,000miles plus, though thats not to say there have been absolutely no problems. The worst issue was progressively increasing noise in the passenger department, immediately identified as failure of the rear wheel bearings. Volvo could not have been more helpful and repaired this under a no-quibble warranty, and I understand this has been resolved in later models.

Just taken delivery here in the States of a new 2.5T AWD. Pity the D5 diesel is not avaliable here ( 30mpg/USgal ), so I have to get use to c18mpg, but not to worry because of the extremely low price of petrol, it will feel like I', really doing more like 60mpg!
 
#6 ·
My experience with a 2006 XC90 has been a total disaster (stalling while driving!) and I am returning the car to Volvo. Too bad as I really liked it but I can't afford to spend that much time in service + I need a running car. My wife has a 2004 S80 Turbo. No problems in 2 years. Great car. But after much thinking I won't try another XC90 for a few years, when I see reports that Volvo has actually fixed their serious reliability issues.
 
#7 ·
2005, just about a year's ownership, 7000 miles. Absolutely no problems except a couple of niggling things I expect to have fixed at the routine service later this week.

Worst problem is that it traps water on the front door sills - we've had very heavy continual rain for several months and almost every time I open the driver's door, about a pint of water pours out on the ground (and my feet if I don't remember to stand back). I suspect an incorrectly installed door seal, but it hasn't cause any problems other than being annoying and getting my toes wet.

There are two minor recall issues pending - the battery cable and the coolant leak. There is no sign of either being a problem on my vehicle.

Worst potential problem is that there's been a faint groan/grumble/gear whine from the front since about 2500 miles. Not sure if it's normal or indicates a front diff or tranny problem.

Biggest disappointment was mileage. I know the V8s had something of a spread and I seem to have gotten one at the lower end - consistently about 12 mpg in my around-town driving. 17-18 highway. I didn't expect the big boy to sip gas, but was hoping for one that hit around 14 city.

I miss the easy conversion of the rear seat in my Odyssey, which could be flipped from seats to cargo in one easy move from the rear hatch. Switching the XC90 around involves mucking around moving both middle seats, converting the rear seats separately and usually moving some things around in the rear - much more of a hassle than I'd like to put up with, especially as I have to convert it one way or the other about twice a week.

But all in all, I waited for a "Volvo minivan" for a long time and would buy this one again in a heartbeat. I don't even mind the mileage hit when I tromp on the gas and it jumps into the freeway traffic or around a slow driver.
 
#10 ·
We purchased our Volvo in December of last year. We are experiencing the same water problems in the door as the other people. The biggest problem that concerns me the most is the tires. I have been doing lots of research on this and it seems that there is no fix to it. We have had extreme cupping of the rear tires even after an allignment was done with only 6,000 miles on it. Granted we have the Pirrelli Scorpions on it which are part of the problem. We now have close to 20,000 miles on them and they are so loud you have to turn the radio up to listen to it over the road noise. If I were you I would keep looking. I hate to say that, but we bought the car for the safety of my wife and son, but I can not see spending $1,000 a year on tires, not to mention the allignments and such. That is just my two cents worth. Let me know if you have any questions I will be glad to help.
Mike
 
#11 ·
sounds like you have a bad wheel bearing that's causing the noises.... better get it checked out before you ruin your tires more....

on the other hand, i got my xc90 t5 awd last december, and it's been a wonderful experience. the only problem i had was a small scratching noise from behind the dash. when i took the xc90 in for its first oil change, the dealer calibrated some software and fixed the problem.
we're getting around 18 mpg using unleaded 87, mixed freeway/city.
we would buy it again, but probably not the new 3.2 or V8 engines....
 
#12 ·
We just bought a used 2005 xc90 2.5T with 58000 miles on it. No issues so far its been perfect. Prior owner had both rear wheel bearings replaced uner warranty. I purchased an aftermarket extended warranty just in cae because of forums like this that had a lot of horror stories in them. Good Luck. We love the XC()!!!!!!
Brunswick, Maine, USA
 
#13 ·
We bought a demo XC90 in Oct 2006 (had 6,000 miles). We were happy with the vehicle until Christmas Eve when it would not start. I found and replaced a blown fuel pump fuse which got me from my mother-in-laws house to my father's house where the fuse blew again. The car is at the dealership now and I can't wait to talk to my salesman on Tuesday after Christmas. After reading this postings on this website I looked up the Lemon Law statues in my state and am fully prepared to ask for a refund on my XC90.

DON'T buy one!!!...they may be safe, but they are not reliable. This was my first and last time to buy a Volvo.
 
#14 ·
own a 2005 XC90 w/ roughly 31k on it. completely satisfied. it is stable, confident in poor weather, able to manuever quickly at high speeds and get you in and out of jams. i drive in the metro NY area.

had one recall with the tie rods did'nt feel anything before or after.

one thing to keep in mind, this vehicle burns through tires, you must keep it alligned properly and upkeep on tire rotation is a must.

so overall, i would buy this car again and highly recommend it.
 
#15 ·
We've sold 100s of Volvo XC90s over the last 4 years and have had many customers that were so happy that when they changed their car they bought another Volvo XC90 - so I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending them.
Diesels are far more popular in the UK than petrols so my comments really only apply to them. I drove one myself for a few months and thoroughly enjoyed it, and had no problems. If you are unlucky enough to get any issues, there is a 3 year warranty and the service department of the Volvo dealer will normally be able to provide a courtesy car. Hope that helps, Samantha Crane. www.broombroom.com
 
#16 ·
Just registered with this website - wish I had before, as I would have realised that the problem I've just had with my rear wheel bearing was not an isolated issue!

Generally delighted with the XC90 D5 SE which we've had since 2005 - until now! Experiencing a recurring problem with a connection to one of the injectors. Warning display initially comes up with "ANTI SKID DEVICE REQUIRED"! Ignoring that and driving on it then says "ENGINE FAILURE. URGENT" Engine still runs, but very lumpy, as if one cylinder is 'missing'. I've now had this looked at by an specialist diesel repairer (when I was caught away from home) and now my local main dealer. Upshot is that they cannot source from Volvo the small connector cap (prob cost 50p max to manufacture) and so suggesting I pay appx £1k to have complete new wiring loom installed - and that's taking into a/c a 10% discount offered by the dealer and a further 10% from Volvo UK. I'm extremely frustrated since I don't believe that I should have to pay such a substantial amount to rectify such a small part - particularly since I purchased as ex-demo from main dealer, always had it serviced there & believe Volvo must be able to source such a part from a previously replaced wiring loom. Now looking at other solutions..

Anyone else experienced this particular problem?
 
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