NHTSA Complaint #10161073 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

MY 2004 XC90 AWD BEGAN EXPERIENCING ODD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THIS SPRING AT ABOUT 45000 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT CRUISING SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING EXPERIENCE A HARD JERK FOLLOWED BY ACTIVATION OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND LOSS OF POWER TO THE RADIO. FIRST TIME, THE DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM BUT DOWNLOADED ELECTRICAL SOFTWARE UPDATES. SAME THING SECOND TIME AND BACK TO DEALER, AGAIN COULD NOT REPLICATE, AND THEY DOWNLOADED TRANSMISSION UPDATES FOCUSING MORE ON THE JERKING ISSUE. THIRD TIME IT HAPPENED, I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER SO THEY COULD SEE WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING. ON THE WAY THERE, I HAD COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER: NO POWER TO SPEEDOMETER, TO GAS GAUGE, TO WINDOWS, TO AIR CONDITIONING, RADIO, ETC. ALSO HAD LESS THAN FULL POWER TO DRIVE WITH. THE DEALER AGAIN DOWNLOADED ELECTRICAL SOFTWARE UPDATES AND GAVE ME THE VEHICLE BACK. SAME PROBLEM FOR 4TH TIME THIS FRIDAY AND THEY TELL ME THEY HAVE PUT NEW COMPUTER INTO CAR. FORTUNATELY THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY DEATHS OR CRASHES, BUT THIS DEFECT CAUSES A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY WARNING. *JB