NHTSA Complaint #10351179 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

OUR 2004 VOLVO XC90 HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT POWER SHORTAGES FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR, OFTEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE CAR WILL INTERMITTENTLY JERK, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE GAUGES GO DOWN, EXTERIOR LIGHTS GO OUT, INTERIOR LIGHTS MAY GO ON, RADIO SHUTS OFF, WIPERS CYCLE ONCE, AIR/HEAT GOES OFF. THIS LASTS APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND, HOWEVER, AT TIMES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL NOT SHUT OFF UNTIL THE CAR IS RESTARTED. ONCE THE PROBLEM BEGINS, IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY (5+ TIMES) UNTIL THE CAR IS SHUT OFF AND NOT USED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME (I.E. YOU REACH YOUR DESTINATION). WE HAVE HAD OUR VOLVO DEALER LOOK AT IT TWICE, AND BOTH TIMES THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. TODAY, AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS, THE CAR LOST ELECTRICAL FUNCTION COMPLETELY. WE HAD NO USE OF GAUGES, BLINKERS, HAZARD LIGHTS, RADIO, AIR CONDITIONING, HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS. WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAD POWER AND WERE MOVING WHILE ON THE AUTOMATIC SETTING, WITHOUT ANY RAIN TO AUTOMATE THEM. AN ABS ERROR LIGHT CAME ON BUT WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL. WE WERE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY AND WERE LUCKILY ABLE TO EXIT WITHOUT HAVING THE USE OF BLINKERS OR BRAKE LIGHTS. WHEN WE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, WE RESUMED POWER, BUT HAD AN SRS WARNING LIGHT APPEAR. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ON VOLVO-FORUMS.COM AND ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM, WE HAVE DISCOVERED THIS TO BE AN ISSUE MANY (50+) 2004 XC90 DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED. WE FEEL VERY LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED DURING THE DAY, BECAUSE THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS ON A 4-LANE HIGHWAY IN THE DARK. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR AND WILL BE TAKING IT TO OUR VOLVO DEALER TOMORROW MORNING AND DEMANDING A RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM. FROM WHAT WE HAVE READ FROM OTHERS, IT APPEARS TO NEED A NEW CEM. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON IDENTICAL MODELS, IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT WITH THE CEM. *TR