NHTSA Complaint #10356877 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

COMING HOME TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM A TRIP IN ARIZONA AND DRIVING AT NIGHT THOUGH THE NEVADA DESERT. WEATHER WAS NICE, DRY CONDITIONS, LIGHT TRAFFIC ( THE SUN HAD SET ABOUT 7:00 IN THE EVENING) - JANUARY 2008 AND WE WERE CRUISING AT ABOUT 65 MPH. AT ABOUT 50 MILES OUTSIDE BANNING THE CAR HAD A POWER SURGE, AND IT FELT AS IF WE WENT OVER A BUMP ON THE ROAD, THERE WAS A QUICK FLICKER IN ALL LIGHTS AND THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM RESET. THE RECOVERY WAS ALMOST IMMEDIATE AND DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT. ABOUT HALF HOUR LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME STARTED TO WORRY ABOUT THE CAR AS IT WAS DARK, HAD SMALL KIDS IN THE CAR AND WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, DESERT FOR MILES AND MILES. SO, WITH NO OPTIONS WE KEPT DRIVING. ABOUT TEN MINUTES LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS TIME THERE WAS NO RECOVERY. ALL LIGHTS, INSTRUMENT PANEL, HEADLIGHTS, EMERGENCY LIGHTS, REAR LIGHT ALL OUT. THE CAR WAS PITCH BLACK. I BELIEVE ONLY THE FOG LIGHTS WERE WORKING BUT WAS WORRIED ABOUT VISIBILITY ON THE ROAD AS WE HAD NO REAR LIGHTS WHAT SO EVER AND THE MAJORITY OF THE TRAFFIC AT NIGHT ON THE I-10 IS TRUCKS. DROVE ON SHOULDER FOR ABOUT 2 MILES AND TOOK THE NEXT EXIT. SMALL GAS STATION ONLY, NO REPAIR SHOP, NO MOTEL NOTHING; ONLY A TRUCK STOP. AFTER A SMALL RESPITE WE STATED UP THE CAR AGAIN AND ENGINE AND ALL LIGHTS WERE AGAIN FUNCTIONAL. I WAS TERRIFIED OF DRIVING THE CAR HOME STILL OVER 100 MILES AWAY AND NO WHERE NEAR CIVILIZATION, BUT SINCE WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE WE DID. NO FURTHER INCIDENTS UPON GETTING HOME. DEALER HAD NO IDEA WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THAT, THEY UPDATE COMPUTER CODES, AND A CONTROL MODULE. TO THIS DATE THEY STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THAT. WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE NOT GOTTEN INTO AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE. *TR