NHTSA Complaint #10403884 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

2004 XC-90 AWD: FOR OVER TWO YEARS THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE WHICH APPEARS TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY SEEM TO STALL OR "HICCUP" WHILE DRIVING. THIS OCCURS AT ANY SPEED BUT IT IS MOST PREVALENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT NORMALLY HAPPENS AT SPEEDS OF 65MPH OR HIGHER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL ENGAGE FOR ONE SWEEP (THEY WILL BE SELECTED ?OFF?), THE RADIO (IF ON) WILL TURN OFF AND ON AGAIN, THE GAUGES ON THE PANEL WILL GO DEAD AND THEN COME TO LIFE. THE MOST UNSAFE THING IS A LOUD ?THUMP? THAT OCCURS IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HAS SUDDENLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND THEN RELEASED THEM. THIS ALL HAPPENS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THE ENGINE DOES NOT STOP DURING THIS SEQUENCE AND THE BRAKES APPEAR TO KEEP WORKING. THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH AND WITHOUT THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS, LIGHTS, OR CAUTION MESSAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DURING OR AFTER IT OCCURS. NONE OF THE DEALERSHIPS WE'VE TAKEN IT TO HAVE DISCOVERED THE CAUSE. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED A NHTSA INVESTIGATION THAT WAS COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER 11, 2010 ON 20 CASES INVOLVING SIMILAR ISSUES WITH 2004 XC-90S. THE INVESTIGATION NUMBER IS PE10-025. IT APPEARS THE PROBLEM MAY BE ELECTRICAL BUT NEITHER I NOR THE DEALERSHIPS CAN NARROW IT DOWN. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 125K MILES ON IT. I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND ALL REQUIRED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN KEPT UP TO DATE WITH VOLVO DEALERSHIPS IN WICHITA, KS, STOCKTON, CA AND NOW TACOMA, WA. MOST RECENTLY THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES DURING A DAY TRIP WHICH COVERED APPROXIMATELY 288 MILES. *TR