NHTSA Complaint #10409246 — 2004 VOLVO XC90

MOVING ABOUT 70MPH IN CRUISE WE FELT A SEVERE JERK FOLLOWED BY NEAR INSTANTANEOUS HARD ACCELERATION. THE JERK/THUD ACTION SO EXTREME IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE VOLVO TRIED TO REVERSE GEAR BY ITSELF. IT'S STRANGE HOW AN 'EVENT' CAN CONJURE UP COMMON THOUGHTS. AFTER THE UNCONTROLLED HARD ACCELERATION, I HAD THOUGHTS OF THAT STATE PATROL OFFICER DRIVING THE LEXUS IN CALIFORNIA WHO WAS KILLED ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY WHEN HE COULDN'T CONTROL THE BIZARRE BEHAVIOR OF THE CAR. TURNS OUT IT WAS THE SAME THOUGHTS MY BROTHER HAD. 'AS WE PULLED OVER AND CALL FOR HELP OUR VOLVO DID SOMETHING BIZARRE AGAIN. WE THOUGHT THE REAR WHEEL GOING BACKWARD AT THIS TIME, ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME MOST ALL THE POWER IN THE VOLVO WENT DEAD. O GAUGES INCL. SPEEDOMETER, THE TACK, THE GAS, THE BATTERY, ALL OUT. OTHE WINDOWS STUCK IN THE UP POSITION. ONO TAILLIGHTS, NO BRAKE LIGHTS, NO DIRECTIONAL. OTHE TRANSMISSION STUCK IN A GEAR - EITHER 4 OR 5TH. 'WHILE WAITING FOR HELP AT THE AUTO ZONE, I SEARCHED WHAT THIS ISSUE MIGHT BE. I FOUND A VOLVO FORUM THAT SHOWS MANY PEOPLE THAT HAD SIMILAR, DRAMATIC ISSUES WITH SAME YEAR SAME MODEL VOLVO. 'AFTER RE-CONNECTING THE BATTERY, THE POWER CAME BACK ON OABOUT HOUR LATER THE VOLVO REPEATED A VERY DRAMATIC THUMP-JERK AND THE POWER STARTED TO GO OUT. THE TACK AND SPEEDOMETER STARTED DROPPING - DASH LIGHTS DIMMED AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE POWER CAME BACK - LIGHTS BACK AND GAUGES POPPED BACK UP. OONLY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER THUMP ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER AND THIS TIME THE POWER FAILURE WAS SIMILAR TO ABOVE (NOT SURE ABOUT TAILLIGHTS AS I WAS MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOT ABOUT TO GET OUT AND CHECK.) OON OUR NEXT TRIP EVEN AT THE REDUCED SPEEDS - 5 OR 6 TIMES HE VOLVO DID SOME BIZARRE JERK MANEUVER WITH 3 OF THE TIMES FOLLOWED BY POWER FAILURE. 'WE TALKED ABOUT OPTIONS AND WE AGREED THAT SELLING THIS VEHICLE TO SOMEONE AND POSSIBLY PUTTING ANOTHER FAMILY AT RISK. IT IS NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND NOT A CHRISTIAN THING TO DO. *TR