2004 Volvo XC90 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
669 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Volvo XC90, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 97,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2004 Volvo XC90 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2006–2008, 2011, 2018–2022.
Avoid
Where 2004 sits among all XC90 years
What owners report
“Engine warning light alerted a "bulb failure". Replacement of the headlamp cartridge did not fix the problem. Since the incident happened, i noticed several other xc90 suv's with same daylight lamp out on the driver side.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 XC90
“2nd transmission failure on my 2004 volvo xc90 t6 aamco is quoting me at $4000 to rebuild or $5500 to replace, would be second replacement for this vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 XC90
“When stationary the car will have a wet spot of fuel under the tank and when we come to a stop you can smell fuel. When i looked under the car you can see where the side of the fuel tank was wet or dripping fuel.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 XC90
“When traveling at high rates of speed (on the highway) the car completely shuts off. The dashboard and all electrical shuts off, the hazards do not seem to work or the turn indicators, abs does not work so it is a very slow heavy stop. This happened to me in this car one other time in 2010, and…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 XC90
“While driving at any speed the vehicles electrical system completely shuts down with out warning as if the vehicle was off. The engine stays running with very minimal power. This happened to me at night while driving on the highway, it was raining and all the lights, wipers, every electrical part…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 XC90
“"takata recall" the air bag light is always on. It is on all the time. I have paper from the volvo dealer was checked to diagnostic the air bag. I payed for it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 XC90
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 579 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 89,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 65,000 and 117,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH GARMIN 760 PORTABLE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM (GPS) UNITS BECAUSE THE BATTERIES ON THOSE UNITS MAY OVERHEAT.
Fix: VOLVO ADVISES OWNERS TO PLEASE STOP USING THE GARMIN PORTABLE GPS DEVICE IMMEDIATELY, AND VISIT THE GARMIN WEBSITE TO DETERMINE IF THEIR UNIT IS AFFECTED. THE UNIT'S BATTERY WILL BE REPLACED WITH A…
VOLVO IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001-2005 S80, MODEL YEAR 2001-2004 V70, S60, XC70 AND MODEL YEAR 2003-2005 XC90 VEHICLES SOLD IN OR REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, ARIZONA, ARKANSAS, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, HAWAII, KENTUCKY, LOUISIANA,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE FUEL PUMP INSTALLED IN THE VEHICLE, AND IF NECESSARY REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP WITH A PART OF A MODIFIED DESIGN. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY…
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES,THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT CAN DEFORM AT HIGH LOADS CAUSING A LOSS OF THE CLAMPING FORCE AND THE NUT MAY LOOSEN, WHICH MAY EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FATIGUE FRACTURE OF THE OUTER TIE ROD BALL JOINT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE OUTER BALL JOINT TIE RODS WITH IMPROVED OUTER BALL JOINT TIE RODS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 23, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, IF THE WIPER ARM IS ACTIVATED IN EXTREME WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS AND WITHOUT LIFTING THE WIPER ARMS AND CLEANING THE WINDSHIELD PRIOR TO MOVING, THE WIPER ARM MIGHT SLIP ON ITS DRIVESHAFT, RESULTING IN AN INABILITY TO MOVE THE WIPERS…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIPER ARMS AND RETAINING NUTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FRONT WHEEL SPEED SENSORS MAY BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN ERRONEOUS WHEEL SPEED SIGNAL.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT WHEEL SENSORS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 8, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO CARS AT 1-800-458-1552.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE SEAT BELT ATTACHMENT(S) FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD ROW SEAT(S) MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FITTED PROPERLY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPAIR THE SECOND AND/OR THIRD ROW SEAT BELT ATTACHMENTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 8, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT VOLVO AT 1-800-458-1552.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V483000.
Led to recall campaign 06V144000.
Technical service bulletins
222 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2004 Volvo XC90. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Volvo XC90 reliable?
The 2004 Volvo XC90 drew 669 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2004 Volvo XC90 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Volvo XC90 are electrical (192 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (148), and fuel system (76).
At what mileage do 2004 Volvo XC90 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Volvo XC90 problems around 89,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 65,000 and 117,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Volvo XC90 have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Volvo XC90. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.