Most common 2004 Volvo XC90 problems
Share of the 462 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volvo XC90 complaints by model year
Best XC90 years: 2010, 2013, 2011. Years to avoid: 2016, 2025, 2023, 2017, 2024. Compare all years →
2004 Volvo XC90 recalls (6)
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational system(global positioning system)
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (GPS) units because the batteries on those units May overheat.
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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, mississippi, nevada, new Mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina,…
Remedy: 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.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
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.
Remedy: 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.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer
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 from the park position.
Remedy: 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.
Wheels
On certain sport utility vehicles, the front wheel speed sensors May be defective, causing an erroneous wheel speed signal.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front wheel sensors. Owner notification began on December 8, 2003. Owners should contact Volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Seat belts › Rear/other
On certain sport utility vehicles, the seat belt attachment(s) for the second and third row seat(s) May not have been fitted properly.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2004 Volvo XC90:
Central Electronic Module Failure
Volvo acknowledged a problem affecting some subject vehicles involving water seepage into the plenum box area in the engine compartment.When this occurs water may enter into the interior / passenger compartment and track along the wiring harness for the Central Electronic Module (CEM), the device that controls many of the vehicle's electrical functions including wiper operation, lighting, and transmission…
Fuel pump leak
Volvo has determined that due to exposure to certain environmental conditions (hot climates and temperature cycling) and varying fuel quality, the fuel pump flange in the xc90 vehicles can develop cracks.owners May notice fuel smell and/or fuel seepage.due to similar material usage, this issue also affects other my2001-2005 s60/s80/v70/xc70 and my2003/2005 xc90 vehicles.review of the Volvo data indicate the…
Windshield wiper arm performance
The manufacturer notified NHTSA by letter dated April 21, 2006, that a safety recall has been initiated for correction of this problem on certain model year 2003 - 2006 Volvo xc90 vehicles. The recall affects approximately 122,400 subject vehicles produced between August 2002 and October 2005.NHTSA has assigned no.
What 2004 Volvo XC90 owners say
Electrical system all 158 →
On May 26, 2022, I was stuck in traffic for four hours, and the car's CEM (central electronic module) overheated causing the dashboard to shut down three times, meaning I lost all instrument readings. After each time the dashboard shut down, I had to pull over and reset fuse #27 to have the dashboard come back online temporarily. Because the CEM was already overheated due to its design flaw with improper ventilation, the dashboard would shut down again and again. A Google search would show this is a very common issue for 2004 Volvo models and before. Driving without any instrument readings is totally unsafe. I strongly urge you to force Volvo to issue a recall for 2004 and before models and fix the CEM overheating problem.
While driving on the highway "SRS urgent" text came on, also hear clicking sounds under dash on driver side, then dashboard indicator lights completely disappear (speed, fuel, temperature, etc) . Extremely hot under driver side dash. Fortunately, still able to steer and brake. This has happened twice now. Mechanic believes most likely CEM failure or DIM failure. My vehicle also has a wet A-pillar fabric (Volvo forums indicate possible cause of failure). I removed drivers A-pillar and found a clogged drain tube from the sunroof. However, did not notice any obvious signs of water inside the vehicle, though it hasnt rained for over a month when this happened.
Transmission & drivetrain all 145 →
Similar to many others, while driving our 2004 Volvo XC90, we hear a click, then the climate, radio and windshield wipers (if on) shut off and their display lights black out, then another click in a fraction of a second and they come back on. This was happening randomly, and nothing else was affected, until this weekend, while on a trip. We were driving on highways, outside temp in the 80's, no rain, average speed about 70mph. It happened a few times over about 45 minutes, then began happening every 5 miles or so. When I turned up the ac fan, within about a minute it clicked and we lost the usual things, but they did not come back on. …
I am concerned these 2 issues May pose a safety risk. I recently purchased this car from a friend and have had it about a month. I notice the steering is very stiff and difficult to maneuver. I was trying to find out if there were any recalls on this but having no luck. Also, when the car is in gear "drive", when stopped on an incline (even the slightest hill) I notice that when I take my foot off the brake pedal the car rolls backwards! It shouldn't do that. The transmission notice on the dash is saying it needs service but my friend I bought it from said she had it checked twice and was told there is no transmission issue. Is there a recall on power-train/trans parts? The car should not roll backwards when in gear "drive", even if I am stopped on a hill. Even a slight incline and the car rolls back. Not normal. Thank you for any and all help you can offer. …
Fuel & propulsion system all 77 →
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after his wife started the vehicle, she smelled the odor of gasoline. The contact had been advised by his wife that the vehicle was taking longer to start up and sometimes required two or three attempts to start the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V483000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The failure mileage was approximately 212,000.
The contact owns a 2004 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, his wife noticed an abnormally strong gasoline odor. The contact's wife was able to continue driving the vehicle; however, the failure would return after refueling or on rainy days. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V483000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
2004 Volvo XC90 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 22 / 19 |
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
| 2.9L 6-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Volvo XC90 a good car?
Based on 462 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 XC90 rates avoid: 11.9× as many complaints as a typical year of the XC90 at the same age. It is one of the XC90 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Volvo XC90?
The electrical system — 158 complaints, 34% of all complaints for this model year, most often about ignition. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (145) and fuel & propulsion system (77).
How many recalls does the 2004 Volvo XC90 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2004 Volvo XC90, the most recent from November 8, 2010 (navigational system(global positioning system)). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volvo XC90?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2013 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016, 2025, 2023, 2017 and 2024. See the full Volvo XC90 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Volvo XC90 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 86,000 miles; 14% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.