Model year report

2004 Volvo Xc90: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2004 Volvo Xc90

On the 2004 Volvo Xc90, the failure owners report most often is other electrical problem, and the reports cluster around 97,500 miles. The earliest to appear is wheel bearing or hub failure, reported by a median of 70,000 miles. Overall it scores 70 out of 100, high risk for a 2004.

High risk for a 2004 — 109th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. 669 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What owners report breaking

Owners have reported 59 named failure modes on the 2004 Volvo Xc90, and the three most-reported carry 31% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Other electrical problem leads with 82 reports, about 2.6 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 77k to 112,500 miles.

Other powertrain problem follows with 65 reports, usually reported between 63k to 105,000 miles.

Complete transmission failure follows with 61 reports, usually reported between 56k to 112,500 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into transmission (128), electrical (113) and fuel (92).

The mileage the reports cluster at

587 of the reports on the 2004 Volvo Xc90 came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 88,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 14% by 50,000 miles, 59% by 100,000 miles and 90% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 6 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 70,000 and 80,000 miles, which alone holds 14% of the dated reports.

10% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, so this is mostly a story about older, higher-mileage cars.

In the order they tend to show up: wheel bearing or hub failure around 69k, loss of power steering around 75k, radiator or coolant leak around 76k and other powertrain problem around 77k.

Median

Other electrical problem

98k
Other powertrain problem

77k
Complete transmission failure

79k
Fuel pump failure

81k
Loss of braking

105k
Other engine problem

95k
Other fuel system problem

137k
Radiator or coolant leak

76k
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure

115k
Sunroof failure or glass breakage

110k
Headlight failure or clouding

99k
Other body or interior problem

82k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 59. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 88k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 6 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

How bad it is when it goes

Across the named modes, 11 mention a crash, 4 a fire and 7 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.16, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, complete transmission failure at $2,800–$8,000 and fuel pump failure at $600–$2,600. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

32% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other electrical problem	electrical	82	76	77k	98k	113k	2.6	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	65	62	63k	77k	106k	2.1	$400–$4,500	High
Complete transmission failure	transmission	61	58	56k	79k	113k	1.9	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Fuel pump failure	fuel	57	42	52k	81k	130k	1.8	$600–$2,600	High
Loss of braking	brakes	35	35	74k	105k	117k	1.1	$400–$3,000	Critical
Other engine problem	engine	26	21	86k	95k	122k	0.8	$300–$4,000	High
Other fuel system problem	fuel	19	15	86k	137k	161k	0.6	$300–$2,200	High
Radiator or coolant leak	cooling	18	18	71k	76k	94k	0.6	$350–$1,900	High
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	17	17	70k	115k	134k	0.5	$700–$3,000	High
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	15	8	92k	110k	118k	0.5	$700–$4,500	High
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	15	14	60k	99k	109k	0.5	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Other body or interior problem	body	14	11	67k	82k	106k	0.4	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Wheel bearing or hub failure	drivetrain	13	13	56k	69k	90k	0.4	$350–$1,200	Moderate
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	13	6	—	10k	—	0.4	$200–$900	High
Other lighting problem	lighting	12	12	92k	110k	134k	0.4	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Other speed control problem	adas	12	10	77k	106k	123k	0.4	$250–$2,000	Critical
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	11	11	29k	80k	114k	0.3	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	10	7	—	78k	—	0.3	$300–$1,600	High
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	9	9	135	83k	130k	0.3	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Stalling while driving	engine	8	8	68k	125k	143k	0.3	$300–$2,500	Critical
Loss of power steering	steering	8	8	75k	75k	83k	0.3	$600–$2,800	Critical
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	8	7	—	1k	—	0.3	$700–$2,600	High
Other brake problem	brakes	8	7	—	123k	—	0.3	$300–$1,800	High
Other suspension problem	suspension	8	7	—	80k	—	0.3	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	8	6	—	74k	—	0.3	$200–$1,500	High
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	7	7	—	46k	—	0.2	$150–$900	Low
Other steering problem	steering	7	5	—	77k	—	0.2	$350–$2,400	High
Other driver assistance problem	adas	6	4	—	139k	—	0.2	$250–$1,800	High
Engine knock or bearing noise	engine	5	5	—	35k	—	0.2	$2,500–$9,000	High
Fuel leak or fuel odor	fuel	5	5	—	69k	—	0.2	$300–$2,500	Critical
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	5	4	—	88k	—	0.2	$400–$3,500	High
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	5	5	—	155k	—	0.2	$250–$1,500	High
Instrument cluster or gauge failure	infotainment	5	5	—	60k	—	0.2	$350–$1,400	Moderate
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	5	4	—	116k	—	0.2	$500–$2,400	High
Alternator or charging system failure	electrical	4	4	—	118k	—	0.1	$450–$1,600	High
CV axle or driveshaft failure	drivetrain	3	3	—	15k	—	0.1	$450–$2,200	High
Other visibility problem	glass	3	2	—	143k	—	0.1	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Transmission slipping	transmission	2	2	—	69k	—	0.1	$1,200–$5,500	High
Differential or transfer case failure	drivetrain	2	2	—	60k	—	0.1	$900–$4,200	High
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	2	1	—	45k	—	0.1	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Cruise control failure	adas	2	2	—	146k	—	0.1	$200–$1,400	High
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	2	2	—	23k	—	0.1	$600–$2,500	Critical
Tire blowout or tread separation	wheels	2	2	—	23k	—	0.1	$200–$1,500	Critical
Rust or structural corrosion	body	2	2	—	135k	—	0.1	$500–$6,000	High
Door latch or handle failure	body	2	2	—	79k	—	0.1	$250–$1,200	High
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	2	2	—	44k	—	0.1	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Air conditioning failure	hvac	2	2	—	84k	—	0.1	$400–$2,800	Moderate
Wiper or washer failure	glass	2	2	—	141k	—	0.1	$120–$800	Moderate
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	1	1	—	42k	—	0.0	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Overheating	cooling	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Thermostat failure	cooling	1	1	—	75k	—	0.0	$250–$900	Moderate
Brake line, hose or caliper failure	brakes	1	1	—	84k	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Critical
Parking brake failure	brakes	1	1	—	45k	—	0.0	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Power steering pump or fluid leak	steering	1	1	—	39k	—	0.0	$350–$1,600	Moderate
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	1	1	—	67k	—	0.0	$400–$2,200	High
Blower motor or climate control failure	hvac	1	1	—	32k	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	Moderate
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	1	1	—	71k	—	0.0	$100–$900	Moderate
Software fault or failed update	software	1	1	—	61k	—	0.0	$0–$600	Moderate
Other seat belt problem	airbag	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Unclassified problem	other	24	16	81k	102k	132k	0.8	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2004 Volvo Xc90 draws about 21 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 91st percentile of complaint rates among 2004 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 31,685 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2004 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Complete transmission failure

Since I have owned this car I have had small electrical problems - moonroof won't open or close, g door opener not working after 3 days, must press unlock button several times to unlock doors. Also, the car bounces at all speeds, and shifts late. Labor day, 2004, I was driving the car when all gages went out - speed od, gas, oil press, entire ABS system, etc. I found it was fuse 24 and replaced it. This fuse blew 4 more times over the next 3 days - once it blew when replacing it. The dealership said this was not a safety issue and scheduled repair for 2 weeks later. (the ABS system still reported warnings on the message display). Once the dealership finally worked on it, they replaced the central electrical box and ordered a new transmission which still needs to be installed. I still have the above electrical problems along with the other problems which the dealership claims are all related. There is 10,000 miles on this car. Previously, I owned a 1999 xc. I continued to have electrical problems with this car until I started it at a daycare to have the battery explode. Solution to this problem was to upgrade me to the 2004 with…

10,000 miles NHTSA complaint 497080 filed 2004-09-19

Three and a half weeks ago my 2004 t6 xc90 jerked for the first time. I was on leaving the parking lot at work and the rear end made a loud bumping sound and the car jerked forward. It felt like another car had bumped into me, but I was the only car on the road. It didn't happen again for another week or so. Thursday, april 24th, I'm driving to work and the car isn't picking up speed when I push the gas. The rpms go up but it doesn't accelerate. Friday, april 25th I took it to the dealer and there was no problem. The car drove perfectly, even after I picked it up. Saturday, april 26th at 9pm, I'm driving alone on the interstate and the transmission service urgent light comes on, the car loses power the rpms are running up with no acceleration. Fortunately I was in the right lane so I got off at the next exit and was able to make it home, but it continued to have intermittent power loss the whole time. I'm in nighttime traffic putting on the hazard lights trying to get home. I have to wait till monday to go back to the dealer, the transmission service light has been on since saturday. The dealership gets the vehicle monday, and…

53,897 miles NHTSA complaint 669195 filed 2008-05-10

Recalls on the 2004 model year

NHTSA has issued 6 recall campaigns covering the 2004 Volvo Xc90, affecting an estimated 82,165 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning , fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump, steering:linkages:tie rod assembly and visibility:windshield wiper/washer. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

10V566000

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)

416 vehicles 2010-11-08

Defect: Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
Consequence: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.
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. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.

09V483000

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

158,733 vehicles 2009-12-18

Defect: 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, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the u.s. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump can develop cracks in the fuel…
Consequence: If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
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. The safety recall began on january 15, 2010. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

06V155000

STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

126,743 vehicles 2006-05-05

Defect: 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.
Consequence: The driver may notice that the vehicle is difficult to maneuver increasing the risk of a crash.
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.

06V144000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER

122,431 vehicles 2006-04-28

Defect: 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.
Consequence: Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
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.

03V434000

WHEELS

2,586 vehicles 2003-11-04

Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, the front wheel speed sensors may be defective, causing an erroneous wheel speed signal.
Consequence: This can adversely affect a number of vehicle functions, including brake, engine, transmission, and torque distribution control which rely on this signal for proper operation.
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.

03V391000

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

18,692 vehicles 2003-10-10

Defect: On certain sport utility vehicles, the seat belt attachment(s) for the second and third row seat(s) may not have been fitted properly.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
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.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2004 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2004 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Better and worse years of the same car

High risk for a 2004 — 109th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 18 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2006 comes out best at 64 and 2018 worst at 82, with 2004 itself at 70.

If the model year is negotiable, 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2008 score lower than 2004 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2003–2008 generation specifically, 2006 is the strongest year at 64 and 2004 the weakest at 70.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2003-2008 generation, 2006 Volvo Xc90 scores best at 64 and 2004 Volvo Xc90 worst at 70.

What to look at before buying one

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure from about 135, no-start or intermittent start failure from about 29k, fuel pump failure from about 52k and wheel bearing or hub failure from about 56k.

On a 2004 Volvo Xc90 with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

What this page cannot tell you

669 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 669 reports, 587 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 88% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Volvo Xc90?

The most-reported failures are other electrical problem (82 reports, median 97,500 miles), other powertrain problem (65 reports, median 77,500 miles) and complete transmission failure (61 reports, median 80,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2004 Volvo Xc90 problems start?

Wheel bearing or hub failure is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 70,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 55,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 88,000 miles.

Is the 2004 Volvo Xc90 reliable?

It scores 70 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 109th riskiest of the 329 2004 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2004 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Volvo Xc90 is best?

Within the 2003–2008 generation, 2006 scores best at 64 out of 100 and 2004 worst at 70. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 20 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed