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dreadful XC90 experience! XC90 2003

Let me share my dreadful experience to the benefit of other users.
My new Volvo XC90 was built in Sweden on 5 December 2003 and sold retail in Austria on 17 December 2003.
It ceased to function after 78 days out of the factory.
On 21 February 2004 the engine came to a complete stop while I was driving abroad on vacation with my family: no warning signals whatsoever, it simply stopped to function, period.
Total car mileage was then around 3,000 kilometers.
The local Volvo dealer where the car was towed (on my expenses) had to replace entirely the engine with a new one (this on Volvo's expenses).
I was out of the garage with my car and its new engine on 28 February 2004.
This time it lasted approximately 5 minutes, as the engine broke down just 2-3 kilometers out of the garage.
Back to the same Volvo dealer, they were flabbergasted in finding the same problem as before: after further investigations with Volvo Cars, they found out that the same problem had already happened, elsewhere, to other XC90s, and it would seem that at Volvo they still have no idea of the possible cause.
Now I am waiting for another new engine to be put in place (again on Volvo's expenses) but still am unsure whether the same problem will happen again and again ...
As I am still without my car, I am renting one in order to be able to continue my work (again on my expenses).
Having always respected Volvo as a reliable and trustworthy brand, I was really disappointed with the car's repeated breakdowns but even more as Volvo Car Corporation refused to recognize in full their product's liability thus reimbursing me for the expenses incurred.








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    dreadful XC90 experience! XC90 2003

    It sounds to me like the Ford engineers and customer service "people" have now taken over completely at Volvo. I knew that buyout would be the death of Volvo. What a shame!! jp








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      NOT Ford....still Volvo XC90 2003

      Nope, even now there is still not ONE Ford part on ANY new Volvo. The cars are still 100% Volvo.
      I also doubt this story. The 5 and 6 cyl white engines have been in use for over a decade and I've never heard of anything like this before.








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        NOT Ford....still Volvo XC90 2003

        I know this sounds strange and given the lack of details provided it may seem all fiction: however it is unfortunately all true.
        My technical English may be poor but - in brief - what happened BOTH TIMES is that the fan belt was torn for some reason and small pieces of it finished into the timing gears hence messing up the whole engine.
        It will all be confirmed (and further details provided) by the authorised Volvo dealer/garage who has the car now: Auto Pfister AG in Samedan (Switzerland), phone +41-81-8510511.
        Just for sake of the truth.
        I know there is no Ford parts in any Volvo and by the way I have nothing against either Ford (which I happily owned for years) or Volvo (at least up to 3 weeks ago).








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          NOT Ford....still Volvo XC90 2003

          That is interesting. Some of the early 960 (92-94) have the exact same problem If the accesory belt goes, it is likely to take out the timing belt as well. this is because the timing belt cover is just a weak piece of plastic only designe to keep some dirt out. The 960 uses an earlier generation of the same engine in your XC90. You would think after 10-12 years they would have figured this one out by now. I guess they haven't.
          Im sorry you had this terrible experience. Its frustrating living with the possiblity of catastrofic failure on a 10 year old car. Its 100 times worst when it happends on a expesive new car. Good luck.
          Justin
          94 965







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