2004 Volvo XC90 Lighting Problems

I AM PAYING FOR THE THIRD LIGHT BALLAST IN THIS VOLVO 700-1000 DOLLARS EACH TIME. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY YOUR ORGANIZATION IN 2010 IT IS ONLINE. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS. WHEN THE BALLAST FAILS THE HEADLIGHT GO OFF. SOMETIME 1 LIGHT, SOMETIMES BOTH. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, THE PAST TWO TIME THAT THE LIGHTS WENT OFF. GUESS WHAT, THERE IS NO BACK UP LIGHT . SO I HAD TO DRIVE TO THE NEXT EXIT IN TOTAL FEAR OF CRASHING DURING THE RAIN. OH, AND I DID PULL OVER IN THE SIDE PROBLEM THERE WAS NO SHOULDER, CONSTRUCTION. ALL YOU NEED TO LIGHT A BULB IS A FEW WATTS, THE BALLAST SYSTEM IS A JOKE AND COSTLY. IT WILL RESULT IN SOMEONE CRASHING AND DEATH. PLEASE DO NOT IGNORE THIS , CHECK ONLINE YOU WILL SEE THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL AND YEAR. OH , ALSO HAD THE TRANSMISSION RECALLED . MINE FAILED AT 75000 MILES , STILL PAID 1500 FOR THE WORK NICE COMPANY. *TR

DRIVING ALONG A RURAL ROAD IN E. OREGON AT AROUND 7:30 PM AND ALL FRONT LIGHTS WENT OUT AT ONCE (ALL OF THEM). THIS CAUSED A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE WERE NOT IN A CELL PHONE AREA AND HAD TO SLEEP IN CAR OVERNIGHT AND DROVE OUT OF AREA AT DAYLIGHT THE NEXT DAY. THE CAR WORKED FINE EXCEPT FOR A COMPLETE LIGHTING FAILURE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT AS YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN COUNTRY ROADS IN THE DARK. *TR

BOTH HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. I WAS ON INTERSTATE 77 BOTH LIGHTS WENT OUT DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL I WAS BEHIND A CAR THE ONLY LIGHTS WERE ON WERE MY FOG LIGHTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED AND SUDDENLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE LOW BEAM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE FOG LIGHTS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

HEADLIGHTS GO ON AND OFF, DON'T WORK CONSISTENTLY. SOMETIMES BOTH WORK, SOMETIMES 1 WORKS, SOMETIMES NEITHER WORK. DEALER WANTED ME TO REPLACE BULBS BUT AT ALMOST 200.00 PER BULB I THINK THE PROBLEM IS SOMEWHERE ELSE SINCE THE BULBS DO WORK SOMETIMES. *TR

THIS HAS TO DO WITH FAULTY HEADLIGHT SYSTEM ON THIS CAR. I HAVE HAD REPEATED FAILURES OF THE LOW BEAM ON BOTH SIDES. THE CONNECTOR THAT THE HEADLIGHT PLUGS INTO OVERHEATS TO THE POINT WHERE THE PLASTIC CONNECTOR MELTS AND NO LONGER WORKS. TO FIX IT REQUIRES THAT A NEW CONNECTOR BE PURCHASED AND SPLICED IN TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE PART. IT APPEARS THAT THE WIRE GAUGE IS TOO LOW THUS CREATING BOTH A FIRE HAZARD AS WELL AS A SAFETY HAZARD FROM HAVING HEAD LAMPS FAIL. I HAVE SPOKEN TO BOTH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND VOLVO CORPORATE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THEY BOTH SAY THAT THERE IS NO RECALL THUS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP FIX IT AT THEIR COST. OF COURSE, THEY ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE ME PAY THEM A RIDICULOUS PRICE TO REPAIR IT FOR ME. THEY SEEMS TO CARE NOT THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. FROM RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS AND HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE FOR VOLVO AND YET THEY DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. THE SERVICE PERSON I SPOKE TO TODAY AT THE NALLY VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN ATLANTA, GA ADMITTED TO ME THAT THEY HAVE ALL SORTS OF ISSUES WITH HEADLIGHTS SO THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO HIM AT ALL...BUT SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP FIX IT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE NHTSA PLACE SERIOUS PRESSURE ON VOLVO TO ISSUE A RECALL TO FIX THIS SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD.

I WAS DRIVING, AND JUST AS IT STARTED TO GET DARK, I NOTICED THAT MY LIGHTS DID NOT SEEM TO BE WORKING. I STOPPED AT A PARKING LOT TO CHECK, AND THE LIGHTS WERE IN FACT NOT WORKING. IF I HAD NOT BEEN CLOSE TO HOME, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A PERILOUS DRIVE HOME; AND, IF IT HAPPENED HALF AN HOUR LATER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH NO LIGHTS.

MAIN HEADLIGHT SYSTEM FAILURE DUE TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DEFECT. IN 2006 BOTH VEHICLE HEAD LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING. ON 07/03/06 MAIN BEAM FUSE REPLACED BY DEALER TO CORRECT PROBLEM. IN 2010 RIGHT-SIDE HEADLIGHT STOPPED WORKING. CUSTOMER REPLACED BULB PER DASH WARNING LIGHT BUT DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. CUSTOMER INSPECTION OF BULB CONTACTS AND BULB HOLDER SHOWED EVIDENCE OF HIGH HEAT DUE TO MELTING OF METAL AND PLASTIC. ON 07/16/10 VOLVO DEALER REPLACED HEADLIGHT BALLAST, CONTROL MODULE, CONTACT UNIT AND BULB. RIGHT HEADLIGHT PROBLEM CORRECTED AT COST OF $435.09 - BALLAST & CONTROL MODULE; $108.90 - CONTACT UNIT; AND $162.00 - BULB, PLUS LABOR. CURRENT PROBLEM IS LEFT-SIDE HEADLIGHT NOT WORKING AND APPEARS TO BE A REPEAT OF PREVIOUS RIGHT-SIDE PROBLEM. *TR

2004 VOLVO XC90 HEADLIGHT FAILURE. HEADLIGHTS FAILED MONDAY, AUGUST 30TH IN THE EVENING. I HAVE YET TO TAKE IT TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP, BUT SEARCHED ONLINE AND NOTICED THAT THIS IS A CONCERN FOR OTHER OWNERS AND THE NHTSA. *TR

THERE IS A LOW BEAM FAILURE INTERMITTENTLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I'M USING THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS OR THE BI-XENON HEADLIGHTS. THE BULB HAS BEEN REPLACED, FUSES CHECKED, WIRING CONNECTIONS CHECKED AND THE FAILURE CONTINUES. THE ONLY INCIDENT THIS HAS CAUSED HAS BEEN A WARNING FROM A POLICE OFFICER ABOUT GETTING IT REPAIRED. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY INDICATE THAT EVERYTHING IS RUNNING FINE, HOWEVER THE BULB FAILURE TYPICALLY HAPPENS AFTER THE CAR HAS WARMED UP AND HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WHILE. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB (PHILIPS D2R 85126 XENON HID) ON MY 2004 VOLVO XC90 HAD TO BE REPLACED. AFTER INSERTING A NEW REPLACEMENT BULB IDENTICAL TO THE ORIGINAL BULB, I AM PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THAT HEADLIGHT. IT SHINES BRIGHTER THAN THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT, AND IT BLINKS ONCE FOR ABOUT A SECOND AFTER TURNING THE CAR ON. AFTER READING ON AUTOBLOG.COM THAT VOLVO ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FAULTY HEADLIGHT CIRCUITRY, I SUSPECT THIS IS THE CASE WITH MY CAR, AND THAT THIS REPLACEMENT BULB WILL FAIL SOON. *TR

THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT LENSES OF MY 2004 VOLVO XC90 HAVE BECOME CLOUDY AND APPEAR TO PREMATURELY AGING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND BOTH THE DEALER -- DON BEYER VOLVO IN FALLS CHURCH, VA -- AND VOLVO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM OR REPAIR IT UNDER THE VEHICLE'S WARRANTY. OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL: HTTP://WWW.VOLVO-FORUMS.COM/T4575-XC-90-HEADLIGHT-LENS-CRAZING.HTM AND HTTP://WWW.VOLVOFORUMS.COM/M_62330/TM.HTM THE DEALERSHIP IS CALLING IT "WIND DAMAGE," WHICH MAKES NO SENSE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN EXTREME WEATHER AND IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY DRIVEN IN THE METROPOLITAN DC AREA. EVEN IF IT IS WIND DAMAGE, THEN THE COMPONENT IS DEFECTIVE AS IT IS UNABLE TO WITHSTAND THE MODERATE WINDS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR XC90 2005 FROM GENGRAS VOLVO IN MERIDEN, CT ON DEC 24, 2006. IT IS NOW OCT 11, 2007. SINCE WE'VE HAD THE CAR WE'VE PUT AROUND 8,000 MILES ON IT. IT IS NOT OUR PRIMARY VEHICLE AND SITS PARKED IN OUR GARAGE MOST OF THE TIME. ON 10/10/07, UPON LEAVING WORK AND GETTING INTO MY SUV I SAW A RATHER LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER ON THE FLOOR OF THE DRIVER?S SIDE OF MY XC90. THE CAR OBVIOUSLY HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE AND IT WAS RAINING THAT DAY. SINCE WE WERE BRINGING THE CAR INTO STAMFORD VOLVO ON 10/11/07 TO REPLACE THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS - THE SEAL ON BOTH HEADLIGHT WERE CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (THESE PARTS WERE UNDER WARRANTY AND I FIGURED IT WAS BEST TO DO THAT), I ALSO REQUESTED STAMFORD CT VOLVO TO LOOK AT THE WATER PROBLEM AS WELL. ON 10/11/07, STAMFORD CT VOLVO INFORMED ME AND MY HUSBAND THAT THE SUNROOF DRAINS WERE CLOGGED AND HAVE BEEN FOR SOMETIME. WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN FACT A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. IN FACT HE ELABORATED TO SAY THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS CAR. IT IS PROBABLY THE REASON WHY THE CAR HAS ALWAYS HAD A MUSTY ODOR TO IT. IN FACT, WE NOTICED THIS ODOR AT TIME OF PURCHASE FROM GENGRAS VOLVO IN MERIDEN, CT AND THE SALES MAN (MATTHEW MARTIN AT GENGRAS VOLVO IN MERIDEN, CT) HAD ALSO NOTICED THE ODOR AS WELL AND AT OUR REQUEST WAS GOING TO LOOKING INTO IT MORE. ON 10/11/07, I CALLED PAUL SMITH THE GENERAL MANAGER AND SUPPOSED OWNER OF GENGRAS VOLVO IN MERIDEN, CT TO NOTIFY HIM OF THE DRAIN PROBLEM AND DAMAGE TO THE INTERIOR AND TO LET HIM KNOW THAT THIS PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE SINCE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR AND THERE WAS AN MUSTY ODOR HIS SALESMAN HAD ACKNOWLEDGED. HE IMMEDIATELY SAID IT WAS MY FAULT THAT THE DRAIN WAS CLOGGED AND HE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT GOING TO PAY THE $150.00 TO UNCLOG THE DRAIN AND THE $800.00 TO REPAIR MY INTERIOR DAMAGE. *TR