I purchased my XC90 brand new in 11/05 and haven’t had any problems with it until this past week when I started to detect a strange noise coming from the front end. I took it to the dealer who’s tech said he has heard this noise before and removed and cleaned the CV joints. He said dirt, dust, etc gets in and creates this noise. The noise is still there and seems to be worse when it is cold. I woke this morning to 45 degree weather and pulled out of my driveway only to hear the noise worsen. The strange thing is that it actually goes away after the car warms up. It also is only in the first gear and is audible when I accelerate and let off the accelerator. I’m planning on taking it back to the dealer but wanted to get some info from this group before I go in. The car has about 13K miles on it and I'm the original owner. Any advice?? Suggestions?

 

I have the exact same problem.
I have a 2004 XC90, with 80k on it. The noise started about a month ago.
The noise is also present when the engine is cold or when I perform a very hard brake or a tight left turn.

The noise always goes away when the car is warmed up or after I drive a block without turning.