Hi,

New to forum. I have a 2005 xc90 v8 with 59,500 miles. Took it to an indepedent mechanic for 60K checkup- came back telling me I need a new transmission. I took it to the local volvo dealer who looked at it and said that I only needed a valve body. After reading these forums, I decided to take it to another dealer to see what they had to say- 2 out of three, right? The 2nd dealer said I needed a computer upgrade and if that didn't work I needed a new tranny. OK, so confused.

Meanwhile, I called volvo NA (becuase I was reading this forum luckily) according to the customer rep agent I spoke to, they agreed to pay for 1/2 the cost of the transmission part. I called back the first dealer nd thesaid no, they meant 1/2 the valve body part. From everything I read about just replacing the valve bosy, I didn't trust them- without even opening up the tranny, how did they know what was causing the problem? The diagnosis code was just a mechanical failure code. They tried to convince me that 99% of the time the valve bosy takes care of the problem. They were firm on the diagnosis and said they stood behind it. So, I asked them if the transmission fails within the year, what will they do as I am not paying for a part and then a whole transmission in 2 months.

I called the GM of the first dealer to complain that I felt like I was not being given straight answers. Now they call me to tell me the volvo NA rep says to just replace the tranny and possibly the radiator and hoses- volvo NA will cover 1/2 on parts- not labor. I asked the service manager why he told me yesterday that the valve body was 99% going to fix the problem and today it usually works 50/50.

So, here is where I stand. They toldme it would run me $3400 with paying 1/2! And that doesnt even include labor! The 2nd dealer I went to quoted me $3900 for a tranny w/o labor. Hmmm... doesn't sound right.

What do I do? I need to know what exact transmission goes into a 2005 xc90 v8 and how much they should cost? How do I get them to pay for more of it? I can't afford $4000 on the car- it is only worth $16K at most!

Will a volvo dealer let me trade it in with this problem? Should I go to the 2nd dealer and let them do a computer upgrade at all? Will that do anything? (1st dealer says I don't need one)

Please help! I appreciate all feedback!

 

Hi. I'm new here too, but I'm going through the same issue as you and I may have some answers. I have a 2006 XC90 V8 with 48K miles. My vehicle started shuddering so I took it to the dealer and found that my car had a ruptured transmission cooler line in the radiator resulting in a mixing of coolant and tranny fluid. This I knew this already because there was what appeared to be a strawberry milkshake in the coolant overflow reservoir. Fortunately, the dealer that I bought it from less than a month ago is stepping up and paying for all the repairs. I'm glad there are dealers that will do the right thing and I will always by from them.

How does this relate to you? Well, a replacement of the radiator, transmission, and lines between them will cost about $8k with labor. If there is any glycol in the transmission (they test for it) then you should replace the tranny, radiator and lines. If the test is glycol negative, and you have a tranny problem only, my research says it should cost $4K to $5K.

Given that XC90s seem to have transmission problems, I'd get the tranny replaced just to be certain, especially since they're paying half of it.

 

2005 XC90 V8 121,000 miles - Until recently we have never had any troubles with the transmission. 500 miles ago we had the transmission software upgraded after we complained about the transmission acting strangely during downshifting. They did not see anything else wrong with the transmission though. Worked fine for three weeks, but last night the vehicle began revving up before shifting from 2nd to 3rd, and soon thereafter the Transmission Check Urgent light came on. Could not pull over (live in LA), so drove home and transmission acted fine the rest of the way. We will be taking it to the dealership where all service has been conducted. Has anyone had problems after this upgrade was installed? A friend with quite a bit of Volvo experience informed me a similar problem was corrected by reinstalling the software, or "re-flash". I am hoping this is all we will need.

 

I too have been having issues with my transmission. It's been going on for about two years. The dealer told me it was bad gas as it was lagging before engaging when taking off from a full stop. It was intermittent, but now it's happening most of the time, as if something is hanging up. I've heard there are problems with the transmission in this car and need more information. Especially if Volvo NA is aware of it and helping their customers. This is my second volvo and they have both been great cars. Please reply if you have any guidance for me.

Thanks,

 

Have a 2005 XC 90 T6 five cylinder, transmission went bad a 98,0000 miles. Volvo said there is a problem with the transmission and they replace it free of charge. Apparently they have many issues related to the model and didn't give us an problem. Was a 4500.00 job.

 

Hey...I picked up my XC90 at the dealer here in Saskatoon today. The total bill for a software upgrade(which didn't help)and a valve body replacement(which didn't fix the transmission shuddering)ultimately requiring a complete transmission came out to just under $13,000. I've found bulletins pertaining to this common transmission problem (on '05s). In one bulletin there is a note identifying transmissions starting with serial number 06J and later that already have the latest valve body which was designed to prevent the shuddering. This known design flaw is no different than the counterbalance shaft bearing that they were also aware of. I'm not sure if your dealer charged you a $500 inspection/certification fee when you inported your XC90 but I was told that they wouldn't touch it if I didn't pay the $500. After the certification they told me that all recalls had been done and that everything checked out. It's at that point where Volvo Canada is compelled under what is called "implied contract" they took my $500 for a certification and did not comply with the contract by advising me of the known design flaws with the '05 XC90 V8.
So this sad saga continues (total so far over $20,000) but rest assured I will not stop till I'm compensated.
I also have an ace in the hole, a friend of mine works for CBC and I've told him this story and if things don't go my way they could find themselves getting some very negative press(a' la Toyota). So stay tuned, thanks again for your note.