Hi All, First time user. Last summer I bought a 2006 XC90 for my kids to drive around although I discovered that I really like driving it too! Earlier this week I was stopped in the dirt shoulder and a little snow off the side of the road. When I accelerated to get back on the road there was a loud thunk and then the sound of loose metal parts in a tumbler. Turns out the drive shaft from the front to the rear differentials broke. My mechanic (not a Volvo dealer) removed the broken shaft and has told me that he doesn't see why I can't drive it around without the shaft as a front wheel drive car while he looks for a used replacement shaft at junk yards. Not being real familiar with the car and its quirks I am a little hesitant but it sure would be helpful if I or my kids could drive it this week. Does anyone see any problems with driving it around with out the drive shaft?

 

For starters, the vehicle is complex, and was designed for all-time-all-wheel-drive. Driving it in any other... what I'll call: "configuration" will put an unbalanced stress on the front-half of the drivetrain.

So I would say that this isn't optimal.

However, I do know of people who have removed the rear-propshaft for other diagnostic reasons. There wasn't any concern in doing this in a limited role...

But I would advise doing it if you have a 40 mile commute to work... For a week...

I would think that doing so in light-duty driving, for a few tens-of-miles... shouldn't hurt too much. But any more than that, and I'd be renting a car while you wait for the part...