2004 Volvo XC90 Review

Name: 2004 Volvo XC90 Review
Brand: Volvo
Price: 2295 USD
Rating: 4.5 (389 reviews)

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Volvo XC90 model years

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Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Safe as a bank vault, plush ride, feels smaller than it is, high-quality interior materials, ample cargo room.

Cons

Turbocharged T6 engine not well suited to SUV duty, third-row seating takes up too much second-row space.

What’s new

Changes are minimal for the XC90's second year on the market. All models get wheel and tire upgrades -- 2.5Ts will wear 225/70R17 rubber and T6s will wear 235/65R17 rubber, but both get the same 17-inch "Neptune" wheels. Ice White is a new exterior color choice. Stand-alone options now include a wood steering wheel, aluminum dash inlays and a leather shift knob.

Edmunds says

Easy to drive and easy on the eyes, Volvo's first foray into the SUV arena has everything it needs to compete in this highly competitive category.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T Fwd 4dr SUV (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$297/mo

$204/mo

Avg. Midsize SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2004 Volvo XC90.

5 (69%)

4 (18%)

3 (9%)

2 (4%)

1 (0%)

4.5

389 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 389 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Updated review - 7/2016

10162001, 07/18/2015

2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T Fwd 4dr SUV (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A)

**Update at the end of review** I bought this 2.5T Front Wheel Drive Volvo as a pre-owned, non warranty vehicle form an independent car lot in 2006. I had never owned a preowned vehicle before, I always bought/leased new cars before. But when I stumbled upon this car I fell in love and was willing to take a chance. Nine years on I am still in love with this car. It has not been … without the odd issue: - when I first had it, the driver side headlight would randomly go out. I took it to a few garages and they didn't have a clue. I found an independent garage opened by a Volvo Certified Master Tech and he sorted it out right away (nearest Volvo dealership is over 2 hours from me) - the radio died in 2011 (it was 7 years old) but I was able to replace it with one found from a salvaged xc90 in 2012 and saved a lot of money by waiting for a salvaged radio vs. a new replacement ($80 + installation) - In 2014 (at 10 years old) we knew that there were some significant bits that needed to be replaced simply due to wear and tear - belts, water pump, blower fan was starting to go and the starter needed replacing. Thought about selling it but we had a rash of bad luck with BMWs and even a Porshe Cayman. My XC90 was still running great and the estimate to get all of the worn out pieces replaced was far far cheaper than getting another car. We even bought some new floor mats - no one believes this car is 11 years old. It rides and looks like a much newer car. So here I am, 9 years after I bought it and still love it. The driver's seat is getting a bit worn but the rest of the car is still in amazing shape. The fabric on the roof has a bit of a droop in a place behind the backseat light and the weatherstripping is a bit worse for wear but these are all cosmetic. Mechanically it drives as beautifully as the day I bought it. Next year I'm probably going to look at getting a pre-owned XC60 or maybe another XC90 but I'm keeping this 2004 for my daughter. She doesn't start driving for another few years but I have full faith that this car has many more years left. And I'll feel a lot safer with her in the XC90. *Update: Edmunds asked me to update my review; I've now owned the car ten years and I'm still happy. All is well apart from the 6 disk CD changer; it's gone on the fritz and will only play disks inserted into slot 3. But meh...it was an $80 replacement from a salvaged XC90. We have a Volvo iPod adapter and rarely use the CD player anyway. I know in my old review I stated I would probably replace this car this year with a newer model but it's just not on my agenda at the moment. Maybe next year... ;)

Huge Transmission Problems

dancingbear3, 07/09/2011

2004 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD 4dr SUV (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 4A)

We loved our 2004 T6 until yesterday when we had to be towed from Lake Tahoe to a Sacramento Volvo Dealer ( 109 miles ). Two different dealers told me this model has a huge transmission problem. There is talk of a law suit on the discussion board as so many owners have had problems. To be fair, some of the owners got full replacement including trnsmission, lines and radiator (around …

2004 Volvo XC90 Transmission Issues

FIOSWA, 12/01/2010

2004 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD 4dr SUV (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 4A)

I have an 04 Volvo XC90 and had the bad experience of the Transmission Service Urgent light coming on and the vehicle putting itself into "limp mode" to stop further damage. Of all the blogs I read after this happened, most of them had negative outcomes as far as support from Volvo. I had a great experience and wanted to share that Volvo covered 100% of my damages. I am getting a new …

Too many problems dont buy

bob458, 11/04/2011

2004 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD 4dr SUV (2.9L 6cyl Turbo 4A)

Bought a used xc90 from volvo. We have averaged a new problem every 2000 miles. Including a breakdown leaving my pregnant wife stranded and now flickering headlights that cant be fixed despite visits to the dealership and throwing money at it. (computers and modules are next on the list) It would be nice if the dealership looked like they knew how to fix what is apparantly a common …

See all 389 reviews of the Volvo XC90

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2004 XC90 Highlights

Trim:

2.5T

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$34,790
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	19 MPG
Cost to Drive	$297/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	41.6 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

Key safety features on the XC90 include:

Alarm
Stability Control

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

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2004 Volvo XC90 Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T Fwd 4dr SUV (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2004 Volvo XC90.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Updated review - 7/2016

Huge Transmission Problems

2004 Volvo XC90 Transmission Issues

Too many problems dont buy

2004 XC90 Highlights

Safety

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2004 Volvo XC90 Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T Fwd 4dr SUV (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.

Most helpful consumer reviews

Updated review - 7/2016

Huge Transmission Problems

2004 Volvo XC90 Transmission Issues

Too many problems dont buy

2004 XC90 Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2004 Volvo XC90 info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Volvo

Research similar vehicles

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2004 Volvo XC90 2.5T Fwd 4dr SUV (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 5A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.}