Mid-summer it was the Central Electronic Module. Failure was at high speed on the DC beltway, instruments & dashboard electricals died. And the tranny went into crawl-home mode. Last week it was the motor mounts, engine fell out of position & also tore an intake hose. Car brought itself to nice gentle stop - from high speed onto the shoulder of 66 just outside DC.
Now that I've dropped several thousand into repairs, wife is screaming to dump it for anything that says Honda-Toyota-Acura-Lexus. How dreadfully dull.
That said, what is going on? My prior car was a 1990 (built first month, first year) Mitsubishi Eclipse. Nothing like this ever happened, though I did have to replace the clutch after 120K and mods to intake/wastegate/exhaust. It lasted 13 years, 212K.
It may be crazy to expect Mitsubishi levels of reliability from a Volvo, but call me officially disappointed a mere nine years in.
140k and a wear item (motor mount) fails. So? No comment on the CEM. I recently dropped about 2k on our 06 with 82k on subframe bushings, rear hubs (wheel bearings) and brakes. i am sorry i didnt do the motor mounts. Now i know i can probably go to 140k. thanks.
+1. Those motor mounts should have been replaced ages ago. The computer is a computer. They fail sometimes. If this is all of the major repairs that you've done to the car in 8-years then I think that you're ahead of the game.
From what I read the CEM issue is a common one on <= 2005 or so, the design was as such that water from the rain or a car wash could easily get in there and of course make things go haywire. I believe they made an improvement for the 2005 model year and the final improved design (as far as keeping water out) was made some time during the 2006 model year.
Motor mounts - all of them. Forgot to mention - that *wasn't* the first motor mount repair. Perhaps I could blame the repair shop for missing early indications of trouble?
CEM - mine's 2004, guy at shop told me 2004-5 he'd seen several that were having issues with the DC summer (unusally hot) as he took my credit card & smiled. At least the part # was different, must be that improved design (kind of like the rear wheel bearings that were re-designed, and then replaced at my expense).
Nice to have these two incidents on fast-moving highways. I was expecting great reliability in return for being garaged and getting all the book services, on time. Just bitter - need to go scowl at something.
So based on my year-two Volvo, I wouldn't consider buying a SPA until about year four. If the XC90 lasts until 2018 with no more big surprises, I'll consider it.
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