[Gab]

I have a 2022 XC90 purchased less than a year ago with 14,000km that started acting up last week. Parking brake temporarily unavailable, then all the warning lights and modules on the car slowly started to fail within an hour. Couldn't take the car out of park and limp mode engaged. I called the driver assistance line which instructed me to get the car towed immediately.

The dealer just called me and said the problem was caused by water on the floor, likely caused by melting snow, and that such problems are not covered by Volvo. The car is driven in the city, has WeatherTec mats, and any snow that got into the car would simply be coming from boots. I immediately told the service advisor that I would not accept responsibility for this issue -- there is no way that water should accumulate like this and cause a problem. He seemed to say it wasn't the first time he wasn't seeing this but that he was simply applying policy. I'm expecting a call back from them, he will escalate this to his manager. The car was not driven in water or left standing in the rain with doors or windows open and I find it a bit ridiculous that they would consider not covering this.

A quick Google search seems to show many posts about water ingress and issues with the CEM / corrosion on XC90 and Volvos in general, but I couldn't find much regarding 2022 models. Is there a service bulletin or something I should be aware of? I had a similar issue with my Volkswagen Alltrak which caused electronic components to fail and was caused by a clogged sunroof drain -- they were well aware of the problem and they fixed it at no charge.

I know that the law is quite strict here around warranties and that if I ultimately need to force them to cover this they likely wouldn't stand a chance, but I'm absolutely pissed I have to consider going through all of this with a car that is not even a year old (and my first Volvo).

 

[MalSled]

A quick Google search seems to show many posts about water ingress and issues with the CEM / corrosion on XC90 and Volvos in general, but I couldn't find much regarding 2022 models. Is there a service bulletin or something I should be aware of? I had a similar issue with my Volkswagen Alltrak which caused electronic components to fail and was caused by a clogged sunroof drain -- they were well aware of the problem and they fixed it at no charge.

The most likely cause of water in the rear footwell is a clogged sunroof drain. A common issue on recent Volvo is the sunroof seal having a gap on one or both sides. The problem is that in some cases this gap has allowed debris into the sunroof which clogs the drain. There are many threads about it in the XC90 and XC60 forums. Here's a link to the Volvo Technical Journal.

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2022/MC-10212893-9999.pdf

 

[Stickygreen]

Should 100% be covered under original 4/50 b2b warranty. Reason is usually as above…shrunken sunroof seal causing debris to clog drains. Usually not covered under CPO or extended warranty though

 

[Gab]

I just got an update from the dealership. Advisor says Volvo still hasn't approved a repair under warranty and that it would likely take a while, and is asking me to give them the OK to proceed with the repair and agree to pay if Volvo does not rule in my favor. They swear it is not related to the sunroof, that the drains are not clogged and that is melted snow (from my boots and getting in/out of the car) that caused this. He did say a few interesting things that make me think they are aware of this issue:

• There's 3 other cases right now of that same problem at the same dealership, all waiting on a response from Volvo
• He said the faulty module is right under the driver's foot area, and that the replacement module and wires would be installed elsewhere so that this doesn't happen again. I asked if there was an official technical bulleting advising them to install it elsewhere, and he said not right now.

I had not asked how much the repair is supposed to cost until now, and he said around $500 which in some ways makes me feel better if I ultimately don't manage to get it covered, but also angers me even further because it's clearly a design issue that should be covered no questions asked...

 

[Meiko]

Try another dealer. This sound like total bs. Sorry to hear about this your issue and best regards.

 

[SilverStreak177]

What dealer is this? Lakeridge?

 

[Animal Farm]

I just got an update from the dealership. Advisor says Volvo still hasn't approved a repair under warranty and that it would likely take a while, and is asking me to give them the OK to proceed with the repair and agree to pay if Volvo does not rule in my favor. They swear it is not related to the sunroof, that the drains are not clogged and that is melted snow (from my boots and getting in/out of the car) that caused this. He did say a few interesting things that make me think they are aware of this issue:

• There's 3 other cases right now of that same problem at the same dealership, all waiting on a response from Volvo
• He said the faulty module is right under the driver's foot area, and that the replacement module and wires would be installed elsewhere so that this doesn't happen again. I asked if there was an official technical bulleting advising them to install it elsewhere, and he said not right now.

I had not asked how much the repair is supposed to cost until now, and he said around $500 which in some ways makes me feel better if I ultimately don't manage to get it covered, but also angers me even further because it's clearly a design issue that should be covered no questions asked...

$500… What am I missing here? Is that to diagnose the issue if Volvo doesn’t pay? That seems really low for just about everything at a dealership, much less a water related issue that cause the car to go into limp mode. Their explanation sounds like total bs. I would take the car to another dealership. There is no way normal foot traffic caused this issue.

 

[Gab]

$500… What am I missing here? Is that to diagnose the issue if Volvo doesn’t pay? That seems really low for just about everything at a dealership, much less a water related issue that cause the car to go into limp mode. Their explanation sounds like total bs. I would take the car to another dealership. There is no way normal foot traffic caused this issue.

I had the same reaction when I heard the price. I was expecting it to cost a lot more. I haven’t seen the final bill or received the final decision from Volvo, but will provide an update.

 

[Gab]

Try another dealer. This sound like total bs. Sorry to hear about this your issue and best regards.

Car had to be towed and it took more than 30 minutes just to manage to put it in neutral. Passenger window wouldn’t close at some point too (it’s middle of winter here and cold). I would drive it elsewhere if it ran semi-normally but I feel stuck

Thanks for your help, I love the car otherwise!

 

[831t5r]

.

 

[VolvoFaRmeR]

This is a ridiculous story from the dealer. It just shocking a service department would try and pedal such a lame, fake story. Sorry....if you luxury SUV can't be tough enough to deal with winter boots entering and exiting the car, well....news flash, these cars are from Sweden where they design these cars to be winter-proof. Three others have the same issue all at once, huh? And they are going to move the module so it doesn't happen again? If that's the case there sure are gonna be thousands of XC90s needing in winter areas to need all this work done. But it's amazing that, after all these years of production just NOW this is an issue? Nothing has changed, and those wires and controllers have water-tight weather pack seals to prevent a little snow from your boots to cause an issue. Sorry you have to deal with a service department this inept. I'd be pretty concerned about returning for future business if they want to play these games. You are flat out being lied too unless than can provide you with photos, service bulletins and official Volvo communication where everyone agrees this was caused by "snow on your boots". Jeez.

 

[Stickygreen]

See thread a few posts down about the leak. Is there a gap in your sunroof seal? Do you park under a tree? Also possible one of the original drains was installed with a pinch. The boot story is laughable

 

[HLG600]

It's ridiculous that there are so many cases of water intrusion issues with modern Volvo cars.

If I ever order one new, it will be Euro delivery with the expectation that I can get one with a sunroof delete.

 

[SilverStreak177]

It's ridiculous that there are so many cases of water intrusion issues with modern Volvo cars.

If I ever order one new, it will be Euro delivery with the expectation that I can get one with a sunroof delete.

Much, much more prevalent in P2s.

 

[Wayne T5]

If I ever order one new, it will be Euro delivery with the expectation that I can get one with a sunroof delete.

Yeah, that's not possible - sunroof delete is not an option on OSD cars.

A Polestar 2 can be ordered with no sunroof - that's the only "Volvo-ish" car that's possible on.

 

[HLG600]

Much, much more prevalent in P2s.

You'd think they would figure out sunroofs by now, no?

It's embarrassing that a company as reputable as Volvo is having these kinds of issues post-production.

Yeah, that's not possible - sunroof delete is not an option on OSD cars.

A Polestar 2 can be ordered with no sunroof - that's the only "Volvo-ish" car that's possible on.

Dealer said it's feasible (I was inquiring about a 2023 S60 Polestar, which had no sunroof in the 2022 model). If not the case, that is unfortunate.

US-spec XC40 has a no-sunroof Core trim as well.

 

[ChrisJB84]

Geez, I would be hesitant to call this an utter BS (without knowing most if not ALL the details) but this is pretty close. I'm confident that the wording that this specific advisor used to communicate to Volvo corporate is utter nonsense that from their end (corporate) seems like it owner's fault, or something along those lines, especially for a relatively NEW car.

If what you mentioned is accurate I would start naming names specifically, maybe you're just dealing with the wrong advisor/tech at that specific dealership and if it's that bad overall after escalating. I would start reaching out to other volvo dealerships in your area even if you have to tow your car again. There's often a bad apple somewhere and they need to get kicked out.

 

[Gab]

Geez, I would be hesitant to call this an utter BS (without knowing most if not ALL the details) but this is pretty close. I'm confident that the wording that this specific advisor used to communicate to Volvo corporate is utter nonsense that from their end (corporate) seems like it owner's fault, or something along those lines, especially for a relatively NEW car.

If what you mentioned is accurate I would start naming names specifically, maybe you're just dealing with the wrong advisor/tech at that specific dealership and if it's that bad overall after escalating. I would start reaching out to other volvo dealerships in your area even if you have to tow your car again. There's often a bad apple somewhere and they need to get kicked out.

Thanks Chris. I’m going to pick up the car in the next hour. I will definitely provide an update and try to get the pictures they took before/after the repair.

I did not consider reaching out to other dealers in the area, but it’s definitely a good idea - I had a warranty issue with another manufacturer 15 years ago and it got resolved this way.

 

[ChrisJB84]

Thanks Chris. I’m going to pick up the car in the next hour. I will definitely provide an update and try to get the pictures they took before/after the repair.

I did not consider reaching out to other dealers in the area, but it’s definitely a good idea - I had a warranty issue with another manufacturer 15 years ago and it got resolved this way.

Please you don't mind sharing the invoice (from the LineOp tech and down as to hide your private information), a lot of the good techs and reputable volvo people out here can call BS a mile away.

 

[likeXC90]

If you have the time, search Swedespeed (XC90 forum) for the many water leakage XC90 posts and how it was dealt with. I hope you find a good service advisor to help you out!