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XC40 Rear seat dome light

28K views 68 replies 26 participants last post by  Manou 
#1 ·
Had my Momentum XC40 for ~9 months now, and possibly my biggest gripe right now is the lack of a dome light in the rear seating area of the car. I don't have a sunroof, so its just standard roof/headliner in the back, and the ambient light does not illuminate the rear at all. Trying to get things in and out of the back seat at night is a real pain. I didn't even think when buying the car to look for a dome light (only saw it in the daylight). Is a dome light even an option for the XC40? Add-on?
 
#2 ·
My XC40 Momentum has lights in the rear. Not sure what option package it might have been included in, but I thought I had something that was an improved interior lighting option so it must have been included in that.
 
#3 ·
Is it a dome light or lights above the doors? I saw mention of lights above the doors, which I don't have. Just looked through packages and couldn't find any mention of them besides "Interior High Level Illumination" included in the Premium Package, which does not mention rear lights specifically, but is the only lighting related package/option I see.
 
#5 ·
Low cost/temporary you could get one of those battery powered stick on lights. I don't know about a factory add-on, but any decent car electronics shop(ex. a place that sells sound systems, remote starters, etc.) should be able to give you some options on interior lighting upgrades.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Called my dealer's service/parts department yesterday, they were very surprised to hear I didn't have lights in the rear row of seats. Said they will call Volvo and find out if it can be added to my car.

EDIT:
Was just scouring the Volvo Parts sites, and it looks like the lighting in the rear seats is different with or without the panoramic roof. without the panoramic roof has a dome light, with it has side lights:

https://www.volvopartswebstore.com/showAssembly.aspx?ukey_assembly=2018725&ukey_make=865&ukey_model=20973&modelYear=2019&ukey_category=7858&ukey_driveLine=441

Looking at the headliner it looks like a wiring harness might actually be at the dome area, so hopefully they could just install the dome light.
 
#8 ·
Just got a call back from the dealer, they are saying since it wasn't there from the factory they can't help in adding it, even though I can pretty clearly see some sort of wiring harness or mounting bracket behind my headliner at that dome area. Can anyone from Volvo assist with this?
 
#11 ·
It's aggravating that Volvo sells a $40,000+ vehicle without a rear dome light...
I appreciate that Volvo has to package "Extras" because that's a profitable endeavor, but a rear dome light is not a premium upgrade, it's as basic as windshield wipers.
 
#12 ·
Agree. Some kind of basic light should be standard in the rear. It wouldn't be something I would have noticed on a test drive and I wouldn't think to look during the day because my VWs all came with lights in the back. I would be ticked if I didn't get the right option package for rear lights and then first drive at night discover there are no lights back there on a premium vehicle.
 
#16 ·
#19 ·
I think there is a misunderstanding going on in some of these posts. I think the OP is saying he has no lights whatsoever (no dome or above the rear doors) in the rear seat area. Is there any chance you can post pics of what the area above the back doors looks like in your car?
 
#22 ·
Yes, there are not any lights at all in the rear seat area of my xc40 (see photo) View attachment 47769

At the center of the roof headliner in the rear area, there is a protrusion about the same size as a normal dome light, where a dome light would go. It feels like some type of padding or reinforced area that the dome light would be mounted to.

The map lights above the center stack are not sufficient to see in the rear seats at night. I open the back seat to get my dog out or bags in the back and it is completely dark, even with those lights turned all the way up.
 
#25 ·
I think your link isn't working
 
#33 ·
new member here, glad I’m not the only one with this concern. I bought my car during the day so I never even considered that rear lights would be an issue in a 40K+ car until night time when I clicked the unlocked button only to find a totally dark rear seat space (& no the front map lights do not illuminate the rear at all). I’m used to having my interior set to light up with unlock on my prior car (a Honda CRV) that I noticed the omission of lights immediately.

here’s a list of basic things that I’m fairly disappointed in my first ever Volvo Momentum:
-the aforementioned rear lights
-no blind spot monitoring standard. the blind spot in this car is huge. i noticed it in my test drive but I was ok with it. but it really should be standard because I’ve been in some situations where I couldn’t see anything when changing lanes only to be met with a honking horn from another driver that I obviously did not see.
-the manual passenger seat sucks. it absolutely sucks. my friend couldn’t figure how to adjust the seatback - it’s this chunky circle that’s way too big and way too stiff to crank.
- the rear headrests do not flip down! it’s only available with an optional package. want better rear visibility with the rear view? forget about it
- the heating system is flawed. it doesn’t warm up fast enough then after about 10 minutes of driving it’s an oven inside.
-the rear camera isn’t protected from the elements. when it’s pouring, the backup camera is useless. and without the optional rear cross traffic alert plus that blind spot, you’re out of luck
- the inside hooks. whereas in other cars you get 2 grab handles and something that acts as a coat hanger hook, apparently we only get one. i noticed the empty hole and asked the salesman why only one side has it and he says it’s for other optional equipment to hook on to. so why not just give us 2 hooks instead of leaving a unattractive open area?

And trust me I love the car but there are these little details that leave me scratching my head considering this car’s asking price.
 
#34 ·
new member here, glad I'm not the only one with this concern. I bought my car during the day so I never even considered that rear lights would be an issue in a 40K+ car until night time when I clicked the unlocked button only to find a totally dark rear seat space (& no the front map lights do not illuminate the rear at all). I'm used to having my interior set to light up with unlock on my prior car (a Honda CRV) that I noticed the omission of lights immediately.

here's a list of basic things that I'm fairly disappointed in my first ever Volvo Momentum:
-the aforementioned rear lights
-no blind spot monitoring standard. the blind spot in this car is huge. i noticed it in my test drive but I was ok with it. but it really should be standard because I've been in some situations where I couldn't see anything when changing lanes only to be met with a honking horn from another driver that I obviously did not see.
-the manual passenger seat sucks. it absolutely sucks. my friend couldn't figure how to adjust the seatback - it's this chunky circle that's way too big and way too stiff to crank.
- the rear headrests do not flip down! it's only available with an optional package. want better rear visibility with the rear view? forget about it
- the heating system is flawed. it doesn't warm up fast enough then after about 10 minutes of driving it's an oven inside.
-the rear camera isn't protected from the elements. when it's pouring, the backup camera is useless. and without the optional rear cross traffic alert plus that blind spot, you're out of luck
- the inside hooks. whereas in other cars you get 2 grab handles and something that acts as a coat hanger hook, apparently we only get one. i noticed the empty hole and asked the salesman why only one side has it and he says it's for other optional equipment to hook on to. so why not just give us 2 hooks instead of leaving a unattractive open area?

And trust me I love the car but there are these little details that leave me scratching my head considering this car's asking price.
This is a very good summary of the issues or annoyances I've had with the car coming up on my first year.

The biggest one to me is still the dome light.

the inside hooks are even more frustrating because you can't move the hook to one side or the other. I do believe you can order a hook for the opposite side though as an accessory/extra part, but really what's that little plastic piece cost for them to include?

I've been thinking about fabricating a battery LED light that mounts in that slot.
 
#43 ·
Since I was already planning on a Scandinavian trip, purchasing an XC40 OSD with all the savings included comes out the same as if I bought a Honda CRV Touring and paid for my whole vacation myself. The XC40 has just as much luxury and much more technology than our several year old Mercedes ML.
 
#46 ·
I'm trying to get some answer from the dealer in Portugal about installing interior light.
In a dark garage and the Momentum instaled ligths, just in front, you cant see nothing on the rear seats.
You're not able to find your umbrella:(.
It really is the worst "defect" on my 2 mouths xc40.

César Castro
 
#49 ·
what year is your Momentum? Maybe they listened to us and updated the 2020, or did you opt for the Lighting package. I had a 2019 Momentum with moonroof and no rear dome lights. I traded it for another 2019 Momentum with moonroof and the Lighting package, and only then did I get rear dome lights.
 
#51 ·
With '19 it was part of the Premium Package, which was far too good of a deal to not buy...

$1400 for the following:
2 zone automatic climate with clean zone
8 way power passenger seat with 4 way lumbar
Heated windscreen wiper blades
Power Child Lock rear doors
Pilot Assist andAdaptive cruise
Removable/folding lad floor
Homelink and compass mirror
Power folding rear backrest and power headrest
Interior High Level Illumination
Keyless Entry with Hands free tailgate
Wireless charging for smart phones
Hidden storage compartment under drivers seat..>

Again... $1400 for all that. I know inventory was tight last year so many folks got what they could, but IDK why a dealer wouldn't order that on every car. I had one customer customize their car without this on an order despite my trying to convince them to get it, never made sense to me.

For 2020 it gets a bit more costly to add as it's part of the Advanced Package which requires other packages. Still, many customers don't really need lighting for the back seats. IMO not the worst thing Volvo doesn't make standard, but I would be more forgiving of it if it was in the Convenience package or something nearly standard like that.

If you are leasing, never modify your vehicle with non authorized accessories or you will be charged for damages. This means if it's not Volvo, don't add it. They might miss it in inspection, but per the contract you would be liable for replacing the whole headliner and wiring harness if you had someone cut and splice a solution into it.
 
#53 ·
I took a base Momentum T5 to save money but when I realized the cost cutting that you got with a base model... for the added few grands to get the optional package and convenience that those options afforded it was a no brainer. Still cant believe at 35k+ Volvo would sell a model missing standard rear dome lights.
 
#54 ·
The XC40 is an interesting build... if you start with Momentum and build it up, the only reason to stay with Momentum is if you prefer the style (the white roof option is very appealing to me). But it's also much more difficult to find R Designs and Inscriptions, both on the lots, or as open orders.
 
#58 ·
Has anyone in this thread been able to convince their dealer that it's ridiculous that a $40K 2020 vehicle does not have a rear dome/side lights? I'm just hoping to have some precedent for when I bring my 8 month old XC40 back and ask for one to be installed. Like everyone else, it is not something you look for during a test drive in a brand new "luxury" vehicle. My 1983 Chevy Chevette had a rear dome light for G-ds sake.
 
#59 ·
Why in the world would you tell the dealer that? We just sell em. We don't get asked about what should and shouldn't be and we don't' get to have any real input. Tell Volvo. I had an 83 Chevy Malibu 4 door and the rear windows didn't roll down (not even half way.. no crank at all, but it had rear vents!)
 
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