tires on XC 90

[tjo]

What a shock! I've just come back from the tire store after paying $200 to replace a damaged tire on my 2005 XC90 which has 14,000 miles. I damaged the sidewall of the tire so had to replace it and found out that the Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires that come with the SUV are "performance" tires and do not come with any warranty at all. Also found out that the other front tire tread is so worn that the tire store would not rotate it to the back! I have no complaint about having to replace the tire because it was my fault, but getting no warranty for an expensive tire AND getting less than 20,000 miles on the existing tires is causing my head to start adding up the $$$ that i'm going to spend over the life of my XC90. I hesitated when buying it due to the cost, but talked myself into doing it by reasoning that I'm going to keep it for at least 10-12 yrs. After what happened today i'm figuring it's going to cost me an additional $8,000 -$9,000 just in tires alone over those years. I wouldn't have bought this XC90 if had known ahead of time.
Prior to the XC90 I owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee which used "light truck" tires (= cheaper) and got quite a few good miles out of them, PLUS I got some credit on the used tires when bought new ones.
I wouldn't be complaining half as much if I had gotten some "performance" out of these tires. There is nothing special about them, and they're also noisy in my opinion.
>>> Anyone out there feel the same way?
>>> Anyone has similar experience w/ Acura MDX? i'm already regretting not buying the MDX instead, and thinking about trading in my XC90 for it (out the window with my reason for buying the XC90). I'm going to do some searching, but right now am too upset... I know I'm a practical person, but are my expectations unreasonable???
Oh well, i feel a little better now being able to vent.

[stuart]

Same story in the UK - I've just replaced two front tyres on my XC90 after only 12,500 miles and I used to get 20 t0 25 thousand from my last 4 x 4, a Toyota Land Cruiser. Seriously considering changing to the new model Grand Cherokee which seems to have solved all its previous poor ride and roadholding probs. A lot more powerful too !!

[josh]

As a current Grand Cherokee owner who just bought a Volvo, I can only recommend you stay away from Jeeps. Poor power, rough ride, cheap interior, and overall poor value (horrible risidual values, especially) make it a car to avoid.

[Gary]

stuart wrote:

Same story in the UK - I've just replaced two front tyres on my XC90 after only 12,500 miles and I used to get 20 t0 25 thousand from my last 4 x 4, a Toyota Land Cruiser. Seriously considering changing to the new model Grand Cherokee which seems to have solved all its previous poor ride and roadholding probs. A lot more powerful too !!

Stuart, I have had a similar situation some months back, My front tyres had to be replaced at just under 8,000 miles. The rear tyres had only worn 1.5 mm in the same time. This means that the front tyres wear five times as fast. My previous car was a Range Rover, I ran it for 3 years from new covered 29,000 miles and did not have to change one tyre. The allwheel drive system on the XC90 will only distribute drive to the rear wheels under certain conditions such as acceleration and inclinations, you may want to get this checked to see if the AWD is faulty. All tyres come wiyh a manufacturers guarantee and should last a reasonable amount of time,(Whatever that means!) However the tyre maker will try and wriggle out of replacement suugesting that wear is contributable to correct tyre pressure and suitable road surface, all road surfaces are not the same.

[rb new jersey]

i have a volvo 2006 xc90 with 12k miles. I had to replace a tire at 7k miles because the dealer said the sidewall had a cut in it. Now I have to replace all four tires because the front tires are extremely worn on the outside and the back tires are not much better. I also have to replace the brakes pads. This is appalling!

[MB NEW JERSEY]

I have a 2003 XC90 with 47,000 miles on it and have
had to replace the tires and brakes at 22,000 miles
and again at 46,000 miles. The front end always makes
clanking noises and the balljoints have just recently
been replaced, which the dealer by the way claims has
nothing to do with tire wear. It is outrageously expensive to maintain this car. I am condsiering going to the lexus or acura. Volvo dealership and corporate have been of no assistance on this matter, don't waste your breath.

[CMvH in AL]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who has experienced this problem. I have an 04 XC90 and am on my second set of tires, just about to purchase the third set at just 80k miles. This is unacceptable! I bought the car for the safety, but can't take the maintenance expense. Anyone found a similar vehicle to the Volvo XC90 that you would recommend?

[Clive Fraser]

Hi everyone, I replaced the tyres on my XC90 at 40,000 km. I also own a BMW X5 which still has the original tyres at 68,000 km and they're still going strong.

It's a fact of life that front wheel drive cars chew the rubber (on the front wheels in particular).

My other car is a Volvo V70 and it was just as hard on tyre wear as the XC90.

[orlando lady]

My last volvo V70 tires wore out so fast I was furious, but was on a trip and had to replace them in NC...I figured that is what happens when you buy a car from a Volvo dealer out of your city.
I now have a brand new XC90 and just got a nail in the right front tire...most people I know say it should have cost $12 to fix. But, the Volvo store said I had to have a new tire...at $200.
So, we will see if they will match Costo or Pirelli, since both offer warranties on their new tires. I don't think I should have to ditch a brand new tire and go to Costco to get a new one...the Volvo store should be competitive...will keep you posted.

[orlando lady]

CMvH in AL wrote:

Anyone found a similar vehicle to the Volvo XC90 that you would recommend?

We test drove the Cadillac SRX and liked it much better, however all 3 Orlando dealerships are owned by the same company and they are horrible to deal with...I would not feel safe taking my car there, so I bought another Volvo...

[Brad in Los Angeles]

I own a GMC Envoy 2003, 75,000 miles, equipped with Michelin radials, stock from the factory. They still have a lot of wear in them but I am thinking about changing them out in another 15,000 miles.

Getting only 7-12,000 miles from a Volvo XC90 tires ? That is ridiculous and a breach of the implied "Warranty of Merchantabilty", under the Uniform Commercial Code.

Take the Volvo back to the dealer, and demand new tires for free, or sue them in small claims court. Uphold your rights and you will most likely prevail.

[Lori]

tjo wrote:

What a shock! I've just come back from the tire store after paying $200 to replace a damaged tire on my 2005 XC90 which has 14,000 miles. I damaged the sidewall of the tire so had to replace it and found out that the Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires that come with the SUV are "performance" tires and do not come with any warranty at all. Also found out that the other front tire tread is so worn that the tire store would not rotate it to the back! I have no complaint about having to replace the tire because it was my fault, but getting no warranty for an expensive tire AND getting less than 20,000 miles on the existing tires is causing my head to start adding up the $$$ that i'm going to spend over the life of my XC90. I hesitated when buying it due to the cost, but talked myself into doing it by reasoning that I'm going to keep it for at least 10-12 yrs. After what happened today i'm figuring it's going to cost me an additional $8,000 -$9,000 just in tires alone over those years. I wouldn't have bought this XC90 if had known ahead of time.
Prior to the XC90 I owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee which used "light truck" tires (= cheaper) and got quite a few good miles out of them, PLUS I got some credit on the used tires when bought new ones.
I wouldn't be complaining half as much if I had gotten some "performance" out of these tires. There is nothing special about them, and they're also noisy in my opinion.
>>> Anyone out there feel the same way?
>>> Anyone has similar experience w/ Acura MDX? i'm already regretting not buying the MDX instead, and thinking about trading in my XC90 for it (out the window with my reason for buying the XC90). I'm going to do some searching, but right now am too upset... I know I'm a practical person, but are my expectations unreasonable???
Oh well, i feel a little better now being able to vent.

......Dont feel so bad..I have an XC90 and it is about 32,000 miles now ...I have had to replace the transmission, radiator, washer pump, and now the alternator...covered..yes...bu t so what the car is a disaster...and dangerous...since my transmission went when I was on the freeway!!!!
Volvo keeps denying any problems with the XC90 2005 but, I know I can't be the only one with these problems...and If I am and I have a Lemon...They are
very reluctant to admit it...safety issues or not..
Basically they just don't care...So considder yourself lucky its only the tires!

[Henry A McKelvey]

I have a 2004 XC90 and I must say that so far I have had to replace the swaybars, yaw sensor, struts, and a few other items. The dealer was helpful. I also had a water leakage problem which was fixed by redesigning (retrofitting) the dash area and doing some work on the moon roof drainage system. The fact is these XC90s are leaving the plant with problems. Many people are trying to get Volvo to acknowledge the problems that these vehicles have. I can only say that I believe that it is time to start a class action suit against Volvo. I am not trying to put money in some lawyers pocket, God knows they already have too much as is, however there has to be a better way of dealing with this issue then sitting around complaining.

[Branko]

At first nice regards from owner of new Xc90 2.5T Ocean Race 6/2006 and in 6 months I made 33.000 km.
Now is the time to change front tires and I decide to buy Nokian Hakapelliittiia SUV winter tires.
Of course front tires is used more then rear and another good things from Volvo they change me front brake discs free in guaranty.Nice from Volvo.Some vibrationwhen I braking and they decide in guaranty to change it.
XC90 is heavy and using 80% front AWD at normal driving condition.
People who crying how much cost tyres, this and other things...sit at home and dont drive car.Drive bike or go by bus.
Sorry but I read a lot of posts from people, uh my car spend so much money, my tyres and so on.
I understand that all this cost but please buy Hyundai Accent and dont cry for every $ or Euro.
Life is short lets live whit the best SUV on the planet XC90 VOLVO
Volvo Slovenia-DUMIDA service Maribor

[Chris Kean]

2004 5 cyl xc 90 AWD , and I just passed 30K miles. I went to get a state inspection and they told me me that one of my Michelin tires was worn.(30K for a Michelin? WOW) The volov dealership wanted 245USE per tire. I asked a trusted tire shop owner, and he told me to get a set of bridgestone/firestone from 135-175 USD which will have a simliar ride and perhaps a longer life, but did explain that the xc 90 chew through tire quite a bit. He said, 30K miles was a long time for those tires. Yikes... My honda SUV does around 60-70K for cheaper tires...

[hate my tires]

I own the Volvo XC 90 and the issue with the tires has made me wish I never got this car and more importantly...I am very upset with the way the Volvo folks are not owning up to this disaster. I think anyone with this issue should seek to hire an attorney and flood their office with complaints of law suits.

[Sick of my XC90]

We had a 2004 s60, a 2005 XC90, and now a 2006 XC90. The s60 was a decent car, but the SC's have been terrible. The only reason we have the 06 is it was free. We had so many troubles Volvo finally gave us a new one. Basically, it was all electrical - repeat issues with the anti-skid/yaw/pitch sensors/harnesses etc. In WV we have 3 tries in 1 year to fix the same problem before a "Lemon Law" can be pursued. I didn't have to go to court, I sent certified letter documenting each account, and after the 3rd failed attempt, sent certified letter stating no repairs were authorized to be made and drove off the lot in a brand new XC90 for our loaner vehicle. Funny how banging miles on the loaner prompted some action. You have to document like your ready for a law suit on every repair because Volvo has to be the least responsive automaker I've dealt with.

Now on the 06 XC I'm ready for my 3rd set of tires with 31,800 miles on the vehicle.

THE PERCIEVED VOLVO SAFETY IS OUT THE WINDOW IF YOUR BROKEN DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE BAD PART OF TOWN!!! Wake up Volvo, if you can't build a decent vehicle, at least admit it and take care of the clients who paid the price.

[Paul]

My wife drives our 2004 XC-90 t6 and it has become the money pit. The car has 42,000 miles and I just put on its 3rd set of tires. It seems like this car falls out of alignment very easily which wears the front tires out. Also note an all wheel drive car you cant here in California replace only the front tires they make you replace all four. The car also goes thru brakes every 11,000 miles. We are now ready for another front set. Not counting the rear brakes we have replaced. This car has been at the dealers 5-6 times and total of 45 days for electronic lock malfunctions. Volvo's reputation is based on safety and the locks poped up constantly while my wife was driving with our small kids. We have had gas door lock issues and now little plastic pieces inside and out are falling off. I have complained to Volvo about all of the problems and they offer no help or compensation. I will never buy or allow anyone in my family to buy a Volvo.

[Ward]

Have all of you had the recall on the ball joint accomplished?

If applicable:

Recall ID# 06V155000 - STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY

[Sick of my XC90]

VOLVO XC90 FOR SALE...no written, expressed, or implied warranties