Electrical, Brake lights suddenly stopped working on both sides at once. I checked the fuse only to be told a relay may be the issue. The location of said relay is vague and not serviceable by owner. Risk of rear end collision. Of following traffic

- Houston, TX, USA

94,000 miles 2011 Volvo XC90 purchased 4 months ago. Vehicle was parked stationary in driveway. In the middle of the night water intruded the front passenger cabin and dashboard of the vehicle through a sunroof drainagedefect in this year and model of Volvo XC90. Six inches of water pooled in the front passenger floor and permeated the dash causing the cem to short and start an electrical fire. The cabin of the vehicle filled with thick smoke from the electrical fire and the car alarm began to go off. The electrical fire began in the driver compartment housing the cem. The cem wires were completely melted away. Multiple electrical systems effected and require replacement plus smoke/fire/water remediation. Per mechanic repairs exceed value of vehicle. Total loss.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

This is a known defect in several Volvo car models since 2008. There is currently a class action lawsuit in place due to this defect. The defect involves the Volvo xm/sirius radio system installed in many Volvo models and resulting battery drain, battery replacement costs, Volvo firmware upgrade costs and the additional inability to pass California smog tests. The problem: When an affected Volvo vehicle does not have an active subscription to xm/sirius radio, the integrated Volvo radio system continually and constantly checks for xm/sirius account reactivation, even when the vehicle is turned off. This constant electronic searching drains a new and fully charged battery within two to three days. This has left many vehicle owners stranded and has cost owners thousands in unnecessary repairs, battery replacements and towing charges. (this frequently occurs to Volvo owners leaving their vehicles at airport parking for a few days.) Volvo has been slow to acknowledge the problem and has been charging car owners for battery replacements and firmware upgrades. Furthermore, when the battery dies, it resets the computer systems including the obdii which is required for smog test readiness. The onerous drive cycle required to get the obdii system into readiness state prevents users from being able to complete smog certifications in California. Volvo dealers want to charge $500 to complete this smog test readiness drive cycle, even though there is nothing else wrong with the vehicle except for the manufacturer's defective and battery draining xm/sirius system and the onerous drive cycle that is nearly impossible to complete on southern California roads & highways. (our mechanic, my wife and I have all tried to complete the drive cycle and have been unsuccessful.) this is clearly a defect in design and usability which Volvo should be repairing without cost to the car owner.

- Cerritos, CA, USA

Recently we lost the serpentine belt without knowing it. No warning lights or computer message called our attention to the fact that we were running on battery. The only indication of a problem was the loss of power steering. We drove a short distance to a Volvo repair facility and learned we lost the serpentine belt, thus the alternator, water pump, power steering and air conditioner were inoperative. We were informed that the computer controls everything and would not issue a warning until the engine overheated and/or the battery was close to failing. This is a recipe for disaster for a driver or family who might drive into a dangerous situation or at the very least harm the engine through overheating. The loss of the alternator should send a warning to the driver that there is a serious engine malfunction and to stop at the earliest safe place and seek assistance.

- Edmond, OK, USA

The battery in the vehicle fails due to a drain in the power systems because of a failure in software systems, this fault is known to Volvo and they refuse to repair.if the car is not driven every day the electronic systems search for blue tooth phone signals and satellite radio signals causing a drain on the electrical systems enough to kill the battery on a daily basis. Volvo says they have a repair for this and say that I must pay. This is a known defect to Volvo they should repair this.

- Trinity, NC, USA