Xc90 T6 problems

[Tannaton]

Originally Posted by DavidPalmer

There is a VERY low (sub 40k miles) 2003 2.9l T6 that I absolutely love but would equally value some clarification from those here who seem to know about these cars:

a) is the auto gearbox fail on these a guaranteed event, or can you get lucky?

b) is a higher mileage car with reconditioned and upgraded gearbox a better bet or will it, too, fail at some point?

c) is the 'upgrade' to the 3.2l or 2.5l gearbox? And if so, is this without the problems or do these cars also have failing gearboxes?

Many thanks in anticipation. We're expecting a baby this weekend so would rather not be sitting in a time bomb!!

There's no promises, statistically the gearbox is likely to fail but as has been posted - some of them do give good life.

What I would add is that it's generally accepted that it's torque that kills the gearbox, hence driving style will therefore be a significant factor. I would suggest that a car that's done around 3,000 miles a year has probably been driven gently - maybe be a retired owner. It maybe worth looking into a bit further - but it's still a gamble and if you can't tolerate a failure (new baby etc.) most people on here would advise against.

The T6 was the only XC90 with this gearbox, 2.5T, 3.2 and 4.4V8 all have better units but the early (pre-facelift) 2.5T does have a AWD splined sleeve vulnerability (search on here).

[diro]

Originally Posted by hoyleyboyley

It works great, but i'm obviously concerned about what i can do preventatively to make the car as reliable as possible.

The best you can do – sell a car. If engine is good and reliable that doesnt mean a car is reliable

If you read more forums threads not even here you'll see people have never ending problems what makes xc90 and I believe other models not reliable anymore. Volvo reliability - its a myth nowadays
That’s why I sold mine. Still nostalgic to xc90 but I will never buy it again. Bought CRV instead.

[Bigjimknickers]

Originally Posted by 400-ascona

Rubbish. The brakes on a T6 are identical to the brakes on a D5. The failure of the AWD system is likely to be around the Haldex unit which is the same as the D5 (probably just need to check the electrical connections and reset the codes to get it working). The good news is the transfer box on the T6 doesn't fail like it does on the D5.

Yes you may have a problem with the gearbox at some point, but if you buy a D5 you may have problems with the transfer box or fueling so it cuts out on you at some point putting you and your passengers at risk (or more recently core plug failure leading to gearbox removal).

Best bet is to keep the gearbox fluid fresh by annual change, ensure your passenger side driveshaft is in good condition and the cap hasn't fallen off the internal splines and you should be fine.

Get the braking system sorted and enjoy the power and smoothness of your T6 (but not the fuel economy unless you run it on LPG!).

Rob.

Hi Rob you seem to be in favour of the T6, can you add anything to my post?

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=277326