Volvo XC70 Automatic Transmission Fault

[Vince321]

I have a 2014 Volvo XC70 with 38k on the clock. I really love this car, the most comfortable ever owned, having spent the previous 12 years with new beemers. However, the automatic transmission has developed a fault where it lumps when moving the gear selector from drive to reverse and vice versa, passing through neutral. It is so bad on occasions that I swear if my foot wasn't firmly on the brake pedal, I would lurch forward at a great rate of knots!! It feels like I have been rear ended. My local dealer has been helpful, spent a fair amount of time testing the transmission and concluded it needs a new one, under warranty. I am concerned that a Volvo with such low mileage needs a new transmission already. Has only been used for towing a caravan on one occasion. I have also noticed a slight lump when dropping from 2nd to 1st. The faults all appear randomly and seem to be worse when warmed up or on a warmer day, such as 20 degrees C. Anyone else had a similar issue?

[Mr R Design]

Is the local dealer you mention a Volvo dealer?

Sometimes you can get faults on the auto box which are cured by a software update which only Volvo dealers will be able to do.

[AyrshireXC90]

My MY14 XC70 had several goes at updating the software for this exact problem. Autobox eventually replace under warranty. Helped a lot, but still a little clunkier than I would like (ie not silky smooth changes).

[Vince321]

Yes, local Volvo dealer is dealing with the troublesome transmission. They have apparently run sufficient tests to rule out software, and have gone straight to a new gearbox. Indeed, I had the mileage incorrect, it is 33k (not 38k) as posted, and a failure at such a low mileage, to me, is really concerning. There seems to be a few posts with the same symptoms, but mostly on the later geartronic box. It does make me wonder how robust these units are?

[rnick]

Interesting...my xc70 d5 awd (2012) developed similar problems a couple of years ago at a similar mileage. It does feel like you've been rear ended when changing from D-R and R-D. Local dealer swapped gearbox out as a precaution after trying the obligatory software upgrade. We wondered if this swift action was due to a previous bad XC70 experience with a failed Haldex unit on an earlier car. TBH the 6 speed is a rough old gear box & just does not feel like it will last.

[Vince321]

I had a Beemer 3 series (2013) plate before, with the 8 speed transmission. Whilst i still prefer the XC70, the gearbox was in a different league - no lag, and instant power delivery, and always in the correct gear (predictive). The XC70 gearbox, whilst a nearly new car, seems old school by comparison. That said, age of design should directly mean that the transmission is weak by comparison. I will see if my Volvo dealer can give me a little more information as to what the actual fault relates too. I find the Sport mode somewhat pointless, as it makes the car no quicker, but just makes for a really uncomfortable gear shift.
Out of interest, did the gearbox replacement fix the issue for your XC70?

[Tatsfield]

The auto on my MY2012 XC70 is smooth and givers no trouble as yet. I definitely find the Sports mode holds down the gears and allows the car to accelerate much more than in bumble mode. The only complaint I have to make about the Sport mode is that I had got used to a ZF 4HP20 adaptive box which not only provided sports transmission mode for accelerating but also would change down one or two gears to decelerate the car if selected with no throttle input; automatic engine braking for fast cornering. The Volvo box doesn't change down unless you slow the car using the brakes and then the box just catches up having not decelerated the car at all. It's how auto boxes used to be before electronic control so I'm a bit disappointed with it. The transmission control software is a bit dim.

[Vince321]

UPDATE: Transmission replaced with a new unit from main dealer. It is now back to driving as it should do. Concerned that it had failed on a 2015 model with only 33k miles though.