Dealer says XC90 "Not built for short drives..."

[oliverscout]

Hoping someone out there has the secret to solving this mystery...

We bought the car in the US in early 2010 and then shipped it to Brussels in the Summer of 2010. We had no problems with the car for the month/month and a half we drove it in the US. Since we've had it here we've have at least 5 trips to the local dealer after the engine light comes on: 1st – replaced the inlet air valve; 2nd – air flow valve was replaced; 3rd -- spark plugs replaced; 4th – fuel pump was replaced (we noticed a gas smell about the time the engine light came on and when we took it in the dealer said we were driving "a bomb" because fuel was dripping onto the exhaust); 5th - sensors on both sides of catalytic converter indicate fuels in system and catalytic converter needs to be replaced.

Dealer explanation – During our last shop visit we were told by the dealer that the XC90 was not built for short distances, and that as long as we only drive short distances (approx. 30 mins. one way in stop/go traffic) the engine light will continue to come on and that the catalytic converter and/or sensors will continually (every 6 months or so) need to be replaced. In our experience with the car, we’ve taken long trips and not had problems with the engine light; the only time that the light has come on is during city driving. He explained that when the car starts up it is in a “cold-start cycle” and uses a richer blend of fuel, and if the car is not allowed to warm up, etc., then each time it’s started the fuel mixture is rich and eventually triggers the code from the sensors that there’s excess fuel building up in the catalytic converter/system. He also indicated that on the diesel model it is better (although the same engine light issue is prevalent) because there is some type of cleaning solution/process that they can do with the engine/pollution system and that it flushes the system and clears the codes, but that the cars have to come back in periodically so that they can be cleaned. The only solution he has is to periodically replace the catalytic converter (every year or so or sooner when the engine light code for that issue comes on) at about $2750 each time.

Can this be true? What are options? I cannot believe that Volvo (or any other car manufacturer) designed a car that was not “intended for short trips” or that has a systemic problem like this without any reasonable solution – Can the fuel mixture in the computer be adjusted to allow for shorter driving? Any US service bulletins issued that address this type of issue? Can the sensors be re-designed so that they less frequently trigger the engine light? The dealer confirmed that we are not the only ones having these problems – what are others doing? Is there something that a US dealer, but not a European one, could fix?

At this point we're looking for any answers that make sense. My wife has sworn that she'll never drive another Volvo (this one's left her stranded twice with three kids and it's been towed at least that many times) but I'm hoping there's a solution out there that will straighten this out. Any advice/help offered is greatly appreciated.

A loyal but growing frustrated Volvo owner....