Volvo Integrated App: Does Not Connect to Pandora

[Finchfry]

Same issue.  2019 Volvo S60.  Data plan works (Spotify works fine).  Pandora does not.  Logs in and shows playlist, but stays on "connecting" when trying to play a song.

Moderator Edit: Changing title for clarity

[as9240]

same with my 2021 s60

[2222Manuday]

Hi you need to call At&t and subscriber to new plan
with out subscriber not work

[as9240]

tunein, spotify, navigation data, and other apps works with vehicle modem....its only pandora with the vehicle modem... pandora only works when connected to wifi...

[Kreigz]

This has been going for years ... does moving away from Volvo's plan and going to ATT work?  I think ATT supplies the Volvo plan data.

[as9240]

The plan that comes with the Volvo in the US is through ATT. It looks to be an issue with the software itself as while other apps work, only Pandora doesn't (somewhat). If i go on the current play screen within the Pandora app, it shows the music length, but before playing, quickly goes onto the next track. It looks to be timing out before it has a chance to load the music?

[Mark78]

2020 Volvo XC 60 with integrated pandora app stuck on connecting, worked perfectly yesterday all the sudden now shows my play list shows connecting but does connect or play anything no sound coming out. Using car modem internet connection is working with other apps, spotify working perfectly. Did a factory reset, reinstalled all apps still the same issue and from the looks of it this issue hasn't been solved in 5 years from previous posts. Pandora partnered with Volvo both should be responsible to make their service work. there shouldn't be a reason that this issue hasn't been resolved in 5 years time to take legal action against pandora and volvo ?

this issue still not fixed after 3 years having the same problem in my 2020 volvo xc 60 it worked fine 2 days ago all the sudden stopped now it shows connecting but no sound, i can see my play list but can't listen to anything

Moderator Edit: Merged posts

[7thcav]

Pandora app in my 2021 Volvo XC60 has quit functioning. Shows my stations, shows the album cover but does not play anything. It was working on the 2nd of May and Volvo knows nothing about it apparently. In fact I am unable to even delete the app as that function has also disappeared.

[Juanca12341]

I have the exact problem.

[Mchughes]

I am having the same problem on my 2017 S90.

[SheilaJ]

 It has worked reasonably well for about four years. Several days ago encountered this problem.
Logged out and logged back in, no help. Deleted and reinstalled the app, no help.

I used to have occasional problems with Pandora connecting. I would go to FM, let that start to play, then click back into Pandora and it would work. That no longer works.

[robross0606]

Same problem here on my 2019 S60. Everything else works except Pandora. Been a paying Pandora member for over 15 years. Pandora can't seem to consistently fix this and Volvo has close to zero technical support. There was (is?) another 4 year old thread about this same problem.  

[bflores71]

I have the exact same thing happening in my 2019 XC40.  Worked fine until about 4 days ago.

[robross0606]

The bigger frustrating is probably lack of any meaningful way to engage with support either on the Pandora or Volvo side.  Especially on the Volvo side.  Centralized Volvo customer support points you to your local dealer.  The local dealer has no clue how to handle this.  I've been a software developer for 30 years.  This is a tech stack issue and Volvo has no support chain for this that I've found.  My guess is that Volvo uses some sort of centralized proxy mechanism between the car(s) and Pandora and this is broken.

[bflores71]

I chatted with a Volvo support person online today.  She said she did some research and then told me there were no known current issues with Pandora. I sent her a link to this thread so maybe she'll pass it on.

I also removed Pandora from my vehicle and then reinstalled it.  It did not fix the issue.

[Chefalo]

After working fine for over a year, the Pandora APP on my 2020 Volvo S60 is no longer connecting to Pandora. I did a factory reset on the Sensus system and signed back into my Pandora account, but it is still not connecting. Help would be appreciated!

[rmigliac]

Same here.  Volvo 2018 s90.  Connection troubles started about 5/1/24.  Deleted and reinstalled app, no help.  Internet connection works, just not Pandora.

[AndreXC40]

Well I can be added to the unsatisfied customer list. 2020 XC40 Pandora was working fine a week ago. Now just connecting 🙂 hopes we get a fix soon???

[bflores71]

I just chatted with yet another Volvo person and was told this:  "As of right now, Volvo Cars USA is aware of the issue but the issue is with the app itself not the cars. We are currently recommending to delete the app and reinstall it. Otherwise wait for Pandora to fix the issue with the app for the vehicles."

I did delete the app and reinstall it.  It still doesn't work.

[robross0606]

I not only tried to reinstall the app, but I factory reset my entire car system and set it up from scratch.  Still didn't fix the problem.  This is what I mean.  Volvo has absolutely no established software support pipeline.  There is no way to log a ticket for a software issue.  There is no way to bump support up tiers until you can find someone to help.

There are only a couple reasons why something like this would happen:

1. Pandora changed their API in a breaking manner.
2. Volvo has a failed proxy between their cars and the cloud service.
3. The Pandora app has some sort of time-based bug that happened to trigger last week.

#3 is highly unlikely.  I'll put money on the problem being #1 or #2.  It could even be #2 caused by #1.

[robross0606]

@bflores71, can you share the steps you took to talk to Volvo support?  Perhaps if enough of us contact them individually, they'll realize the scope of the issue.