Volvo XC90 Complaints

1,540 consumer complaints on file.

#11706558December 22, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was driving on the internstate and my blind spot indicator came on and stayed on even though there were no cars in my blind spot. I needed to change lanes and tried to despite the blind spot indicator being on and the automatic collision avoidance system put me back into the lane I was in. I had to fight the vehicle to get over to be able to exit the interstate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705607December 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am extremely disappointed with my 2025 Volvo XC90. The vehicle’s interface shuts down frequently, which is extremely dangerous—especially at highway speeds. On several occasions, including at night, the entire system has gone completely blank. This creates a serious safety hazard and puts lives at risk. Despite repeated complaints, the dealership has been ineffective and has provided no meaningful fix. In addition, when exiting a parking position, the exterior side mirrors deploy very slowly, making it unsafe to merge into traffic or assess surrounding vehicles. This delay is another clear hazard. Most concerning, the vehicle has shut down entirely while driving on multiple occasions. This is a life-threatening defect and completely unacceptable in a vehicle of this class. I paid over $90,000 for my XC90, expecting the highest standards of safety and reliability. Instead, I regret this purchase every day. Volvo’s failure to address these critical safety issues has severely undermined my confidence in the vehicle and the brand.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705066December 15, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owned a 2017 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after driving 35 miles at 70 MPH on I-95 South in South Carolina, the contact started smelling an abnormally gasoline odor inside the vehicle entering through the AC vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and her husband continued driving, believing that the odor was coming from the outside because the air recirculation switch was set to recirculate the air inside the vehicle. The contact stated that after driving an additional 5 miles, the gasoline odor grew stronger, and the contact suggested to her husband to pull over so that they could exit the vehicle. The contact stated that her husband pulled over and they both exited with a child. The contact stated that while running away from the vehicle she could see flames underneath the vehicle coming from the engine before the vehicle exploded and was engulfed in flames. The contact and her husband ran away from the vehicle and there was grayish white smoke coming from the vehicle. The Fire Department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that Fire Department and Police Department filed incident reports, but the contact had not yet received the documents. The contact stated that the entire front of the vehicle including the engine compartment had melted down to the wheels. The contact sustained soreness to the neck and left shoulder, as well as a headache from the fuel odor. The contact, her child, and her husband were emotionally distressed from the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed a total loss. The Insurance Provider and a claims adjuster was notified of the fire and the contact was informed that further investigation was needed to determine the cause of the fire. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#11704687December 12, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while attempting to open the rear passenger's side door from the inside or the outside of the vehicle, the door failed to open as intended, causing passengers to exit the rear driver's side door of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the door lock kit needed to be replaced. The door lock kit was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and filed a case. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704480December 11, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The sunroof has leaked pouring water into the car. October 29, 2025 This is the second time this has occurred. First flood was January 3, 2023. Volvo covered the first repair done by a Volvo dealership. The current estimate to repair is $13,000 by the Volvo dealer. They have the car. The electronics have not been checked yet or are part of the estimate. It is unsafe to drive a car if the electronics may fail. I have filed a claim with Volvo and to date (42 days) there is no resolution. I cannot drive a car that fills with water when it rains. My daughter has a severe heart defect and cannot be in a car with mold and mildew.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704235December 10, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Upon driving a symbol with a turtle and engine cation sign flashed upon the dash displaying and reading reduced power train mode as this is being shown on dash the passenger next to me smelt smoke as we next seen smoke coming from the air conditioning system we immediately pulled over to the safest spot out of the ongoing traffic as smoke continued to worsen now under the hood when flames engulfed the engine and spread to rest of car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704030December 9, 2025
WHEELS
Two wheels have cracked in the span of a few weeks. There was no accident or incident that could have caused the cracks. There are mentions online of this issue in several countries but Volvo has not issued a recall or warning regarding the wheel's propensity to crack. First crack was found on one wheel on 11/03/25. The second crack was found on a different wheel on 12/07/25. This vehicle was purchased from McDonald Volvo in Littleton CO on August of 2023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703455December 6, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The camera system when backing up becomes unavailable intermittently. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. System has been updated and restarted but it fails to fix the issue. When it happens it states camera unavailable and service required. Shutting off the vehicle and restarting multiple times sometimes corrects it. Automotive dealer said there is no issue with it. We have pictures of when it happens and the vehicle is available for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701873November 28, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On thanksgiving day i drove to train station in the morning, and had no issue. After work i got in the car started to drive, i was going 25-35 miles per hour in the maplewood township, and i wanted to slow down just in case i dont see any kid or person at dark. I almost had no brake! I was so scared and i pushed th brake pedal so hard, i was very dangerous for the society at this moment. I just wish i was not on the highway going higher speed, or there were no people around! I really cannot trust this car anymore, i could have hit something!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701862November 28, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, SERVICE BRAKES
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond unless the brake pedal had been released for 2-3 seconds. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and releasing the brake pedal to reverse out of the driveway, the vehicle rolled back at a faster speed, and the vehicle failed to respond as intended upon depression of the brake pedal. The contact noticed a pattern with the brakes malfunction. The contact stated that the brake pedal required to be depressed 2-3 seconds after the first depression for the brakes to operate as intended. The contact stated that he was a master mechanic and had concluded that the failure was considered a safety issue because the vehicle was only designed with electronic braking, which left the driver with no manual option for braking. The contact stated that the failure had only occurred upon starting the vehicle. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V392000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Service Brakes); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brakes had failed and Software Update Number: 3.5.14 was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and it was confirmed that the repair was not covered under the recall or under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 78,500.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701504November 25, 2025
ENGINE
My engine caught on fire. Unknown cause at this time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701532November 25, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The rear passenger windows have a defective haze in the glass that distorts and reduces clarity of visibility. Issue reported to dealership and VOLVO USA yet no resolution. Research indicates that this is a concern with various models - some dealers are replacing the glass, others claim this is normal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700036November 18, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
As I was driving, the coolant low warning came on. Luckily I was able to pull over safely at a nearby gas station. I found that the coolant expansion tank was empty. The coolant was leaking from the plastic connector on the bleeder hose and was pooling on the top of the engine. There is a recall on 2016 vehicles for this (Volvo campaign R29936) and looks like many are having same issue on 2017 models also. My problem was exactly as described, the part broke, coolant squirts out all over hot engine parts, system coolant level rapidly depletes. Fortunately, this happened in place that allowed safe stopping.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700143November 18, 2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
While driving in a parking lot going around 15 mph my drivers side door opened. No warning, no alarms just fully ajar swung open. Fortunately I was going 15 mph, Im glad I had my seatbelt on and that no one was crossing or passing when the door flung open. Ive documented and recorded my ability to begin driving and open the door including ability to open the door while reversing. I took the suv to volvo and the electrical wiring was replaced along with the door hinges.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699448November 14, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On November 5, 2025, while driving my 2017 Volvo XC90, I experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of braking assist. When I pressed the brake pedal, I heard a loud hissing noise coming from under the dashboard, and the car would not stop. The brake would not work and the vehicle would not slow or stop unless I stood up and used my full body weight to press it. A licensed mechanic inspected the vehicle and confirmed this is consistent with loss of vacuum pressure from the brake booster/failure of the vacuum brake booster, the component that provides power assist to the braking system. The booster, brake pump, hose from booster to pump and brake pedal clip were replaced, with an estimated cost of $2,858. The mechanic also advised that this failure is not uncommon in Volvo XC90 models. After the incident, I researched similar complaints and found numerous reports on NHTSA and [XXX] describing **identical symptoms—hard brake pedal and hissing sound due to vacuum booster failure—**in the 2016–2019 XC90. For example, one owner reported “hard pedal, no assist, hissing sound behind dash” [XXX] , Volvo XC90 2017 Brakes section, accessed Nov 2025). No warning lights or error messages appeared before or during the event. The problem occurred suddenly and without prior symptoms. This defect posed a serious safety risk to me, my passengers, and other drivers, as it severely reduced braking ability and required excessive force to stop the vehicle. Under other conditions, this issue could easily have resulted in a crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698131November 7, 2025
ENGINE
Vehicle is a 2017 model year of the Volvo XC90 and has the same safety issue in the Quality Bulletin for Recall R29936: Coolant Bleeder Hose (Engine Side), which is for the same make and model but for the 2016 model year. The vehicle has a plastic coolant bleeder hose that can crack and create a coolant leak that drips above the catalytic converter. The coolant accumulates in the catalytic converter heat shield insulation and poses a fire risk in the engine compartment area. The leak can also be small enough to cause coolant to evaporate and off gas into the cabin through the AC, exposing fumes to cabin occupants. The corrective action is to replace the engine side coolant bleeder hose, though this recall did not extend to 2017 model years, in which this same part was used. The same recall R29936 will need to be extended to other model years after 2016 in which the same component or design of component was used.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698134November 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2023 Volvo XC90 on [XXX]. The vehicle was purchased from Guaranteed Motor Cars in Palos Hills, IL. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 39,019. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs. When the instrument cluster was installed, it was discovered that the mileage was 111,914. The contact filed a complaint with the State Attorney General's Office. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697931November 6, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
We lease this car from Volvo and are the first and only owners of the vehicle. No history of collision or accidents. The vehicle has a rear backup camera. The camera system also allows the option to select a 360-degree, top down "birds-eye" view of the entire vehicle. The backup camera turns on automatically when the car is shifted into reverse and originally provided a normal view directly behind the vehicle that extended at least a car length or more. At some point, we noticed that the rear backup camera view changed and was angled sharply down to the ground, including a partial view of our rear license plate and back bumper. The view now extends less than 7 feet behind the vehicle, angled down from the height of the camera (40-inches) so we can only see inches above the ground just a few feet behind the car. We can no longer see approaching vehicles, pedestrians, or any obstacles. The service technicians suggested this change in camera angle resulted from a routine system software update that was automatically downloaded to the vehicle. I don't know exactly when that occurred. On June 27, 2025 we received a safety recall notice from Volvo - Recall R10320 - warning us that the rear-view camera image may not show during the start of a backing event. We installed the recommended "Over the Air" software update, but that did not resolve our problem. I took the car to a local Volvo dealership on 9/26/25. They tried software upgrades and reboots, confirmed that the camera hardware was operating correctly, and told me that they could not fix it. They suggested I file a complaint with Volvo. I did that on 10/3/25. The only response to my claim was to "contact your dealer to make an appointment," which I told them I had already done. I have followed up twice since and Volvo has not responded further to this complaint ID #: 251002-000556. The incident date provided below is approximate. I don't recall when exactly the camera view changed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697846November 6, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was backing out of my drive. It was an early morning and it was very foggy. The windows were foggy and not totally defrosted yet. My camera wasnt showing everything around but we were having constant upgrade issues during this week of October 5th through the 10th. My automatic braking never activated even though it was turned on. I ran into a cattle feeder overhang. I never seen it in my camera view. The windows seem to have a really bad fog to them. My back driver tail-light got broken and back driver panel got dented and scratched. There are probably more things involved as its in the shop as I am typing this out. The adjustor had to send another estimate to my insurance company for more damages done. I haven't gotten word back from them yet. But, it's over $3,000. All of the issues seemed to resolve after the update was finished after that week. My automatic braking worked after that.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696466October 29, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is a flaw in Volvo sunroof drains. There are class action lawsuits because of this. 6 months after purchasing my car, there was a leak into my car due to a clogged sunroof drains causing damage to electronics and potentially to computers within the car. I fixed it at a quote of over $2k. Volvo refused to cover it under my warranty. Now, 6 months after the fix, the SAME issue is happening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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