Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 11 of 41 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Visibility. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports3 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
41 reports
61,511 miles · Feb 19, 2026
Engine And Engine CoolingFireInjury
The contact owned a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-52 MPH, there smoke coming from the front passenger’s side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated that an off-duty Police Officer witnessed the failure and activated the Emergency Lights, allowing the contact to safely pull off the…
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The contact owned a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-52 MPH, there smoke coming from the front passenger’s side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated that an off-duty Police Officer witnessed the failure and activated the Emergency Lights, allowing the contact to safely pull off the highway The contact immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The grandson seated in the front passenger’s seat immediately exited the vehicle and the contact was able to unbuckle and removed the [XXX] from the second-row middle seat. The contact stated that moments later there were explosions, and there was black smoke and flames engulfing the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries sustained; however, all three occupants of the vehicle experienced emotional trauma from the vehicle catching on fire. Medical attention was not needed. A Police Report was filed at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The contact stated that the car seat in the rear of the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was examined by an Insurance Adjuster, and it was determined that the fire had started in the engine compartment. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 61,511. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11719068
Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2026
Unknown Or Other
I am writing to formally a repeated mechanical failure involving the HVAC evaporator systems in two Volvo vehicles that I purchased within a few months of each other. The vehicles involved are: • 2019 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum VIN: [XXX] Purchased: November 2024 • 2020 Volvo XC60 T5 Momentum Purchased: January 2025 Within a six…
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I am writing to formally a repeated mechanical failure involving the HVAC evaporator systems in two Volvo vehicles that I purchased within a few months of each other. The vehicles involved are: • 2019 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum VIN: [XXX] Purchased: November 2024 • 2020 Volvo XC60 T5 Momentum Purchased: January 2025 Within a six months apart, both vehicles suffered complete air conditioning system failure due to large evaporator leaks. In total, three evaporators have now been confirmed as leaking across these two vehicles. The 2020 XC60 experienced evaporator failure in May 2025 and required full evaporator replacement under its CPO warranty. The 2019 XC90 subsequently developed the same issue. After multiple independent inspections and a full diagnostic performed by Volvo, they have confirmed that both the front and rear evaporators were leaking. The total repair estimate exceeds seven thousand dollars. Despite the statistical improbability of two vehicles purchased months apart suffering identical HVAC system failures within months of ownership, Volvo Cars North America denied my goodwill assistance request. The denial was based solely on the fact that a prior owner of the XC90 had previously received an unrelated goodwill repair. I was not informed of this at the time of purchase and had no connection to that prior claim. I then filed a complaint with the BBB against Volvo Cars North America. Volvo did not respond at all. The BBB has now formally closed the case and recorded that Volvo failed to respond to the complaint. I have acted in good faith at every step. I paid for diagnostics. I provided complete documentation. I pursued proper escalation channels. I sought resolution through the BBB. Volvo has remained silent. This is not an isolated service matter. It reflects a potential systemic defect affecting multiple Volvo platforms and model years. The repeated evaporator failures raise serious concerns as far us intaking large freon amounts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
NHTSA ODI #11712444
Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2026
Electrical SystemEngineSteering
Some back info: I keep the auto start/stop feature disabled. There are three identical incidents total. One about a year or two ago and two back to back a few weeks ago. The first time I was stopped at a drive through but in “drive” with my foot on the brake. All of the sudden the car completely turns off. Screens black, eng…
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Some back info: I keep the auto start/stop feature disabled. There are three identical incidents total. One about a year or two ago and two back to back a few weeks ago. The first time I was stopped at a drive through but in “drive” with my foot on the brake. All of the sudden the car completely turns off. Screens black, engine off. Completely black car no inside lights on. Within a couple of seconds, I hear the engine reengage and the car “starts” as normal like when you turn the switch. All of the lights and screens turn on and apple car play reconnects. The most recent two incidents were the same day and in drive having stopped at stoplights. The car goes “dead” then restarts all in drive with my foot on the brake. No warnings come up after the incident either. This time my husband and children were with me and can confirm it happened. I did not get these incidents checked out since the car was instantly back to normal with no warning messages. Very unnerving though and feels like the car is being remotely restarted somehow. The first time I just brushed it off, now I am concerned about this happening while in motion.
NHTSA ODI #11708339
Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2025
Electrical SystemEnginePower TrainFire
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 traffi…
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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.
NHTSA ODI #11704235
Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2025
EngineFire
My engine caught on fire. Unknown cause at this time.
NHTSA ODI #11701504
Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2025
Unknown Or Other
Rear evaporator coil (Failure) The rear evaporator coil failed on my Volvo XC90 purchased new at the dealership in 2019. This car only had 27,000 miles on it when the evaporator coil went bad. Refrigerant smells entered the cabin when AC was on while my 2 year old daughter was in the back. Having refrigerant leaking into th…
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Rear evaporator coil (Failure) The rear evaporator coil failed on my Volvo XC90 purchased new at the dealership in 2019. This car only had 27,000 miles on it when the evaporator coil went bad. Refrigerant smells entered the cabin when AC was on while my 2 year old daughter was in the back. Having refrigerant leaking into the cabin is not great for health, especially that of a toddler. Additionally this could have caused an inability to defrost windows creating a safety hazard. All refrigerant leaked out leading to a condition where I had to drive in 90 - 100 degree temperatures with my daughter.
NHTSA ODI #11690299
Mileage unknown · Sep 22, 2025
Service Brakes
While driving, the brakes completely failed without any warning. There were no signs, alerts, or symptoms prior to the failure. The braking ability was suddenly and entirely lost, creating an extremely dangerous situation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the brake booster had failed. This component failure directly cause…
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While driving, the brakes completely failed without any warning. There were no signs, alerts, or symptoms prior to the failure. The braking ability was suddenly and entirely lost, creating an extremely dangerous situation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the brake booster had failed. This component failure directly caused the complete loss of braking power. Because this occurred without warning or prior indication and such an unexpected failure not only poses a significant safety risk to the driver and passengers but endangers everyone on the road, and it represents a severe safety hazard. A sudden brake booster failure can easily lead to loss of vehicle control, accidents, injury, or even fatalities. Immediate action is required to address this serious issue that threatens public safety.
NHTSA ODI #11689054
Mileage unknown · May 29, 2025
EngineUnknown Or Other
Vehicle started experiencing stalling and when trying to accelerate it would not pick up on speed, I have been quoted by Volvo that the supercharger is bad on a car that is only 6 years old. That repair for this is $2,000 as the engine valve also has to get cleaned out. The vehicle started having issue with AC after 2 years an…
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Vehicle started experiencing stalling and when trying to accelerate it would not pick up on speed, I have been quoted by Volvo that the supercharger is bad on a car that is only 6 years old. That repair for this is $2,000 as the engine valve also has to get cleaned out. The vehicle started having issue with AC after 2 years and now the front evaporator has gone bad and with summer Time is when I realized of this defect. $5,000 repair for the evaporator.
NHTSA ODI #11663618
Mileage unknown · May 16, 2025
Back Over Prevention
After a software update the backup camera’s field of view is super focused on the tailgate, license plate, and the immediate ground below. This is a safety concern as there have been a few near misses at parking lot speeds.
NHTSA ODI #11661570
Mileage unknown · May 15, 2025
Unknown Or Other
Car shut off while driving and rebooted. Was precessed by the infotainment system crashing and then rebooting a minute prior. Car made a sound like a grunting sound right as it shut down.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly tightened seat belt buckle may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing their risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the second-row seat belt buckle anchorage bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10259.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2022 V60CC, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. During steering gear assembly, double screws may have been assembled on top of each other, which can cause a screw to fall into the gearbox housing.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A screw inside the gearbox housing can cause the steering wheel to lock up and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 1, 2023. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10213.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
Consequence: Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
Consequence: Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2016-2020 XC90 Excellence vehicles. Liquid or condensation on the rear seat control display may cause the front passenger seat to move back as far as possible.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will update the rear seat control display software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10093.
Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.
Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.
Consequence: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.
Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.
Consequence: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Volvo XC90, S90, V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, XC40, XC60, and V90 Cross Country vehicles. The software installed in the Vehicle Connectivity Module (VCM) may have an error causing the Telematics and Driver Support Systems to function improperly. As a result, the GPS will not provide location information to emergency personnel in the event of an emergency.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R39917.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
2019 Volvo XC90 Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year