2025 Volvo EX90 electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving the car on a state road (45 mph) the car suddenly notified me of an "electrical fault", a light that looks like a turtle came on, and the vehicle lost power and couldn't go any faster than 5 mph. Another vehicle almost rear-ended me around a blind curve because I was moving significantly slower than normal traffic. I pulled into a parking lot, shutdown and restarted the car and everything seemed fine. It happened again a few minutes later so we started to head back home. But the real issue happened a minute or so after the second fault - the fault cleared itself and all of a sudden the vehicle's speed shot up to over 60 mph with very little throttle response or control from me. I slowed the car down using the brakes and continued home. The fault happened again, and cleared itself again in the same manner but this time while I was turning causing me to almost hit a curb while trying to turn. The car is dangerous. These should be taken off the road permanently.

NHTSA complaint #11758132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am submitting this complaint because I believe my Volvo electric vehicle has a serious and recurring safety-related defect that has not been permanently repaired despite multiple repair attempts. Since purchasing the vehicle new, it has repeatedly failed to operate as intended, left me stranded multiple times, and continues to display warning messages while driving. I purchased the vehicle new on November 20, 2025, for approximately $85,000 with zero miles. The first failure occurred on December 4, 2025, at approximately 578 miles when the vehicle stopped charging. Volvo attempted repairs, but the same charging defect returned. The vehicle required additional repairs on January 21, 2026 (1,304 miles), early March 2026 (2,846 miles), and April 27, 2026 (3,810 miles). Despite multiple repairs and component replacements, the same issue continued. By the fourth repair, the vehicle had been out of service approximately 80 days. Volvo later approved a manufacturer repurchase; however, while waiting for the repurchase process, the vehicle developed additional failures where it would completely lose power and become inoperable. The vehicle required towing on multiple occasions, leaving me stranded and without transportation. During a later repair visit, Volvo kept the vehicle for approximately 39 days and stated they could not duplicate the problem and that the vehicle was operating as designed. The day after receiving the vehicle back, the same failure occurred again. The vehicle has now required seven repair attempts. Even after the latest repair, I continue to receive dashboard warnings while driving instructing me to stop the vehicle. Due to the repeated failures, loss of vehicle operation, and unresolved warnings, I have lost confidence in the safety and reliability of this vehicle and have changed my driving habits to avoid being stranded. I believe these recurring failures represent a potential safety defect that warrants investigation by NHTSA.

NHTSA complaint #11753723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

This vehicle locks itself even with a fully charged key tag inside it. The driver is not able to open the car by lifting any of the door handles. It has occurred 3 separate times. It will only open with a key card. Should the driver not have a key card outside of the vehicle, it must be towed to the dealership for service. The dealer has been advised of the problem, although the service department is unable to identify why or how this occurs. This has happened at various times of the day, including late at night, and we reside in a rural area with very limited alternate transportation. No warning messages appear prior to the problem.

NHTSA complaint #11752711 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle has experienced repeated intermittent electrical-system-related failures since the start of the lease, which have remained unresolved despite eight months of formal engagement with Volvo and multiple service and software-related repair attempts by Volvo. Most recently, on May 15, 2026, while operating the vehicle in approximately 90°F Arizona temperatures, the vehicle displayed a “Limited Performance / Electrical System Temporarily Limited” warning message. Shortly afterward, the driver was temporarily unable to re-enter the vehicle, despite the exterior door handles deploying normally. Vehicle access was restored only after several minutes. The side view mirrors would not open. Driving for two minutes did not resolve this. After ten minutes of remaining parked the mirrors reconnected. This latest incident follows prior issues including: •Loss of charging capability during a long distance trip (which forced us to drive 50MPH on a 75MPH highway, putting our car and other drivers at risk.) •Multiple incidents involving loss of instrument displays while driving •Intermittent vehicle access and lock-related issues •Unexpected seatbelt tensioning while the vehicle was in motion Volvo previously indicated that software updates and related service efforts should address the issues. However, after the updates the vehicle continues to exhibit intermittent electrical-system-related problems affecting reliability and normal operation.

NHTSA complaint #11738406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2025 Volvo EX90. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, an over-the-air software update was attempted but failed. The vehicle locked during the update process and remained inoperable for approximately one hour after the update was completed. On a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to shift into gear while driving on the interstate. The message that the vehicle was not in gear was displayed. The download process took an extended period and after the update was completed the vehicle operated as intended. Additionally, the infotainment system turned black and was inoperable, while the instrument panel was dark, and caused the turn signal indicator and speedometer to become inoperable. The instrument panel was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the battery was in low power mode. The vehicle was not repaired but was manually updated by the dealer, bypassing the over-the-air process. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 1,115.

NHTSA complaint #11731480 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On November 28, 2025, my 2025 Volvo EX90 displayed a headlight warning message on the dashboard and the headlights failed to function properly while parked and after starting the engine. The defect temporarily resolved but recurred on December 5, 2025. A headlight defect that is not immediately apparent to the driver poses a serious safety risk before or during nighttime driving. The symptoms are consistent with NHTSA Safety Recall No. 25V-071 (Volvo internal reference R10298), which covers 2025 EX90 vehicles and involves unexpected headlight malfunction. I request that NHTSA investigate whether my vehicle's defect is related to Recall No. 25V-071 and whether the recall remedy has been properly implemented. If unrelated to Recall No. 25V-071, I request that NHTSA investigate this as a separate unreported safety defect. Other 2025 EX90 owners may be experiencing the same issue without reporting it. Volvo has contacted me directly on multiple occasions to schedule a central computer replacement on my vehicle. I understand this replacement is being offered to all 2025 EX90 owners. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this widespread hardware replacement is related to the safety defect I experienced and whether it should have been conducted as a formal safety recall. When brought in for repair on December 13, 2025, the service department advised parts were on indefinite backorder with no estimated delivery date. The vehicle remained at the service center for 47 days while Volvo was unable to supply the necessary parts. I request that NHTSA evaluate whether this represents an adequate response to a safety-critical defect.

NHTSA complaint #11727840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving the car the car will suddenly stop working, it will be unable to accelerate. When this happens a multitude of alerts display on the screen. The car is very dangerous to drive and I’m concerned someone may die if this car is not recalled for safety.

NHTSA complaint #11725544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2025 Volvo EX90. The contact stated that while using the house charger, the breaker tripped. The check connection message was displayed. The vehicle failed to charge at the residence. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer, who was unable to charge the vehicle. The contact eventually used a standalone charging system to charge the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Subaru of Melbourne Service Center (4340 W New Haven Ave, Melbourne, FL 32904); where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 80.

NHTSA complaint #11724715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My car will not charge at my home power charger or any L1 or L2 AC based power system. It will only charge at higher price fast DC chargers which are limited and not at my house. This is apparently a commonly known flaw with this vehicle that has not been addressed and I am now waiting more than 20 days for a replacement part to be ready.

NHTSA complaint #11723637 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Was given a 'critical brake fault' warning on the dashboard. Car defaulted into neutral and I was not able to put it park, drive, reverse or even turn off the car (had to keep my foot on the brake until someone could help me push it onto a flat surface). Could not open the car doors from the outside, no resets would work, had to be towed to dealership. Car was left "running" at the dealership for over 24 hours.

NHTSA complaint #11723450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Unable to charge the car, interrupted charging

NHTSA complaint #11719658 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

GHCA Failure that resulted in inability to charge the car.

NHTSA complaint #11715857 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Ongoing Software Issues From shortly after delivery through now, the vehicle experiences frequent and recurring warning messages and system failures, including but not limited to: Suspension system warnings Driver assistance and self-driving feature failures One-pedal driving malfunctions Parking camera and sensor errors Other system warnings that appear to be software-related While the vehicle was often still technically drivable, these issues regularly caused the car to operate at reduced functionality, with key safety and convenience features disabled. Although software updates have reduced the frequency of these issues, they still occur intermittently and often require a vehicle reset or time to resolve. Because of these persistent and unpredictable warnings, my family and I have avoided taking this vehicle on long trips out of concern that the car may become unsafe or inoperable while traveling. The vehicle was brought in for service in December 2024 in an attempt to address these software-related issues; however, the service did not resolve the problem at that time. Hardware Failure #1 – GHCA In January 2025, the vehicle experienced a failure of the GHCA component, rendering the all-electric vehicle unable to charge. This occurred shortly after purchase. Service appointment booked: January 27, 2025 Vehicle in shop: aprox 30 days The vehicle was out of service for approximately one full month. During this time, I shared my experience on Reddit due to the severity of the issue and the vehicle’s newness. That post received over 350,000 views, and numerous Volvo EX90 owners reported experiencing the same GHCA failure—many stating they had required multiple replacements of the same component. This strongly suggests a widespread defect rather than an isolated incident. Hardware Failure #2 – GHCA (Repeat Failure) On February 3, 2026, the GHCA failed again, and the vehicle was returned to the dealership for service with no ETA on a fix.

NHTSA complaint #11715573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The Grid to High Voltage Converter A (GHCA) is a critical, often failing, component in 2025+ Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 electric vehicles that converts AC grid power to high-voltage DC for the battery has failed 5 times in my car with no fix from Volvo in the foreseeable future. There are some reports on reddit/ex90 and other owner forums that these failures can cause unsafe voltages and have blown up home chargers. It seems like it is getting to the point where they need to be forced to issue a recall for this part and compensate owners.

NHTSA complaint #11715615 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

AC charging failed.

NHTSA complaint #11715649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The onboard charger (ghca) failed, destroying my evse and tripping the circut breaker in my electrical panel. It took 3.5 weeks for the replacement part to come in and be installed. On another occasion, the pilot assist adas presented an error and was unavailable until the computer was rebooted.

NHTSA complaint #11715687 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While Level 2 charging at home from a NEMA 14-50 receptacle using the Volvo-supplied cable/adapter, charging stopped unexpectedly accompanied by a loud thunk. The central computer restarted and presented a profile setup routine as if the car was new. Stored settings were not retained. Repeated attempts to re-initiate charging resulted in ‘Charging fault’ notifications on the instrument panel and a solid red light on the charging port indicator. The car can no longer charge with AC power, but still charges with Level 3 DC equipment. Also, the car software doesn’t seem to recognize that there is a problem with the vehicle. It shows the status as ‘everything is OK’.

NHTSA complaint #11715700 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my Volvo EX90, which experienced a complete and dangerous shutdown while driving on a LA freeway on Christmas Day. While traveling at freeway speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed a warning stating “Critical Electrical Fault.” The car shut down in the middle of active traffic. Two vehicles narrowly avoided colliding with us, and we were extremely fortunate to be able to turn the car back on, maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road before being struck. The vehicle had to be towed from the shoulder of the freeway. This incident posed a serious risk of severe injury or death, not only to my passengers but also to other motorists. This was not an isolated incident. This is the second time this vehicle has experienced a sudden shutdown. The first incident involved a warning reading “Critical Propulsion Fault,” which also resulted in loss of vehicle function. Following the Christmas Day incident, the vehicle has been at an authorized Volvo dealership for over three weeks. As of today, Volvo has been unable to identify the root cause or provide a clear explanation or repair. The uncertainty surrounding the failure of a brand-new vehicle (1,754 Miles) further reinforces the seriousness of this defect. A vehicle that can unexpectedly lose all power at freeway speeds is fundamentally unsafe. Based on my experience, I believe the Volvo EX90 presents a significant safety defect, and I am deeply concerned that these vehicles continue to be sold and driven on public roads. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter to determine whether a broader defect or pattern exists and to take appropriate action to protect the public.

NHTSA complaint #11711504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving on I-5 north by Castaic (exit 176A) the car displayed "electric system temporarily limited" then "critical electric fault" at which time it rapidly decelerated while on the freeway. The hazard lights were pressed but did not work. There was no shoulder and cars nearly rear ended our vehicle, with our family of 4 (including 2 kids) inside. We were able to navigate the vehicle to a small shoulder at the freeway exit and called CHP for support to ensure our safety while we seemed roadside assistance. Volvo roadside assistance contacted a tow truck and walked us through a "hard reset" of the vehicle. After about 15 minutes we were able to drive the car with a CHP escort off the freeway ramp to a nearby parking lot. The "electrical system temporarily limited" fault remained. Our car was towed to the nearest dealership where the fault was observed. At this point (8 calendar days later) no fix has been identified. This vehicle has had repeated electrical system faults since we leased in on 9/5/25 and has been serviced 3 previous times. This was the first time it stopped while driving.

NHTSA complaint #11710154 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have been in multiple situation where my car is unable to charge from my home charger, and the issue is always same which is the need of GHCA replacement. Right now, GHCA for EX90 is in national back order with unknown ETA

NHTSA complaint #11709750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Please note this is an all electric SUV. On Saturday 6th December, I unplugged the car from the A/C charger after it had finished charging to 90% in my garage and there was a very loud bang heard from under the car. The dashboard then reported there is a fault with the car and it cannot charge. Took the car to the dealer same day and they suspected it was a failed GHCA part (AC to DC converter). They ordered a replacement and fitted it on 20th December but the car still will not charge on A/C. It still charges on DC and the dealer is using that to keep it powered. I received a call from the dealer today (1/2/26) to say that Volvo corporate needs to perform a detailed investigation as to what has caused the car to stop charging on AC. The dealer will not let me have the car back as they are concerned about the safety of the car and have been without it for approaching one month now. With that in mind and the many reports on social media of similar failures as well as multiple months of having faulty cars, it appears this is a major problem that should be subject to a recall. An example of posts can be seen here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11708444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving, my car suddenly displayed the "Driver Support System Fault" icon (Picture 1). At that time, the only issue was the fault icon. I still had full navigation, lane departure warning and 360 camera functionality when I backed into my parking spot. The car was locked with my key card. I returned to 15 to 20 minutes later. The Driver Support System Fault Icon was lit in addition to the lane departure unavailability icon (Picture 2). The following functions and/or features did not work: - Lane Departure - 360 Camera - Front Camera - Tracking Lines for the Rear Camera - Park Sensor audible alerts (Forward or Backup) - Ambient Temperature (Reads "0 degrees Celsius") - Odometer in the central stack (Reads "-- km") - HVAC Functionality - Heated Seats - Heated Steering Wheel - Bluetooth - Wi-Fi - Google Assistant - Navigation, including map being frozen in one position - Glovebox access - Connectivity with Internet or Volvo App - Volume control for the radio did not function. - 4-way hazard button greyed out and non-functional on center stack Attempted reset/reboot of the Infotainment System did not resolve the issue and the car was taken to the local Volvo dealer. Summary of Pictures attached: Pic 3 - Quick Controls - Shows glove box, 4-way hazard icon and other control icons greyed out Pic 4 - Status - States "Everything is OK", but tire pressure button is not available and Total distance reads "--km". Additionally, as shown in Picture 3, the 4-way hazard icon is greyed out. Pic 5 - Similar shot as Picture 2 - Shows Driver Support System Fault and no Lane Departure Pic 6 - Car is in reverse. Shows rear back up camera without guidance lines. Does not show 360 camera. Pic 7 - HVAC Climate is off and cannot turn on. All controls were greyed out. I pressed "Manual" and "Auto" with no change. Pic 8 - Heated seats and heated steering wheel would not turn on even when I pressed the buttons.

NHTSA complaint #11693995 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

One pedal driving randomly turns off when starting the vehicle. This is a safety issue because we often don't notice its off until we're attempting to stop and taking your foot off the accelerator does not result in braking as expected.

NHTSA complaint #11678075 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The screen behind the steering wheel, which provides the car's speed, driver assist, warning lights, turn signals, and other driving information suddenly went blank. I was grateful that I was close to home and no longer on the interstate highway I had just exited. I drove home, reset the car, and the screen was back on. I was lucky. I could have been at the beginning on my drive, over a hundred miles from home and unable to easily exit the highway. The car is being towed today back to the dealer, again. This happened without warning. I was driving and the whole screen just went black.

NHTSA complaint #11675323 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Drivers display with vehicle speed and ADAS state goes blank while driving resulting in inability to see current speed or ADAS speed set point. After rebooting the system as previously advised by Volvo, the ADAS speed set point showed "00" while maintaining a speed of 70mph

NHTSA complaint #11673483 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Lane keeping sensors periodically fault and Volvo's solution is to reboot the vehicle

NHTSA complaint #11673486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle: 2024 Volvo EX90 VIN: [XXX] While driving on the highway, the entire digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen went completely black without warning. I could not see my speed, gear indicator, or use turn signals. This created an immediate and dangerous safety hazard, especially at high speed. The issue has occurred more than once, and despite taking the vehicle to the dealership, it has not been permanently resolved. I have filed a California Lemon Law claim with Volvo, and while Volvo acknowledged the defect and promised a buyback on March 18, 2025, they have failed to follow through or provide a resolution for over two weeks. I am submitting this complaint because the vehicle presents an active safety risk to myself and others, and I am concerned that this defect could result in a serious accident or injury if not addressed immediately. I also have video evidence of the blackout event. I am requesting that NHTSA open an investigation into this issue and hold the manufacturer accountable for failing to address a known safety defect in a timely manner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11651941 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Our EX90 will not charge with our installed Tesla Universal L2 charger. When the charger is connected to the vehicle, it appears to start charging for 2-3 minutes, then I get a Charging Fault, the charger tries to re-initialize, and this loop continues, all while not charging the car. While the car is attempting to charge the EX90 dash shows Power at 1KW or less and the Amps only get up to 4 max, but mainly stay around 1. We contacted Tesla and they said it could be a bad adapter, so they sent a replacement unit. After this unit was installed, the same issues with charging the EX90 continues. We have charged other electric cars with the Tesla charger and it works perfectly, which leads me to believe this is a Volvo issue.

NHTSA complaint #11641650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was on the 101 freeway on January 20, 2025. I was driving on the far left lane, driving 72-65 miles an hour. The 2025 Volvo EX90 suddenly wouldn't accelerate more than 36 mph. A turtle error came on the screen. "Driving Performance Reduced Drive with Caution Book a Service" message displayed. Due to the car suddenly slowing down, we almost were read ended by a truck. I have kids in the car. This car had multiple faults. I had the car serviced on 01/20/25 and received it back from the dealer on 01/28/25. After, receiving the car two days later, now the SOS fault System light turned on, and now the Air Bag Fault Light is on. I do have a video of the incident on the freeway when the car started slowing down and the error messages.

NHTSA complaint #11640499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.