51 of the
2,252 complaints filed about the Volvo XC90
are about the throttle and cruise control —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2004.
51
Complaints
2%
Share of all complaints
5
Crashes
1
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
The contact owns a 2024 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the contact about to exit the vehicle, the vehicle rolled forward unexpectedly and crashed into the vehicle in front. The contact stated that after striking that vehicle, the vehicle independently started reversing and struck a mailbox and some trees. The brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop until the rear of the vehicle struck the second tree. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. The rear of the vehicle was damaged, and the driver’s side rear wheel was tilted outwards at a 45-degree angle. The contact was taken to the ER and was treated for bruises and pain to the head. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a Collision Repair center by the police, but was not yet inspected. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
NHTSA complaint #11750273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Spark plugs, fuel injectors, cylinders and cylinder walls, pistons, oxygen sensor. Our safety was put at risk because the vehicles "reduced performance" was triggered and it affected the acceleration of the vehicle. The Volvo dealership was able to reproduce the issue because of the engine misfires.The only alert we received was the day prior our engine needed a liter of oil. We topped off the oil and that alert went away. The day we had the reduced performance we were alerted of that at the time on the highway. It's a little turtle icon. We were not able to accelerate efficiently and it was definitely unsafe to be driving but we had to get home.
NHTSA complaint #11749713 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2018 Volvo XC90 T8 Plug-In Hybrid experienced a catastrophic, premature component failure of the Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) propulsion system while driving. The ERAD unit suffered a total failure of internal bearings and sensors, completely disabling the electric rear wheel propulsion system and suddenly forcing the vehicle into a reduced-power "limp mode" on the road. This sudden loss of hybrid propulsion creates an immediate highway safety hazard, removing expected acceleration and vehicle control in traffic. Volvo has documented this exact engineering flaw internally under Technical Journal TJ 36665, recognizing a manufacturing vulnerability in these specific hybrid components. However, the manufacturer is refusing to provide remedy or financial cost-sharing to repair this vital propulsion and safety defect, leaving a hazardous, compromised vehicle on the road.
NHTSA complaint #11744495 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This is my daughters vehicle. She was driving home from work with my [XXX] and [XXX] grandchildren in the car. The car suddenly wouldn't drive at a safe speed and was chugging along. She almost got into an accident because she couldn't go faster than about 12 mph. She as finally able to pull over in a safe location and called AAA. My son in law met her and picked her and the children up. The vehicle was towed to VOLVO in Buffalo NY. The diagnosis was a known leak in the sunroof that causes the drains to become blocked. Water then runs down and burned out the ECR module that is located beneath the drivers side foot well. Volvo is aware of the problem and is currently checking all vehicles for the blocked drains. They were given a 5000.00 estimate for repairs. Today VOLVO refused to repair it at their expense. There should be a full recall on this issue. I am a Fire/Explosion Investigator who has investigated numerous car fires related to Control modules catching fire. This could have caused a fire and trapped my grandchildren in the rear seat. The dealership reported 2 other vehicles in for the same issue. Please review and respond to me- [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11743304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Unintentional acceleration.First, I was in line at car wash proceeding slowly ahead as directed in line. Foot on accelerator lightly moving, when car surged rapidly hitting back end of Tesla about 6-8 ft ahead (2/26/26 12:30pm) Impact strong enough to push Tesla into truck hitch damaging it front of it as well. Applied brake, but impact was too rapid. Second incident with my Volvo was a month later(3/22/26 about 10:30 am) and my husband was driving. . Made right turn on green light and started to accelerate when it revived and surged forward until applied brake. Dealer could not replicate. No codes but repair shop had to recalibrate after 1st incident and may have lost code on 1st incident(wreck). Now that insurance knows what happened, I don't know if they will intervene. hopefully. No warnings went off or messages. Airbag did not deploy. I believe that this is an unintentional acceleration, especially occurring twice now. Dealership says car is safe and they will monitor. I guess it means when we have another incident. Hopefully not fatal to us or anyone else. Dealer says it is a transition from hybrid electric to gas. But I have had this car 4yrs10months and this never happened until now. And the transition never has thrown me back in my seat or had the engine rev. The battery was replaced last August because of bad cell and recall on it for fire hazard. Maybe this could have an affect. On first incident I was in shock so thought maybe in hit accelerator instead of break, but when second incident occurred and it was exactly like first except no collision. Thatshow I originally reported to insurance and police as my fault. But that's not true. Now I called insurance to report dual incidents, two different drivers with unintentional acceleration. SR-1 filed
NHTSA complaint #11728623 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The instrument panel just stopped working. Our safety and the safety of others was/is put at risk because you are unable to see how fast you are going in the car. It also doesn’t let us know how much gas we have left in the gas tank so if the car just stalled out on a highway, it could cause a major safety issue. This is also where cruise control is run from. It’s also the panel where any and all vehicle warnings would show up so if there’s another issue in the car, we are unable to see it.
NHTSA complaint #11658023 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The instrument cluster display on my 2020 Volvo XC90 went completely out while driving my vehicle. This was a single point of failure and SAFETY ISSUE as it affected my speedometer, gas gauge, etc. I was driving without any functioning indicators on the highway when it went out. There was no advanced warning. The issue was fixed by my dealership and part replaced, invoice is attached. We have made multiple attempts to resolve this issue with Volvo Corporate, who has been non-responsive to the overall safety concern. Based on research Ford Motor Company (Part 573 Safety Recall Report 23V-506) faced a recall for their Escapes because of a similar safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11626185 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Third instance of reduced engine performance warning system taking over the car, which results in the "turtle mode" coming on and throttling vehicle speeds. The car does not respond to gas except at lower speeds. Then the Check Engine light also came on.
NHTSA complaint #11600171 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Previous issues with brakes, suspension, leaking sunroof, electrical and gauges. Vehicle became disabled due to defect with coolant system, smoke from engine compartment, towed to Monterery Volvo (dealership/service center identified issues with coolant leak present turbo & cooling Plastic pipe. Cruise control-Vacuum Pump: Found vacuum pump leaking oil. Estimated repair $5,414.38
NHTSA complaint #11534889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On August 17th 2022 I received the reduced performance and acceleration reduced sign with an icon of a turtle. Besides getting this light on my dash my evening ended in fear and distress as I received a call from my family that the new car purchased was acting up and all that they were afraid for their life. This occurred to my spouse in the middle of driving home on the freeway (as she had our two kids in the backseat). She had to drive in a very low and dangerous speed on the highway and take the first exit possible as the car started acting up. A strong smell of something burning started to permeate the car coming from under the hood of the engine. My family was beyond terrified of this. The threat and fear for their life was due to the safety failures of this vehicle. The amount of stress and anxiety this suv caused my spouse and underage children is beyond horrific. I was forced to drive across town (in severe distress and panic, as I did not know how this will all end and if my family was ok) and exchange cars with my frightened and petrified family. As I drove the car, I was frightened for my life as I understood the possibility of the car catching on fire (as the burned smell permitted the car). I was not able to drive more than 15mph. This is the third instance of the serious safety and hybrid system malfunction of car itself within the last 90 days post purchase. First time dropped the vehicle at Sacramento Volvo on May 4, 2022 due to check engine came on / acceleration reduced. Second time dropped the vehicle at Sacramento Volvo on Aug 9, 2022, check engine light came on, hybrid propulsion fault is on, vehicle struggles to accelerate. This dangerous safety issues that I have experienced within the short time owning this SUV can have severe consequences on the lives of my family. I opened a case with Volvo USA, so here is the case 220818-000954.
NHTSA complaint #11480246 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2006 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal to park the vehicle when the vehicle's RPMs revved up causing the vehicle to unintentionally accelerate and crash into the wall in front. The air bags did not deploy. After the crash occurred, the low coolant warning light failed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to their scrotum and rib area. The contact was a physician and therefore provided their own medical care. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The contact stated their insurance diagnosed that the vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000
NHTSA complaint #11479296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed, causing the vehicle to crash into a parked vehicle. The contact's wife did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
NHTSA complaint #11464084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have installed a SprintDrive installed in my Volvo. Since the installation, I have had several safety and security issues occur that stop once the device is removed. The following issues have occurred: 1) Whilst driving on the Muskogee Turnpike, the cruising control system would disengage. This occurred at least three times during the drive. On the third time, the cruising control system disengaged and the braking system engaged causing the vehicle to go from 85 mph to 45 mph. 2) I was driving on C-470. The transmission system would not transition between the gears automatically. The vehicle remained in a low gear until I removed the device. 3) I was driving on I-70 when all of the warning lights went and an alarm sounded. The message console read all system failure. The engine shut down. Once the device was removed, I was able to restart the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11435895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
"Volvo On Call Service Required" message shows up on the dash suddenly every 3-5 minutes, and the black message box itself is close to, and bigger than, the speedometer reading. It makes it difficult to monitor and maintain speed without distraction. At the same time, every 3-5 minutes, top of the center screen completely flashes with "message stored to Car Status app" to draw driver attention and causes a major distraction while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11432610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ON 2018-09-17, THE VEHICLE, A 2017 VOLVO XC90 T8 HYBRID, REPORTED AN ERROR STATING "REDUCED PERFORMANCE" WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT GAUGE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DRIVE, WITHOUT THE HYBRID SYSTEM, ONLY WORKING ON THE GAS ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES AFTER THE ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED. THE NEXT DAY, 2018-09-18, THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, WITH THE SAME ERROR. AFTER DRIVING LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY HALTED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION, AND THEN LIMITED THE VEHICLE SPEED TO 17 MILES PER HOUR. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO IT'S ORIGIN, UNABLE TO EXCEED THE 17 MPH RESTRICTION, AND A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED IN. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE NEAREST VOLVO DEALER FOR REPAIRS FOR 20 DAYS UNDERGOING REPAIRS. AS OF 2018-10-15, THE VEHICLE HAS BEGIN TO EXHIBIT A SIMILAR PROBLEM AS WAS ORIGINALLY REPORTED WITH 2 MONTHS OF VEHICLE PURCHASE IN SEPTEMBER, 2017, AND WHAT LED TO A MULTI-DAY REPAIR IN EARLY SEPTEMBER, 2018, PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT OCCURRING IN MID SEPTEMBER, 2018.
NHTSA complaint #11140502 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ON 7 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY AND AGGRESSIVELY BRAKED ON ITS OWN. THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM SENSED THAT I WAS ABOUT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN FRONT OF ME. THE COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE ON THIS MODEL. IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT I DIDN'T GET REAR ENDED AS THE 7 INSTANCES ALL HAPPENED ON HIGHWAYS. MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. VOLVO HAS AGREED TO REPURCHASE MY VEHICLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.
NHTSA complaint #11010933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
1) ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, ERROR MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE SCREEN: "WINDSCREEN SENSOR, SENSOR BLOCKED, SEE OWNER'S MANUAL", THE APPEARANCE OF THE SENSOR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR APPEARS CLEAN AND EVEN AFTER SCRUBBING THE SENSOR AREA THE ERROR STILL OCCURS. THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM OVER 5 TIMES INCLUDING TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE THE WINDSCREEN SENSORS, WITH THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTING. 2) DASHBOARD WENT BLANK AND COMPUTER REBOOTED WHILE DRIVING.
NHTSA complaint #10983634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO REDUCE IN SPEED TO 5 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE THE SOFTWARE WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE REOCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,250.
NHTSA complaint #10944091 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
(CAR IS 26 DAYS OLD) THE DASHBOARD SCREEN WENT BLACK WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY & THE ENGINE TURNED OFF & WOULDN'T GO OVER (ABOUT) 10 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO COME TO A ROLLING STOP IN A PARKING LOT, AND CALLED VOLVO BECAUSE I THOUGHT MAYBE I WAS OUT OF GAS, DUE TO THE SCREEN NOT WORKING. MY VOLVO APP LET ME KNOW I STILL HAD A 1/4 OF A TANK, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. THEY BROUGHT ME GAS & IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM WITH GAS, THE PROBLEM WAS DEFINITELY ELECTRICAL/ MOTOR ISSUES. WE FINALLY GOT THE CAR TOWED TO VOLVO OF LAS VEGAS & THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A SOFTWARE UPGRADE NEEDED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM & DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A SIMPLE SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO ME. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE MY NEW BABY IN THE VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BUT I AM A NEW MOM & THIS MAKES ME VERY NERVOUS.
NHTSA complaint #10937661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I OWN A 2008 XC90 WITH ONLY 21000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING, WITH MY CHILD IN MY CAR, I RECEIVED A MESSAGE "REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE" AND MY CAR STARTED SPUTTERING. I BARELY MADE IT HOME, GOING OVER A SMALL HILL WAS A STRUGGLE. MIND YOU, THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT AND I WAS SCARED TO DEATH THAT I WAS GOING TO BE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY CHILD. I HAVE READ ON FORUMS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER CUSTOMERS AND VOLVO CURRENTLY HAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL FOR ETM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. WHEN I ENTERED MY VIN ON THE VOLVO SITE NOTHING CAME UP. THIS IS MY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION AND I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT UNTIL THIS GETS RESOLVED QUICKLY.
NHTSA complaint #10925566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.