313 of the
2,252 complaints filed about the Volvo XC90
are about the transmission —
14% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2004.
313
Complaints
14%
Share of all complaints
7
Crashes
1
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
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.
The eRAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) on my 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV failed completely. The warning light appeared approximately 11/3/2025, within one week of purchasing the vehicle at 88,000 miles. The failure was confirmed by a Volvo dealership. The eRAD is the component that powers the rear electric motor and provides AWD and hybrid function — its failure results in complete loss of rear wheel drive and hybrid system operation. Safety risk includes unexpected loss of AWD traction control in adverse weather conditions. This is a known systemic defect acknowledged in Volvo’s own Technical Journals (TJ33358). I contacted Volvo Cars USA customer service to invoke the SULEV emissions warranty and they were unable to locate my claim or explain the warranty coverage. Volvo has not addressed this through a recall despite this being a widespread known failure mode affecting XC90 T8 models. The vehicle is available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11737317 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH, the message "Vehicle Not in Park" was displayed intermittently, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that no failure was found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While investigating the failure online, the contact became aware that it was a common failure, and that the dealers were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
NHTSA complaint #11727942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that upon shifting to Drive(D) while the vehicle was on an incline, the vehicle rolled back before moving forward as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring, causing the vehicle to hit a garage door and a brick mailbox on two different occasions. The contact stated that the tailgate was opened and sustained a dent when the vehicle hit the garage door. The contact stated that upon shifting to Reverse(R) on a decline, the vehicle rolled forward before reversing as intended. The contact stated that the failure had caused the vehicle to hit two pedestrians. There were no reported injuries. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, and several unknown repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced difficulty starting on several occasions, leaving the contact stranded while the contact was in the process of taking his son to the emergency room. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The message "Press Knob To Start" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stopped. The message "Hybrid System Failure - Service Required" was displayed, and the message "Performance Reduced" was displayed along with a turtle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH while driving. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where unknown repairs were performed; however the failure persisted. The dealer had recommended the vehicle sale due to the persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to Park Place Volvo(3515 Inwood Rd, Dallas, TX 75209), where the battery cells were recharged, and the hybrid system module and an unknown hybrid system part were replaced; however, the failure persisted.
NHTSA complaint #11724066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 complaint #11704235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On September 30, 2025, a 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 experienced sudden engine failure while driving westbound on I-75 (Alligator Alley) at highway speed. The vehicle abruptly went into reduced power mode (“turtle mode”) without warning. This forced the driver to stop on the roadside, creating a serious safety hazard in fast-moving traffic. Component/system that failed: Engine / Power Train. An independent repair facility performed diagnostics on October 6, 2025, including a compression test. Results confirmed that one cylinder had lost compression due to a failed cylinder head. The mechanic attributed this to excessive oil consumption from defective piston rings, a condition documented in Volvo technical bulletins. Inspection: The vehicle was inspected by an independent service center. Photos and test results are available for inspection upon request. The manufacturer was contacted and denied assistance, citing mileage, despite known oil consumption defects in this engine family. Safety risk: The sudden loss of power at highway speed put the driver and other motorists at risk of collision. With no advance warning, the driver was left stranded on a dangerous stretch of interstate. Reproduction: The failure has been confirmed through diagnostic testing and inspection by the independent service center. Manufacturer/police/insurance inspection: The manufacturer has been notified, but no inspection by Volvo has occurred to date. No police or insurance inspection was performed. Warning messages or lamps: Prior to the breakdown, no warning lamps or messages indicated impending failure. The first and only symptom was the sudden loss of power on the highway. Incident cause assessment: Based on mechanic’s findings, the underlying cause is piston ring/oil consumption defect leading to cylinder head failure. This defect is widely reported in Volvo vehicles with this engine and represents a safety-related condition.
NHTSA complaint #11694587 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car completely locked up on the road and came to a screeching stop. This car is known for having the ERAD completely fail and it could have caused it to have a serious accident. It has also caused my car to plummet in value losing over 30k in just 3 years. Now my repairs cost nearly what it’s worth and aren’t guaranteed to actually fix it. It’s terrible. I’m so upside down n my loan due to this issue that they dealerships refuse to help on. The dealership acknowledges it is a design flaw but yet they won’t help. I have an email stating that it is a design flaw
NHTSA complaint #11691437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 8/20/2025, my 2018 Volvo XC90 T8 suffered catastrophic failure of the Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD). The vehicle suddenly developed a loud whining noise from the rear and became undriveable. This ERAD had previously been replaced under warranty at Boston Volvo Cars. On 10/28/2025, Queens Volvo inspected the vehicle and confirmed the failure was caused by improper prior service. Their technician documented that the ERAD housing was likely not properly torqued, which led to transmission fluid leaking over time, sludge buildup, and internal damage to gears and motor. The failure was sudden, confirmed by an authorized Volvo dealer, and the ERAD is no longer serviceable. This created a safety risk by causing immediate loss of propulsion and stability. If it had occurred at highway speeds, the risk of crash would have been significant. The failed component remains available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11688273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Some critical functions on the center display console instrument panel are freezing up while driving - we are unable to change the drive mode while the car is in motion. This has not happened before, and it is glitching a lot lately. The display has been extremely slow and unresponsive, and the problem is multiplied as all critical functions of the car are controlled through the display panel. There were no warnings issued when we tried to change the drive mode. We had to pull over to the roadside, turn off the car for 30 seconds, then restart the car to fix the issue. We have [XXX] and [XXX] ) in the car, so this is becoming increasingly risky to drive this "safe" car by Volvo. We have reported such issues with the display to our Volvo service unit multiple times, and the car has been returned to us with such issues still lingering (despite the service reloading/updating the software multiple times) for the last 6 months since March of this year. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11687349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Known supercharger leak on 2016 Volvo XC90 at 60,000 miles. Numerous reports of the same failure. Dealer and Volvo declined goodwill repair. Potential safety/fire issue if oil leakage worsens
NHTSA complaint #11685940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The park button does not always engage the park setting. Instead it takes 2-3 presses for park to engage. It happens several times a week when I am driving the vehicle multiple times per day. I come to a complete stop, press the park button, wait for my dash to show I’m in park, if it doesn’t, I press it until it does. This has resulted in the vehicle rolling forward several times while passengers were trying to exit the vehicle, because I had not first checked to be sure the park button worked. Huge safety concern. I have owned this vehicle since August 2023 and it has happened at about this frequency since I’ve owned the vehicle. For the first time, my vehicle actually trolled enough to hit an appliance in my garage. I have a maybe related issue with the infotainment system freezing since I’ve owned the vehicle as well. The screen will freeze and we have to reset it by holding down the clean screen button for like 20 seconds.
NHTSA complaint #11674114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After pushing "P" button to shift into park, the car moves slightly several seconds after the button is pushed. This can be a hazard if someone opens to door and the car then moves.
NHTSA complaint #11672740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Park Neutral Position (PNP) switch malfunctions. Yes Not a huge safety issue if you are parked in your driveway and cannot start the car. But if you are driving and the if you have the engine auto start/stop engaged the car will unexpectedly not restart and you have to play with the gear shifter to get it started to move out of an intersection or out of the way of traffic! This has happened several times with my wife and myself. I have not had it confirmed by a dealer or service center No No
NHTSA complaint #11616395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The system that starts the vehicle, called a igs failed yet again. This failed at 700 miles in downtown chicago on the street blocking traffic. Now several months later today going on a trip and the vehicle dies in the middle of the street blocking traffic. Was unable to restart the vehicle again. Attempted to contact Volvo Customer Service and was on hold over 25 minutes without talking to someone. Tried to find a way to put vehicle into neutral to safely move out of the way, but this vehicle has no way to manually overrride it. It posed a safety risk and could of easily caused an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11611871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle steer violently on pilot assist and powertrain disabled, not allowing us to steer the wheel on a highway. (Last year) We were lucky no other cars were nearby, needed a reboot for the wheels to work again. Dealership isn’t sure what happened. Now we have a hybrid system failure which a lot of cars with the same model Xc90 T8 is having with the hybrid system. Please investigate into this
NHTSA complaint #11611104 — 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.
The vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption due to defective oil control rings, as highlighted by Quality Bulletin P10186. Additionally, the sunroof leaks, as noted in Technical Journal 31272 and TJ 35503.3.0, and there are further issues with the windshield wiper/turn signal system, the parking brake system, and the steering wheel module. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The excessive oil consumption and related engine issues can lead to engine damage and potential failure while driving, posing a serious safety risk. The sunroof leakage could impair visibility and cause electrical failures. The persistent dashboard warning messages and system malfunctions further distract and endanger the driver and others on the road. Yes, the problem has been reproduced and confirmed by various dealers and independent service centers, as indicated by numerous customer cases, court rulings, and a class-action lawsuit. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer and documented in various technical journals and bulletins. There is no specific mention of inspection by police or insurance representatives. Yes, there were several warning lamps and messages, including the low oil light, Check Engine light, and messages related to the parking brake and windshield wiper/turn signal system. Symptoms such as slow acceleration, loss of power, higher tailpipe emissions, and a foul odor from the exhaust were also observed. These issues appeared shortly after acquiring the vehicle and persisted despite multiple repair attempts. The incident is primarily caused by engineering flaws and faulty materials, particularly the defective oil control rings leading to excessive oil consumption. Despite engine replacements, the problem persisted, indicating a fundamental design flaw. The sunroof leakage and other system malfunctions further suggest widespread safety and durability issues in the vehicle, rendering it unsafe to operate.
NHTSA complaint #11592531 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Check engine light comes on every few weeks. Dealer inspects, resets, and says software issues. Now engine performance lights and "turtle mode" has come on twice throttling my speed while driving. Again no known cause and just resetting. Currently in a loaner vehicle while they research.
NHTSA complaint #11592156 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was going 60 mph when the check engine light came on , the car started to jerk and reduce speed. I pulled onto the shoulder until the car stopped. I than proceeded to drive slowly and the turtle appeared on the dash. I drove about another mile until I reached my home doing 30 miles per hour or less.
NHTSA complaint #11578997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Park fails to engage when pressing the P button adjacent to the shifter. It will, however, engage 100% of the time when applying additional pressure. The button doesn’t actually travel any further when applying the additional pressure, but park will engage. It’s even possible to push the button down fully, hold it for several seconds, and then apply additional pressure to cause it to engage. The tactile response of the button occurs too soon before activation.
NHTSA complaint #11564688 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.