2017 Volvo S90 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Suspension (1) · Structure:body (1) · Power Train (1)
Safety recalls (4)
Electrical System:software 2018-11-13 · campaign 18V800000 · 17,548 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury.
Fix: 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.
Air Bags:side/Window 2017-02-16 · campaign 17V104000 · 10,476 vehicles
Defect: Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017 XC90, S90, and V90 Cross Country vehicles. The bolts that secure the Inflatable Curtain (IC) air bags in place may break, possibly resulting in the IC air bag deploying improperly in the event of a crash. As, such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Risk: If the IC air bags do not deploy properly in the event of a crash, the vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the bolts, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 1, 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89714.
Seat Belts:front:buckle Assembly 2016-11-02 · campaign 16V798000 · 74,027 vehicles
Defect: Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 XC90, S90, XC60, V60 Cross Country, V60, S60 Cross Country, S60, and S60 Inscription vehicles manufactured February 16, 2015, to August 22, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt buckle attaching stud may loosen, allowing the buckle to separate from the seat belt bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt A
Risk: If the seat belt buckle separates from the bracket, the front seat passenger may not be adequately restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt buckle stud, replacing the seat belt buckle as needed, free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89708.
Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner 2016-09-26 · campaign 16V690000 · 43,766 vehicles
Defect: Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Volvo XC90 and S90 vehicles manufactured April 15, 2015 through September 19, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning may leak into the passenger compartment due to a drain hose installation error during manufacturing.
Risk: Significant water drainage into the passenger compartment may adversely affect air bag deployment in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain hose for proper installation, replacing the hose as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on November the 14, 2016. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this campaign is R89707.
Service bulletins (542)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-05-23 · 33031.6.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a technical journal: text plus 1 .jpg attachment - if remote control key is not detected by the car and shows message in dim "car key not found" or if functions such as lock/unlock are not working, please follow advice for detecting key
Power Train 2026-05-07 · 36496.10.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a technical journal: intermittent knocking noise during acceleration. if the sound corresponds to attached sound file, change front drive shafts to the below part numbers.
Exterior Lighting 2026-05-07 · 34521.11.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a technical journal: headlamp condensation inside lens - information/leak test. if the result is not ok (air leak), it is ok to replace the headlamp
Engine 2026-04-23 · 35526.1.8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a technical journal: text plus 2 pdfs and 1 .png oil consumption test. perform the test. follow service procedure description and service sections updated to clarify that vehicle reports are not required.
Unknown Or Other 2026-04-07 · 37809.1.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a tj text only - the purpose of this tj is to be a master reference list to easily identify any components that are on prior approval. this tj will be regularily updated as items are added or removed from prior approval. current items under prior approval are listed in the "service" sec
Exterior Lighting 2026-03-21 · 34521.10.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a technical journal: headlamp condensation inside lens - information/leak test. if the result is not ok (air leak), it is ok to replace the headlamp
Showing the 6 most recent of 542 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-01-19 · Suspension“volvo re-engineered the front struts due to the ones they used to be defective/known to fail. this re-engineering requires both left and right struts to be what they call "upgraded" at the same time, because they changed the mounting brackets and no longer make the defective part. my safety is at risk because this is a major component in keeping …”
2022-10-17 · Structure:body“the door latches freeze at low temperatures (e.g. -10f) and i can not access the vehicle. this can be very dangerous in emergency situations (sick child that needs to go to the hospital, a dangerous person in a dark parking lot, extreme cold in a remote location etc.). volvo does not have a fix and cannot recommend preventative maintenance for thi…”
2022-04-30 · Fuel/Propulsion System“i could smell gasoline coming from the vents for several days. i opened the hood and found gasoline leaking from one of the hoses near the engine. i had the car towed to the volvo dealership and they found a leaking low pressure fuel sensor and replaced it.…”
2022-01-30 · Unknown Or Other“at low temperatures, the door latches are inoperable and you cannot open the doors. in instances of emergency this would make it very hard to get access to somebody inside the car. in addition, in extreme weather conditions or cases where you are personally in danger you may not be able to gain access to your car.…”
2021-02-21 · Power Train · 40,000 mi“i have had an unresolved issue with a persistent vibration throughout the vehicle while at 50mph or higher. this seems to be a universal issue with volvos post 2017 across models. i have attached a copy of my emails and non-responses from volvo dealer reps who have claimed it is normal behavior. i took the vehicle to another dealer with whom i test…”
2017-12-13 · Unknown Or Other · 14,000 mi“i personally, back in august of 2016 ordered a new 2017 volvo s90 t5 inscription, and took deliver in november 2016. i began noticing a little vibration around july time frame but after the vehicle first manufacture recommended service didn't feel it as much. it wasn't until the first week of december when driving to work when reaching spee…”
2017-10-15 · Unknown Or Other · 8,000 mi“sunroof spontaneously exploded. driving at 50mph. road was clear. temperature in mid 70s.volvo corp and dealer denied warranty issue…”
2017-05-15 · Unknown Or Other · 5,000 mi · 💥 crash“i lease a 2017 volvo s90 with auto-brake and start/stop technology. recently i was in my driveway and put the vehicle in drive. i rolled forward a few feet and realized i needed to exit the vehicle for something. i became distracted due to an item on my drivers seat and since the vehicles engine was not running due to start-stop technology i di…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.