2020 Volvo Xc90 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (4) · Vehicle Speed Control (3) · Electrical System (3)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Volvo Xc90 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (7)
Electrical System:propulsion System:traction Battery 2025-03-24 · campaign 25V179000 · 7,483 vehicles
Defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2020-2021 S90, 2020-2022 S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and 2022 V90 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is parked.
Risk: A short circuit in a high-voltage battery increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the high-voltage battery module as necessary. In addition, dealers will update the software to monitor the battery. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 28, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10312.
Seat Belts:critical Fasteners 2023-12-07 · campaign 23V827000 · 2,911 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: An improperly tightened seat belt buckle may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing their risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: 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.
Steering 2023-01-05 · campaign 23V001000 · 74 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A screw inside the gearbox housing can cause the steering wheel to lock up and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 2021-09-15 · campaign 21V716000 · 9 vehicles
Defect: Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021 S90L, 2020-2021 XC60, and XC90 vehicles. An improperly welded rotor and shaft may separate within the integrated brake system.
Risk: Separation of the rotor and shaft may cause a reduction in braking assistance and a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hydraulic unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10120.
Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers 2021-06-02 · campaign 21V414000 · 85,550 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System:software 2021-04-21 · campaign 21V273000 · 162 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking 2020-03-12 · campaign 20V144000 · 121,605 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (248)
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
Structure:body 2026-05-06 · 35503.4.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this is a technical journal: panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 248 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-14 · Unknown Or Other“my 2020 volvo xc90 plug-in hybrid is covered by recall 25v-179 (volvo r10312) for high-voltage battery cell modules that may short circuit and catch fire when fully charged and parked. on june 3, 2025, volvo cars arrowhead performed the recall inspection and software update (invoice 239958) and recorded “battery cell check ok no faults.” the vehic…”
2026-10-09 · Electrical System“my 2020 volvo xc90 t8 plug-in hybrid is subject to volvo safety recall r10312 (nhtsa 25v-179) for a potential internal short circuit in the lg high-voltage battery module that can cause a thermal event and fire. on june 11, 2026, autonation volvo cars san jose inspected my vehicle (82,680 miles) and determined that the high-voltage battery module …”
2026-09-18 · Engine“2020 volvo xc90 suffered a sudden catastrophic engine blowout, blinding exhaust smoke, and dropped to a 10 mph limp mode on the highway with zero prior dashboard warning lights or oil alerts. the vehicle lacks a manual dipstick, making the me entirely dependent on a digital safety warning system that failed. [xxx] volvo has failed to give me any d…”
2026-09-13 · Visibility/Wiper“the sunroof repeatedly leaks. when a rainstorm comes it is literally a waterfall through the from mirror unit, threatening the electric in the console, making the steering wheel wet and slippery, and creating dangerous visibility problems. this is clearly a very dangerous design problem, and my internet search suggests it's well known and affects…”
2026-08-20 · Wheels“my vehicle has experienced a potentially catastrophic steering failure while driving, volvo's authorized service attempts have not corrected it, and i no longer consider the vehicle safe. …”
2026-07-22 · Engine“my 2020 volvo xc90 t8 plug-in hybrid has been out of service for 78+ days due to a hybrid battery defect covered under an active manufacturer warranty (claim type xxx, valid through xxx). the vehicle was towed to volvo cars arrowhead (glendale, az) on xxx after a hybrid battery failure. the dealer confirmed in writing on xxx that multiple hybrid co…”
2026-06-10 · Vehicle Speed Control“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…”
2026-05-11 · Unknown Or Other“the rear a/c evaporator coil has failed, leaking uv dyed green oil into the main battery pan. the a/c vents in the car in the driver and middle rows are now blowing hot air. this is a very commonly known problem with volvo spa xc90s from 2016-2021. it’s incredibly expensive to repair($3500 +). there should be a recall to replace/repair this proble…”
2026-04-30 · Unknown Or Other · 🔥 fire“i was driving when a turtle popped up on my dashboard i pulled over to google what that meant and popped the hood cause i seen a little smoke within 3 sec the car busted in flames i ran back and grab my daughter out the back seat we were almost locked in due to the car melting the wire and flames started coming inside the car…”
2026-04-25 · Fuel/Propulsion System“supplemental to nhtsa complaint #11713668. this is a supplemental filing regarding the 2020 volvo xc90 t8 inscription, vin [xxx] . the hybrid battery cell module failed in december 2025, disabling the vehicle's hybrid propulsion system, all-wheel drive, and electric-only mode. as of this filing, the vehicle has been without hybrid functionality fo…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.