RoadVitals

1997 Volvo S90

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
Latest Aug 13, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
2 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1997 Volvo S90, most frequently naming the airbags, seat belts and suspension categories. 136 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Airbags225.0%
  • Seat belts225.0%
  • Suspension225.0%
  • Driver assistance112.5%
  • Visibility112.5%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Airbags
Filed Aug 13, 2008
Crash reported1 injury reported

1997 VOLVO S90 INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON JUNE 5, 2006. MY VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND PUSHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A RATE OF SPEED OF 60 MILES PER HOUR. VEHICLE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I NOTIFIED THE VOLVO MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE AIRBAGS WAS PLACED INT HE VEHICLE FOR BASICALLY DECORATIONS AND NOT TO HELP SAVE LIVES. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON WHICH WAS THE ONLY THING THAT KEPT ME FROM HAVING A SERIOUS INJURY. HOWEVER, MY BACK WAS INJURED IN THE CRASH. *TR

NHTSA ID
10238029
Incident
Jun 5, 2006
Mileage
125,000 mi
Airbags
Filed Jun 8, 2006
1 injury reported

THREE CAR AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON JUNE 5, 2006. MY CAR WAS HIT FROM THE REAR AND PUSHED ME INTO A SUV. MY CAR SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGES AND HAD TO BE TOTALED OUT. MY AUTOMOBILE WAS A 1997 VOLVO S90 4 DOOR SEDAN I PURCHASED NEW IN 1997. ON IMPACT FROM THE BACK AND FRONT, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS TOWED BECAUSE I JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE A CAMERA ON HAND TO PROVE IT AND IT WAS ALSO NOTED BY THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER ON THE SCENE. I AM NOW SEEKING LEGAL REPRESENTATION BECAUSE I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF IT WERE NOT FOR MY SEAT BELTS. *NM

NHTSA ID
10159350
Incident
Jun 5, 2006
Mileage
146,825 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 30, 2004

I HAVE ENCOUNTERED REPEATED FAILURES WITH ONE PARTICULAR OPERATIONAL COMPONENT OF MY VEHICLE'S SUNROOF. IN TOTAL THE PART HAS FAILED 4 TIMES WHICH TO ME WOULD INDICATE TO ME AN INHERENT DEFECT IN THIS PART. VOLVO REFUSES TO ENTERTAIN ANY CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION FOR THE REPAIRS PAST THE VEHICLE WARRANTY PERIOD. *LA

NHTSA ID
10068111
Incident
Feb 24, 1999
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 11, 2001
Crash reported

CONSUMER PLACED VEHICLE IN REVERSE. VEHICLE SHOT BACKWARDS AND HIT A STEEL STATION. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE TO SEE WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE WAS DONE, AND IT SHOT FORWARD, HITINGT A STORE PLATE GLASS WINDOW. INSURANCE TOTALED VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
890090
Incident
Jun 5, 2001
Seat belts
Filed Sep 9, 1999

THE PLASTIC PIECE ON THE SEATBELTS IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, USED FOR ADJUSTING THE BELTS FOR CSS OR ADULTS, BROKEN WHILE INSTALLING THE CSS. DEALER SAID THAT THE CSS MAY NOT BE THE PROPER ONE FOR THAT MODEL CAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
847291
Seat beltsSuspension
Filed Feb 1, 1999

PASSENGER HEAD REST BLOCKS THE REAR VIEW. YH

NHTSA ID
607671
Incident
Nov 11, 1998
Suspension
Filed Nov 17, 1997

VEHICLE VIBRATES, PULLS AND MAKES NOISE, CONTINUALLY.

NHTSA ID
524876
Incident
Mar 21, 1997

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

C00009

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

COMPLIMENTARY UPGRADE C00009 DESCRIPTION.

TJ3656330

Rubber cushion

Special Tools Bu

The Deutronic DBL-1200 is an advanced battery maintainer/charger with the flexibility to be updated as products and repair methods evolve.

Service Manager

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

ICUP/Google Built-In Diagnostic Operations

356EN01

EQUIPMENT

VIDA QR Scanner Mobile App

Service Manager

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT

Shipping and Handling of Volvo Lithium-ion 48V Mild Hybrid Battery to Global Battery Solutions (GBS)

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Volvo S90 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025030—
2024120—
2023230—
2022231—
2021021—
2020331—
2019341—
2018162153.7
2017840—
2016020—
1999102—
1998250139.1
1997Viewing700—
1996000—
1995000—
1994000—
1993000—
1992000—
1991000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.