2017 Volvo XC90 Engine Problems

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 ID

11749713

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

To whom it may concern. Our 2017 XC90 unexpectedly, spantaneously, and catastrophically caught fire under the hood and was a total loss 5 minutes after parking it on April 19, 2026. There were no leaks or other signs of mechanical issues. The vehicle had all regular maintenance completed at the Byers Volvo Service Department in Columbus, OH. It had no open recalls. It was always parked overnight in a garage. The Fire Inspector noted a possible vehicle manufacturing defect as the cause of the fire, however the vehicle was too heavily damaged to be definitive. We do have video of the entire incident as the Volvo was parked on Federal Government Property at the time. We are happy to share any and all information if this helps future vehicles to be safer. It should be noted that there is an active recall for the 2016 XC90 for a coolant hose leak that can cause a fire. Given that the 2017 XC90 is of the same design. Upon checking the internet and Reddit, it appears that our situation is not unique and there are other instances and reports of similar fires.

NHTSA ID

11734076

Incident

Apr 19, 2026

The contact owned a 2017 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after driving 35 miles at 70 MPH on I-95 South in South Carolina, the contact started smelling an abnormally gasoline odor inside the vehicle entering through the AC vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and her husband continued driving, believing that the odor was coming from the outside because the air recirculation switch was set to recirculate the air inside the vehicle. The contact stated that after driving an additional 5 miles, the gasoline odor grew stronger, and the contact suggested to her husband to pull over so that they could exit the vehicle. The contact stated that her husband pulled over and they both exited with a child. The contact stated that while running away from the vehicle she could see flames underneath the vehicle coming from the engine before the vehicle exploded and was engulfed in flames. The contact and her husband ran away from the vehicle and there was grayish white smoke coming from the vehicle. The Fire Department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that Fire Department and Police Department filed incident reports, but the contact had not yet received the documents. The contact stated that the entire front of the vehicle including the engine compartment had melted down to the wheels. The contact sustained soreness to the neck and left shoulder, as well as a headache from the fuel odor. The contact, her child, and her husband were emotionally distressed from the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed a total loss. The Insurance Provider and a claims adjuster was notified of the fire and the contact was informed that further investigation was needed to determine the cause of the fire. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11705066

Incident

Dec 14, 2025

Mileage

150,000 mi

On thanksgiving day i drove to train station in the morning, and had no issue. After work i got in the car started to drive, i was going 25-35 miles per hour in the maplewood township, and i wanted to slow down just in case i dont see any kid or person at dark. I almost had no brake! I was so scared and i pushed th brake pedal so hard, i was very dangerous for the society at this moment. I just wish i was not on the highway going higher speed, or there were no people around! I really cannot trust this car anymore, i could have hit something!!!

NHTSA ID

11701873

Incident

Nov 27, 2025

As I was driving, the coolant low warning came on. Luckily I was able to pull over safely at a nearby gas station. I found that the coolant expansion tank was empty. The coolant was leaking from the plastic connector on the bleeder hose and was pooling on the top of the engine. There is a recall on 2016 vehicles for this (Volvo campaign R29936) and looks like many are having same issue on 2017 models also. My problem was exactly as described, the part broke, coolant squirts out all over hot engine parts, system coolant level rapidly depletes. Fortunately, this happened in place that allowed safe stopping.

NHTSA ID

11700036

Incident

Nov 15, 2025

Vehicle is a 2017 model year of the Volvo XC90 and has the same safety issue in the Quality Bulletin for Recall R29936: Coolant Bleeder Hose (Engine Side), which is for the same make and model but for the 2016 model year. The vehicle has a plastic coolant bleeder hose that can crack and create a coolant leak that drips above the catalytic converter. The coolant accumulates in the catalytic converter heat shield insulation and poses a fire risk in the engine compartment area. The leak can also be small enough to cause coolant to evaporate and off gas into the cabin through the AC, exposing fumes to cabin occupants. The corrective action is to replace the engine side coolant bleeder hose, though this recall did not extend to 2017 model years, in which this same part was used. The same recall R29936 will need to be extended to other model years after 2016 in which the same component or design of component was used.

NHTSA ID

11698131

Incident

Aug 8, 2025

While on the highway, the system reported that engine coolant was low and to pull over safely. I pulled into a parking lot and within a couple of minutes the engine burst into flames. The local fire department responded and extinguished the fire. The car is totaled.

NHTSA ID

11680358

Incident

Aug 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the low coolant level warning light was illuminated. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir; however, approximately one week later, the warning light was again illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the small coolant hose was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11658873

Incident

Apr 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, there was water leaking from the rearview mirror, which leaked into the vehicle, causing the electrical system to fail. There was an abnormal sound of water swishing around inside the vehicle. The on-call warning and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cracked sunroof cassette leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ID

11645958

Incident

Feb 21, 2025

Mileage

147,000 mi

Was driving and my low coolant light came on. I pulled over and car shut down and coolant leaking all over the exhaust and block of the engine. Crack in the coolant bleeder hose leaving me stranded on the side of the road. I then googled the issue to my surprise it is the same crack point and part that the previous year 2016 model had a recall on for safety as this is a fire risk leaking on the exhaust and this being a flammable liquid. I am just upset as this was a recall for the previous year model and it is happening on the 2017 model with many other people having the same issue. Contacting Volvo and they will not cover this as there is no active recall on this $800 for a $23 part that is a known issue is a problem and the risk of my vehicle catching on fire when I have 5 children In the car is very concerning for a car that is suppose to be reliable. Not to mention the bad front strut problems on these that go out and send you going in the wrong direction on a bump. Hope this gets taken care of due to the risk!

NHTSA ID

11632046

Incident

Dec 19, 2024

Coolant bleeder hose started leaking at y-connection. Appears to be same problem that lead to recall R29936 in earlier MY16 vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11615545

Incident

Sep 9, 2024

The contact owned a 2017 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, a white-colored smoke began to emit from the vehicle's engine compartment. The "Coolant Low" warning message soon appeared on the instrument panel as the contact pulled over into a parking lot and exited the vehicle with her three children. As the smoke grew rampantly, the vehicle quickly caught fire. A fellow motorist attempted to extinguish the fire but to no avail. The authorities quickly arrived at the scene and the fire department extinguished the fire. While the incident all mentally shook the contact and her 3 children; no medical treatment was rendered. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession for an insurance inspection. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire. The dealer nor the manufacturer had to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11615193

Incident

Sep 16, 2024

Mileage

100,000 mi

Recently our 2017 XC90 experienced a significant coolant system leak via a part that was part of a recall campaign for the prior year model (2016 XC-90). The exact same part (a coolant bleeder hose - part #32249907) failed in our vehicle in a similar manner as the prior year component. There was no antecedent warning prior to its failure until after a significant amount of fluid was lost (literally sprayed about the engine compartment) leading to a low coolant level CEL. The safety concern, as stated in the prior recall, is that this particular part failure can cause coolant to leak on the catalytic converter heat shield insulation causing a fire hazard. The connector of the hose in our vehicle literally started to deteriorate and crumble at multiple locations. The vehicle is only 8 years old. This has to be a related failure of an already identified defective component. The prior recall is noted as: 19V-308 / R29936 The vehicle required towing and the component was replaced at the local dealership at standard cost. We are obviously concerned that others with our particular year and model could experience a more catastrophic end.

NHTSA ID

11577812

Incident

Feb 6, 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an unknown speed, she noticed smoke from the engine compartment. The vehicle spontaneously caught fire. The coolant warning light was illuminated a minute prior to the failure. There were no reported injuries or air bag deployments. The fire department was on the scene. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location. A police report was filed. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ID

11543790

Incident

Sep 6, 2023

Mileage

79,000 mi

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, I was driving when I noticed the vehicle had issues when driving/accelerating on the local roads. The car had delay in accelerating and/or had trouble with power when driving. There were also instances of plumes of white smoke coming out from the exhaust. Once I noticed the issue, I immediately drove the vehicle home. This is a major safety issue for myself and for others; afraid the car may suddenly break down in the road and/or unable to pick up speed when needed and unintentionally causing an accident on the road. On the way home, the vehicle dash board displayed engine system light and the performance was reduced. On Monday, April 24, 2023, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for inspection. I was informed by the mechanic that the number one (1) cylinder of the engine had lost compression and there are serious problems with the engine. The vehicle is available for inspection. Given that the engine is such a critical component of the vehicle, I would not expect such engine failure in a six (6) year old vehicle, that has been regularly maintained, never been in any major accident and had not previously experience any engine issues. I believe the engine failure was due to defects in the vehicle. I have reached out to manufacturer via email/mail for assistance and information regarding this matter.

NHTSA ID

11519852

Incident

Apr 22, 2023

While driving in hybrid mode while both the gasoline and electric motor are running or shifting back and forth, occasionally the electric motor will come on with a sharp, sometimes loud, metallic “bang”. The sound and feel appears to be coming from the rear. The last two times it happened, the car lunged forward on its own without additional pressure on the accelerator, and once over the past week it lunged forward near an intersection when lifting off the accelerator pedal and engaging the brake. The lunge almost caused me to rear end the car in front of me which I was not very close to. This occurs about once every 50 miles travelled or once per day and at various speeds. To date it has not generated a CEL or any other type of warning.

NHTSA ID

11460563

Incident

Feb 15, 2022

Coolant bleed hose broke causing vehicle to overheat. Part is made of plastic and not durable for long-term use. 2016 year was recalled, but not on the 2017 model.

NHTSA ID

11420986

Incident

Jun 15, 2021

LEAK IN RADIATOR HOSE CAUSED CAR TO LOOSE ENOUGH WATER IN RADIATOR TO CAUSE ALARM

NHTSA ID

11288054

Incident

Oct 16, 2019

Mileage

20,000 mi

FOLLOW UP TO 09/16/2019 COMPLAINT ID NUMBER 11255771. THE ENGINE NOISE WAS DIAGNOSED AS SIGNIFICANT INTAKE CAM SHAFT BEARING(S) WEAR. THIS WAS NOT A LUBRICATION ISSUE PER THE DEALER, SO APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURING ERROR. THIS CAUSED METAL CONTAMINATION THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE IN THE OIL. PER THE DEALER, 2 OTHER XC90'S HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM IN THE US. THROUGH THE VIP EXTENDED WARRANTY, A NEW LONG BLOCK ENGINE WAS AUTHORIZED AND INSTALLED, MINUS A $100 DEDUCTIBLE. A $15K-$20K SERVICE (PLUS ALL DIAGNOSIS') FOR THE $100 DEDUCTIBLE IS NOT A BAD DEAL. THE ENGINE SOUND IS NOW GONE AND IS IDENTICAL TO A NEW CAR. HOWEVER, THE CONFIDENCE IN VOLVO IS DECREASING. SAFETY, COMFORT, BEAUTY ARE ALL TOP NOTCH. BUT MECHANICAL ERRORS LIKE THIS ARE CRAZY FROM A $60,000+ VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11267057

Incident

Oct 3, 2019

Mileage

54,000 mi

ENGINE MAKES A LOUD WHINING SOUND. THE HIGHER THE RPM'S, THE HIGHER PITCH THE WHINE. DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE SUPER CHARGER AND THE TURBO. OCCURRED SINCE AROUND 10,000 MILES. INITIALLY, THE DEALER REPLACED THE BALANCE SHAFT UNDER A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. THIS DID NOT CORRECT IT. DROVE MULTIPLE XC90'S AND NONE OF THEM HAVE THE WHINE SOUND. OUR XC90 HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR NEARLY TWO WEEKS NOW AND THE BALANCE SHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED AGAIN AT THE DIRECTION OF THE MANUFACTURER. THE TECHNICIAN HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE BALANCE SHAFT A THIRD TIME BECAUSE IT DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN HAS INSISTED THE SERVICE REQUEST BE EXPEDITED. THE ONLY ANSWER WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN IS THE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

11255771

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

10,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN CAR, VOLVO HOOD STARTED TO SMOKE. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR SIGNALS WENT OFF. WE PULLED OVER, TURNED ENGINE OFF, REMOVED KIDS FROM THE CAR, AND WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THE ENTIRE HOOD OF THE CAR WAS IN FLAMES. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED, EVEN THOUGH FIREFIGHTERS EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. WE HAVE NO INFORMATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE - ENGINE, ELECTRICAL, ETC - BUT THE CAR ONLY HAD 18,000 MILES ON IT. VOLVO HAD ALREADY REPLACED THE ROTORS TWICE IN TWO YEARS - HIGHLY UNUSUAL - BUT OTHERWISE WE HAD NO REASON TO SUSPECT A PROBLEM. WE WERE VERY LUCKY WE WERE ON CITY STREETS AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO PULL OVER.

NHTSA ID

11141828

Incident

Sep 23, 2018

Mileage

19,000 mi

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 ID

11140502

Incident

Sep 18, 2018

Mileage

7,766 mi

NEW VEHICLE (LESS THAN 19000 MILES) - VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY - IN A PARKING LOT, IGNITION OFF. APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 MINUTES LATER, FIRE IGNITED IN ENGINE BAY, RAPIDLY SPREADING TO THE WHOLE CAR... ENTIRE CARE BURNED TO SHELL.

NHTSA ID

11066597

Incident

Jan 23, 2018

Mileage

18,000 mi

SOME MY16/17 XC90 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ON SWEDESPEED ONLINE FORUM THAT THEIR COOLANT HOSE BROKE: HTTP://FORUMS.SWEDESPEED.COM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?514873-ENGINE-COOLANT-PROBLEM FOR SOME CUSTOMER THE COOLANT HOSE BREAKS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. IF THE COOLANT HOSE BREAKS, COOLANT LEAKS QUICKLY AND THE CAR WILL SHOW "STOP IMMEDIATELY" ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, WHICH MAY RESULT IN EMERGENCY MANEUVERS THAT ARE UNSAFE TO DO ON HIGHWAYS. IF ALL COOLANT IS LOST BEFORE THE CUSTOMER HAS A CHANCE TO STOP SAFELY, ENGINE MAY OVERHEAT AND FAIL, RESULTING IN THE CAR LOSING POWER, WHICH WILL ALSO BE DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY ON HIGHWAYS. VOLVO UPDATED THE COOLANT HOSE DESIGN. I CONTACTED VOLVO CUSTOMER CARE BUT THEY REFUSED TO ISSUE A SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO PROACTIVELY INSTALL THIS CRUCIAL UPDATED PART FOR THE REST OF US. NOTE THAT THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME YET, BUT I'M HOPING THAT VOLVO COULD ISSUE A SERVICE CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO MORE OWNERS.

NHTSA ID

11064933

Incident

Jan 25, 2018

Mileage

14,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAME EQUIPPED WITH A REMOTE START APPLICATION FOR THE CELLULAR TELEPHONE. THE TELEPHONE WOULD INDICATE THAT THE REMOTE START FAILED, YET THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WOULD BE RUNNING WHEN THE GARAGE DOOR WAS OPENED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE APPLICATION DID NOT PERFORM A NUMBER OF TASKS PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 800.

NHTSA ID

10939201

Incident

Dec 28, 2016

Mileage

800 mi