2019 Volvo XC90

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

Coming from a cold start in hybrid or pure mode the ERAD disengages causing the vehicle to slow down, hesitate and buck until the gas engine can engage to recover acceleration.

NHTSA ID

11767107

Incident

Sep 26, 2026

COMPONENT & AVAILABILITY: The primary brake booster assembly and vacuum pump failed twice. The vehicle remains fully assembled and grounded at Volvo Cars White Plains, available for immediate inspection upon request. SAFETY RISK: Both incidents involved primary braking system failure while traveling downhill. During the second failure on August 4, 2026, the vehicle completely overshot a residential intersection, crossed a perpendicular road, and overran the pavement, coming to a stop at the edge of the opposite traffic lane directly where a sharp hill forms and drops off. DEALER CONFIRMATION: The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by the authorized dealer service center (Volvo Cars White Plains) following flatbed towing on both June 5, 2026, and August 4, 2026. After the second failure, the service supervisor explicitly stated that because the identical system failure recurred, they would need corporate approval for a secondary repair. INSPECTION STATUS: The vehicle components were inspected and diagnosed by the manufacturer-certified dealership network. No independent third-party teardown has been authorized to preserve component evidence. WARNING SYMPTOMS & PRIOR INCIDENTS: The primary failure initially occurred on June 5, 2026, while driving downhill, requiring full-force manual pedal pressure to stop. Following a dealer replacement of both components under a single repair cost, the identical mechanical failure recurred three weeks later on August 4, 2026. Crucially, prior to both the first and second incidents, there were absolutely no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or symptoms of any kind before the component malfunction occurred.

NHTSA ID

11758396

Incident

Aug 4, 2026

The exterior chrome trim on the door handle has severely delaminated and flaked. The peeling metallic coating has separated from the plastic handle structure, creating a razor-sharp edge. This component is located on a primary vehicle entry point, creating an immediate laceration hazard to anyone attempting to open the door. The flaking metal shards are sharp enough to cut fingers or hands during normal vehicle operation, posing a particular safety risk to children or anyone unfamiliar with the vehicle's defect. This is a known manufacturing material failure affecting 2019 Volvo models.

NHTSA ID

11757167

Incident

Aug 15, 2026

The exterior chrome trim on the door handle has severely delaminated and flaked. The peeling metallic coating has separated from the plastic handle structure, creating a razor-sharp edge. This component is located on a primary vehicle entry point, creating an immediate laceration hazard to anyone attempting to open the door. The flaking metal shards are sharp enough to cut fingers or hands during normal vehicle operation, posing a particular safety risk to children or anyone unfamiliar with the vehicle's defect. This is a known manufacturing material failure affecting 2019 Volvo models.

NHTSA ID

11757166

Incident

Aug 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and or while the vehicle was parked, the A/C unit became inoperable, and the defogger failed to clear the front windshield. The contact stated that the A/C was shifted to the MAX setting to operate as needed to defrost the windshield with an abnormal odor blowing through the vents. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the front evaporator core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ID

11749584

Incident

May 22, 2026

Mileage

114,000 mi

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly entered LIMP mode and decelerated before stalling. The failure had occurred on two separate occasions. On one occasion, the vehicle did not restart and was towed to the dealer. During the second occurrence, the vehicle was restarted moments later and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, where the contact was informed that diagnostic trouble codes for fuel delivery system malfunction and low fuel pressure were retrieved; however, the exact cause of the failure was not determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the fuel tank was half-full during the failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,900.

NHTSA ID

11743566

Incident

May 11, 2026

Mileage

79,900 mi

The front and rear evaporator core of my 2019 Volvo XC90 has failed and I no longer have air conditioning. This issue was diagnosed by a dealer. The evaporator core failure is a massive, widely documented issue specifically targeting the 2016–2020 Volvo SPA-platform models. According to my research, Volvo sold approx. 370,000 vehicles in the US during this period. At roughly $5,000 per vehicle, the owners are being asked to spend over a billion dollars on this known, product defect. Volvo is fully aware of this defect, yet they refuse to cover the full cost of the repair. They issued an official Technical Journal (TJ 35912.1.0) admitting that the system over-cools, causing the evaporator to freeze, expand, and crack. When technicians perform this repair, Volvo explicitly mandates installing a retroactive "jumper cable" resistor harness (Part No. 32241228) to prevent the replacement core from cracking again. The question for you is this: Is this a vehicle safety concern. We might consider why one would need air conditioning in the first place. Is it only for comfort or could it sufficiently cool air to help venerable people form having health issues (e.g., elderly, those with asthma). A recent Lancet study, for example, showed heat related deaths in Europe rising to 63,000 per year. This may be extreme, but if one lives in a southern state where temperatures climb to 100s or even a northern state where this routinely occurs in July and August, lack of A/C could be a serious health and safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11741732

Incident

Mar 11, 2026

The contact owns 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while parked and occupied in the vehicle or while driving various speeds, the contact noticed when attempting to turn the air conditioner on she noticed that the a/c unit was not working as intended in the vehicle. The contact mention she can hear a clicking noise coming from the air conditioner. An independent mechanic and A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they recharged the vehicle and no diagnoses, the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear air conditioner vapor needed to be replaced, the vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where they informed her the rear and front vapor needed to be replaced .The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mention these failures have occurred on several different occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they offered her one thousand dollars out of the seven thousand. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11740350

Incident

Jun 15, 2025

Mileage

35,000 mi

This is a Technical Journal text only no attachments : Improved 12V battery test in VIDA. The 12V battery test in VIDA has been improved. The improved test lets you check batteries below 11.5V with the battery in the vehicle and a shorter test time. (Follow the instructions in VIDA)Don´t charge the battery before the test, jump start the vehicle if needed. Read out the vehicle with VIDA and start the test.

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

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

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.

This is a Technical Journal: Panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap

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.