RoadVitals

2019 Volvo XC90 Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
38
Latest Jul 10, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
14
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.
5

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2019 Volvo XC90, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Electrical1124.4%
  • Engine1022.2%
  • Visibility511.1%
  • Brakes511.1%
  • Airbags36.7%
  • Driver assistance24.4%
  • Body & structure24.4%
  • Interior & seats12.2%
  • Powertrain (other)12.2%
  • Seat belts12.2%
  • Steering12.2%
  • Suspension12.2%
  • Transmission12.2%
  • Fuel system12.2%

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

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

11
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The suspension module failed due to water accumulation on floorboards. Suspect other electronics may be at risk. Water ingress cause by a combination of what dealer said was a worn out sunroof gasket and two of four drains that became plugged. Further examination from dealer found the plugged drains were crimped from when the vehicle was manufactured. The dealer blamed the excessive water ingress was further allowed by a failed sunroof seal. The vehicle has always been serviced by the dealer and problem areas like that were either not inspected or not reported. The seal appears as good as the day we purchased vehicle from dealer. It seems it needs a more expert eye to detect how it fails. The result was standing water in the floor boards and body cavities, which then caused the suspension module to fail. The entire interior had to be disassembled to verify there was no further electrical damage. The dashboard and other interior pieces needed to be removed to replace or correct the drains. This appears to be a common problem with this model although no service advisories seem to have been issued. Total estimated damage is about $5200. Vehicle has only 60K miles. Volvo has rejected responsibility for the compromised drain and failed sunroof seal. Service documentation attached, not including the estimated $1700 to remove dash for repairs.

NHTSA ID 11736779 · filed May 9, 2026

Some back info: I keep the auto start/stop feature disabled. There are three identical incidents total. One about a year or two ago and two back to back a few weeks ago. The first time I was stopped at a drive through but in “drive” with my foot on the brake. All of the sudden the car completely turns off. Screens black, engine off. Completely black car no inside lights on. Within a couple of seconds, I hear the engine reengage and the car “starts” as normal like when you turn the switch. All of the lights and screens turn on and apple car play reconnects. The most recent two incidents were the same day and in drive having stopped at stoplights. The car goes “dead” then restarts all in drive with my foot on the brake. No warnings come up after the incident either. This time my husband and children were with me and can confirm it happened. I did not get these incidents checked out since the car was instantly back to normal with no warning messages. Very unnerving though and feels like the car is being remotely restarted somehow. The first time I just brushed it off, now I am concerned about this happening while in motion.

NHTSA ID 11708339 · filed Jan 2, 2026
All 11 reports naming electrical

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

10
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lurched forward while switching back and forth between electric and gasoline mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure recurred while driving three years later. Additionally, the turtle warning light was illuminated with the message "Engine System Reduced Performance". The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID 11730933 · filed Apr 13, 2026

The contact owned a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-52 MPH, there smoke coming from the front passenger’s side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated that an off-duty Police Officer witnessed the failure and activated the Emergency Lights, allowing the contact to safely pull off the highway The contact immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The grandson seated in the front passenger’s seat immediately exited the vehicle and the contact was able to unbuckle and removed the [XXX] from the second-row middle seat. The contact stated that moments later there were explosions, and there was black smoke and flames engulfing the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries sustained; however, all three occupants of the vehicle experienced emotional trauma from the vehicle catching on fire. Medical attention was not needed. A Police Report was filed at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The contact stated that the car seat in the rear of the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was examined by an Insurance Adjuster, and it was determined that the fire had started in the engine compartment. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 61,511. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11719068 · filed Feb 19, 2026
All 10 reports naming engine

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jul 10, 2026

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 · filed Jun 3, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving, the brakes completely failed without any warning. There were no signs, alerts, or symptoms prior to the failure. The braking ability was suddenly and entirely lost, creating an extremely dangerous situation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the brake booster had failed. This component failure directly caused the complete loss of braking power. Because this occurred without warning or prior indication and such an unexpected failure not only poses a significant safety risk to the driver and passengers but endangers everyone on the road, and it represents a severe safety hazard. A sudden brake booster failure can easily lead to loss of vehicle control, accidents, injury, or even fatalities. Immediate action is required to address this serious issue that threatens public safety.

NHTSA ID 11689054 · filed Sep 22, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, the contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact pumped the brake pedal and then depressed the brake pedal to the floor for the vehicle to come to a stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to be diagnosed and it was determined that the brake master cylinder and the brake booster had failed internally, causing a vacuum leak. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder and brake booster needed to be replaced, the brake lines needed to be bled, and the brake control module needed to be calibrated. The vehicle was scheduled to be repair but had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,800.

NHTSA ID 11621462 · filed Oct 23, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after stopping and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact's fiancée arrived on the scene and was able to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle later failed to restart, and the gear shifter seized. The message "Gear Lever Lock" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the panoramic sunroof seal strip had a gap, allowing debris and water into the vehicle, clogging the drain, and rendering the vehicle inoperable. The mechanic disassembled the entire interior and allowed it to dry before reassembling. The contact was informed that the front passenger’s side air bag sensor, seat belt buckle, and seat belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: TJ 35503.3.0 (Panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID 11635297 · filed Jan 10, 2025

There are many form online stating that Volvo has an issue with water leaking/water drainage line from the sunroof. The water leaked into some components of the airbag and electrical system. After the first time taking to the dealership they were no issue with the system and the vehicle was fine that incident happened back in 2020. The same issue happened again where water was leaking in from the sunroof area (I am assuming because it looks the same as last time) this time the water is in the driver side, and there was a puddle of water forming where the gas and brake paddles are. After noticing the water puddle I try to close the sunroof and turns out the sunroof no longer functions with the electronic control right in front of the sunroof. I also took the initiative to open some of the trims where the side air bags are and it turns out that the area are completely soaked. I do no know if this will cause an issue to the airbag or not but I am worries that prolong exposure to water will compromised the integrity of the airbag system. What's was is that since it affected the electronic for the sunroof what if it affect the sensors for the air bag system.

NHTSA ID 11575869 · filed Mar 6, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

After a software update the backup camera’s field of view is super focused on the tailgate, license plate, and the immediate ground below. This is a safety concern as there have been a few near misses at parking lot speeds.

NHTSA ID 11661570 · filed May 16, 2025

On 23rd July 2022 my son went underneath a reversing XC90 2019 vehicle. The front wheel went over his leg and arm. He miraculously survived and the event was close to taking his life. The vehicle was my wife's car. We are in possession of the surveillance video which shows that the vehicles safety features failed. Although the vehicle was left in the reverse gear, the car was stationary, after having been in a forward motion. This sequence automatically engages the park brake and only deactivated when the pedal is pressed. The pedal was not pressed. In addition the video shows the door was open when the brake was deactivated. Another safety feature which failed to prevent the event. My wife was outside of the car and pushing on the rear of the car, trying to stop it driving over my son. Both my wife at the rear bumper and my son on the floor behind the vehicle on the floor, failed to activate the reverse sensors safety feature. Although a small post did after the vehicle drove over my son. I have a video I can email but is too big for the upload feature. Please let me know how to send the video: be warned the video is not very pleasant. After the event I had the vehicle codes read at the local Volvo dealership. Multiple codes related to failures in the parking brake were identified. I contact Volvo and have been assisting them over the last two weeks with their investigation. They have had the car for 4 hours to run this investigation and I am aware the engineers in Sweden are involved. They have now come back to me and asked to see the vehicle again to read more codes. I have been very disappointed in Volvo through this process. The video clearly shows an "Event". and they keep referencing back to the car being fine at the point of the inspection; failing to reference or acknowledge the event timing itself. I am at the point I need to make sure their investigation is being done correctly, since I feel they are playing with words and not telling me the truth.

NHTSA ID 11480231 · filed Aug 19, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Rear passenger door won’t open. We had freezing temps in Colorado, when I tried to open the rear door to get my 2 month old out of the car the door would not open. Apparently this is a known problem for this vehicle the rear door motors spontaneously stop working.

NHTSA ID 11566201 · filed Jan 18, 2024

The rear right passenger door is stuck in a locked state. It's not possible to open that door from the interior or the exterior. Locking and unlocking the doors does not solve the problem. Activating and deactivating the child lock system does not solve the problem either. Turning the engine on and off does not solve the problem. This is extremely unsafe in case of a collision where the passenger needs to be evacuated from the car with no access to the other side of the vehicle. The car has not been inspected by anybody, yet. I'll take the vehicle to the dealership for repair. The door has been like this for a several days now, as of 05/11/2022. There were no signs or other symptoms prior to this problem. There are no signs or messages about this malfunction. Upon looking online on some Volvo owners forums, this problem has occurred to more people before on different models as well. To be clear, this is not a case of the door being stuck due to low temperatures. It has been well above the 40's in the last week at my location in South County, Rhode Island.

NHTSA ID 11464259 · filed May 11, 2022

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Rear passenger door won’t open. We had freezing temps in Colorado, when I tried to open the rear door to get my 2 month old out of the car the door would not open. Apparently this is a known problem for this vehicle the rear door motors spontaneously stop working.

NHTSA ID 11566201 · filed Jan 18, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Upon driving a symbol with a turtle and engine cation sign flashed upon the dash displaying and reading reduced power train mode as this is being shown on dash the passenger next to me smelt smoke as we next seen smoke coming from the air conditioning system we immediately pulled over to the safest spot out of the ongoing traffic as smoke continued to worsen now under the hood when flames engulfed the engine and spread to rest of car.

NHTSA ID 11704235 · filed Dec 10, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after stopping and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact's fiancée arrived on the scene and was able to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle later failed to restart, and the gear shifter seized. The message "Gear Lever Lock" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the panoramic sunroof seal strip had a gap, allowing debris and water into the vehicle, clogging the drain, and rendering the vehicle inoperable. The mechanic disassembled the entire interior and allowed it to dry before reassembling. The contact was informed that the front passenger’s side air bag sensor, seat belt buckle, and seat belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: TJ 35503.3.0 (Panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID 11635297 · filed Jan 10, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Some back info: I keep the auto start/stop feature disabled. There are three identical incidents total. One about a year or two ago and two back to back a few weeks ago. The first time I was stopped at a drive through but in “drive” with my foot on the brake. All of the sudden the car completely turns off. Screens black, engine off. Completely black car no inside lights on. Within a couple of seconds, I hear the engine reengage and the car “starts” as normal like when you turn the switch. All of the lights and screens turn on and apple car play reconnects. The most recent two incidents were the same day and in drive having stopped at stoplights. The car goes “dead” then restarts all in drive with my foot on the brake. No warnings come up after the incident either. This time my husband and children were with me and can confirm it happened. I did not get these incidents checked out since the car was instantly back to normal with no warning messages. Very unnerving though and feels like the car is being remotely restarted somehow. The first time I just brushed it off, now I am concerned about this happening while in motion.

NHTSA ID 11708339 · filed Jan 2, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The suspension module failed due to water accumulation on floorboards. Suspect other electronics may be at risk. Water ingress cause by a combination of what dealer said was a worn out sunroof gasket and two of four drains that became plugged. Further examination from dealer found the plugged drains were crimped from when the vehicle was manufactured. The dealer blamed the excessive water ingress was further allowed by a failed sunroof seal. The vehicle has always been serviced by the dealer and problem areas like that were either not inspected or not reported. The seal appears as good as the day we purchased vehicle from dealer. It seems it needs a more expert eye to detect how it fails. The result was standing water in the floor boards and body cavities, which then caused the suspension module to fail. The entire interior had to be disassembled to verify there was no further electrical damage. The dashboard and other interior pieces needed to be removed to replace or correct the drains. This appears to be a common problem with this model although no service advisories seem to have been issued. Total estimated damage is about $5200. Vehicle has only 60K miles. Volvo has rejected responsibility for the compromised drain and failed sunroof seal. Service documentation attached, not including the estimated $1700 to remove dash for repairs.

NHTSA ID 11736779 · filed May 9, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2019 VOLVO XC90. The contact stated that while her foot was on the brake pedal and while talking with a friend outside her vehicle, she had decided to place the vehicle into park. After approximately 8-10 minutes, the vehicle independently accelerated forward without warning and crashed into her friend's garage door. The air bags deployed immediately upon impact. An automatic safety feature on the vehicle detected the crash and automatically notified the police; a police report was filed. The contact sustained bruising to her left arm and leg and the passenger sustained bruising to her stomach. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed a dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The contact's insurance was able to retrieve the EDR report from the vehicle which showed that the vehicle accelerated prior to the crash; however, it did not determine if the vehicle was in parking gear when it crashed. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID 11428347 · filed Aug 9, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

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 · filed Jun 11, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .