VOLVO Complaints

My Volvo Ex90 was promised to have LIDAR capability. I found out that Volvo broke their relationship with the company that was promised to supply this capability to our vehicle and I would like compensation. Do you know who I would contact?

A software update (version 5.0.5) was complete on my 2024 Volvo XC90 at the end of March. The software was marketed in emails to have an enhanced infotainment display to support a safer experience. Since the upgrade, I have experienced the opposite of enhanced safety. My infotainment screen and dash displays randomly go black and it restarts itself several times a day while driving. In addition to that, the blinkers malfunction when this happens. The most important safety issue is navigation outage on the displays. The inability to rely on the Google maps navigation within Volvo, or within CarPlay, results in my having to use my phone to input and view directions, taking my eyes off the road. It also disables to cameras when I need them. On 3/31 I emailed my sales rep asking if he'd heard of others having this complaint, he did not appear to be aware and asked me to make an appt with service center. I brought the car to Volvo on 4/2 where the service check-in employees did mention they were seeing many cars coming in with the same concerns. The technician was not able to confirm the issue but said they would contact Corporate and let me know of a response, which was 15 days ago. According to online searches, multiple other Volvo drivers are experiencing the same. Since we have become so dependent on the driver assistance features, and this issue is now occurring, I have become a nervous driver in a brand of car that is marketed as one of the safest vehicles in the world. I get worried that my BLISS or lane assistance or other driver assisted features will malfunction as well. No notifications from Volvo have been received thus far. I have not contacted the Corporate offices of Volvo yet. Please take this safety issue seriously.

The backup camera image flickers or does not appear at all (blue screen). This is a known design defect that Volvo will repair by installing what they call an equalizer in the camera harness. It is not a replacement of an existing part, it is a part they add. The cost is several hundred dollars for something that should be a recall. A search on the internet will return results showing many others having this exact same problem. This has been occuring and getting worse for the past 8 years.

Hey I purchased a Volvo xc90 2016 seven months ago and I currently still have this car. Also others with the same model, are having problems with oil consumption who is the problem that I’m sadly dealing with, My car burns so much oil and I’m only 19 I got this hoping for a reliable car but in stead in burns oil just has much as I burn fuel every 500 miles, if that probably less miles. it tells me to had a liter of oil because it says I’m out of oil. I just need some one to help me it hasn’t had anything done to it it’s all original with only 127,000 miles on it and this probably has been happening since I purchased it with only 118,000 miles.

Three separate safety incidents occurred within the last 3 months. INCIDENT 1: On at least two occasions while turning, the steering felt aggressive and notchy, resisting or jerking unexpectedly during the turn. INCIDENT 2: While driving on the Florida Turnpike at approximately 80 mph southbound around 7:00 AM, the vehicle suddenly reacted as if detecting an obstacle and applied what felt like emergency braking. No vehicle or obstacle was present in my lane or adjacent lanes. INCIDENT 3 (most serious): While parked in a parking lot, I applied the brake, shifted to Drive, and upon releasing the brake the vehicle accelerated abruptly with no input on the accelerator pedal. A witness confirmed no accelerator was pressed. Vehicle is currently at authorized Volvo dealership for diagnosis. Root cause not yet identified.

Multiple times, with the Pilot Assist system engaged, the vehicle has pulled me out of my intended travel lane when on a curve, near an on / off ramp, and generally tends to drift from the left to right of the intended lane of travel on straight sections of road. It will drift to the rumble strip and sometimes into the next lane with both hands firmly on the wheel. I find myself fighting the system at these times. When it gets confused, with corners or merges, and on / off ramps, it will abruptly change lanes which is very dangerous. Twice it almost caused an accident. I have had it looked at many times now by Gengras Volvo in East Hartford where I bought the car. I was provided a loaner each time but the car has been in their shop for close to a month over these visits. It happend on one test drive with their repair tech driving the car, so the issue has been verified and recorded by Gengras. Multiple components of the system have been changed out and Volvo has downloaded and reviewed the telemetry twice. Volvo's stance is that the system is functioning correctly, and in times if inclement weather it may not work as intended. Most of my incidents happened on dry roads. Upon researching this on the internet, there are many other owners of Volvos of my year and others complaining of the exact same issues and behavior of the car. I feel it may be a design flaw but in my opinion the system is not safe to use. Volvo went to a completely different system soon after 2021. This was a very expensive option to purchase on the vehicle. We have a similar system in our Acura that works flawlessly on the same roads in any weather condition. I bought this vehicle certified by Volvo with roughly 15K miles for my son to drive when he had just gotten his license as Volvo has an incredible reputation for safely. I do not feel safe with him driving this vehicle as was intended. Latest diagnosis attached, Remainder available from Gengras Volvo, East Hartford CT.

The contact owns a 2025 Volvo EX90. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, an over-the-air software update was attempted but failed. The vehicle locked during the update process and remained inoperable for approximately one hour after the update was completed. On a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to shift into gear while driving on the interstate. The message that the vehicle was not in gear was displayed. The download process took an extended period and after the update was completed the vehicle operated as intended. Additionally, the infotainment system turned black and was inoperable, while the instrument panel was dark, and caused the turn signal indicator and speedometer to become inoperable. The instrument panel was flashing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the battery was in low power mode. The vehicle was not repaired but was manually updated by the dealer, bypassing the over-the-air process. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 1,115.

The contact owns a 2026 Volvo XC60MHEV. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions under different driving conditions, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Additionally, while driving in a narrow driveway near a brick wall on an incline, the screen became inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that a software reboot was needed. The owner declined the repair. The contact was provided a loaner; however, the dealer requested that the vehicle be returned. The contact had a physician's note stating that she needed a safe vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted to request a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 5,917.

The driver's seatbelt buckle interlock stopped working, although engaged, and the auto's system no longer showed whether the seat belt was buckled up or not. This likely would have resulted in the passive restraint system not functioning if there were an accident. There are on-line comments about this same issue in this same model and year. The buckle was replaced at a cost of over $300 by the dealer and the dealer reported that there was a short or break in one of the wires. The vehicle has 87,000 miles at the present time.

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.