VOLVO Complaints

On [XXX] I purchased a brand new 2025 Volvo EX90 from Volvo Cars of North Miami. I’ve been having a number of software glitches since then, but the last incident put my life in direct danger. Yesterday, [XXX] I was driving [XXX] on [XXX] (a four-lane motorway) in Aventura with around 55MPH speed and 76% battery charge. While driving the steering wheel display went dark and at that point, I had no information about my speed or vehicle status typically displayed on the screen. Shortly after that outage the larger Volvo screen started to flicker and went dark. At that point I started to lose control and longer able to safely operate the vehicle. Approximately 30 seconds after the larger screen went dark the turning signals stopped working and I was exposed to a direct rear-end impact from oncoming vehicles. Finally, the vehicle itself lost power and I slowed down almost to a complete stop in the middle of the road while bracing for a direct impact. By grace of God, I was somehow able to use the vehicle inertia and pull over to the side of the road and call for help using my cellphone. The vehicle regained power without any intervention roughly about 10 minutes after that incident. After the smaller screen came back online it displayed a number of error messages including “Critical suspension fault. Stop safely”, “Parking brake cannot hold the car” and others. The vehicle is currently at the dealer awaiting inspection. My fear is that similar software outages could happen to others and they may not be as lucky as I was. If this incident would have happened on the highway at higher speed the outcome would have been fatal. My best guess is that the software updated while the vehicle was in motion and took out of operation all components - powertrain, steering, brakes, even the SOS call button. Please investigate and consider stop sale order, this truly was a close call and I simply got lucky. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was backing up out of my driveway and the camera was not available, nor did the sensor work while I was backing up. I hit a parked car as a result of this, resulting in damage to the back of my car. This has happened before, but never resulted in an accident until this time.

Me and my partners safety was put at risk when the vehicle’s high pressure fuel pump went out, shut the car down, and left us stranded in the middle of two lane traffic. What was scarier was how the vehicle couldn’t be manually overridden to shift into neutral to push the vehicle to safety away from oncoming traffic, since the gear is electronic. The vehicle isn’t that old and that high on mileage, being only at 94k miles. After getting it towed (tow driver had to drag the vehicle up onto the bed because even they couldn’t do anything about it) to the dealer, because no one else but Volvo can touch it. This is without the manufacturer giving mechanics privileges to reprogram parts that needed to be replaced. On top of that, since there isn’t a dealer in my area around Columbia, MO, it had to be towed all the way to St. Louis, which was already bizarre as it is. After getting it repaired and the techs saying everything was good to go, it hasn’t been a week before something else happened. Upon trying to start the car today, the dash throws a number of warnings again. Upon seeing the warnings, I pulled out my scan tool and now tells me the low pressure fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, and abs pump go out and I’m already frustrated and back into a situation with a vehicle that is already expensive as it is. Luckily everything popped up at home, because the vehicle throws itself into limp/bricked mode to where it won’t even start the engine. And because it’s a plug in hybrid, it was able to at least get the system going to read what’s going on compared to what was stated earlier when the battery was already depleted. Now I have to find a way to transport this vehicle again and I’m already having regrets of purchasing it in the first place. I just wanted a hybrid wagon that has all the cargo and efficiency without being an suv.

I am submitting this report to formally document a significant safety issue involving the Driver Display Module (DIM) on my Volvo XC60. Prior to reaching 45,000 miles, the DIM began to intermittently glitch, displaying only a barcode-like screen. This eventually progressed to complete failure of the unit with complete lack of digital driver display without analog back-up. As a result of this malfunction, all critical vehicle information became inaccessible, including the speedometer, odometer, fuel level, gear selection, and dashboard warning indicators. This failure severely impairs the driver’s ability to safely operate the vehicle, as it removes access to essential operational data necessary for safe driving and decision-making. I reported this issue to Volvo Customer Support, but they were dismissive of the concern and offered no meaningful resolution. In researching the problem, I found multiple similar complaints documented in online automotive forums, suggesting that this is not an isolated incident but rather a recurring defect among Volvo XC60 vehicles. Given the safety-critical nature of the driver display and the fact that this failure occurred in a relatively low-mileage vehicle, I believe this issue warrants investigation by NHTSA. The frequency of these failures and the serious risk they pose to driver awareness and vehicle control support the need for a safety recall. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I picked up the auto in Sweden OSD....the car does not have a owners manual that can be printed or down-loaded. Was informed by VOLVO that it is in the computer on the car and you can use that. You are unable to open the manual while the auto is moving. Was advised that VOLVO does not plan to make a manual available for download or purchase. With today's technology, how can you sell a car with no users manual. I believe this is a major safety issue.

"During airbag deployment, the driver’s hand was burned with blistering. I believe hot gas or chemicals vented abnormally. This caused a painful injury requiring treatment."

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.

Under Engine Cover came loose and fall during highway driving. It tuned out that 5 bolts that suppose to secure that cover were missing (per repair shop) . Fallen cover broke on few pieces and those pieces could impact breaking and vehicle instability causing incident with injuries and fatalities.

I am reporting multiple critical component failures on my 2017 Volvo XC90, which I believe represent potential design or manufacturing defects related to vehicle safety and reliability. At approximately 93,000 miles, my Volvo XC90 experienced a battery failure, thermostat failure, which did not resolve the vehicle's engine issues. Subsequently, the dealership diagnosed a failed Engine Control Module (ECM), requiring complete replacement at a cost of over $5,000. The ECM is a critical motherboard component responsible for engine control and vehicle safety operations. Its failure risks sudden engine malfunction, stalling, or loss of power while driving, which could cause unsafe conditions. I am concerned that multiple major component failures, especially in a premium brand vehicle under 100,000 miles and less than 10 years old, represent a systemic reliability issue. These failures occurred despite regular maintenance and responsible usage. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether similar cases exist for 2016–2018 Volvo XC90 models involving premature ECM or engine cooling, electrical, short circuit system failures. I am available to provide service records and additional documentation as needed.

The instrument panel just stopped working. Our safety and the safety of others was/is put at risk because you are unable to see how fast you are going in the car. It also doesn’t let us know how much gas we have left in the gas tank so if the car just stalled out on a highway, it could cause a major safety issue. This is also where cruise control is run from. It’s also the panel where any and all vehicle warnings would show up so if there’s another issue in the car, we are unable to see it.