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Electrical system

Volvo XC90 Electrical problems by year

92 complaints filed with NHTSA about the Volvo XC90's electrical system. Dead batteries, warning lights, wiring, alternators, infotainment and electronic module failures.

Electrical complaints by model year

YearElectrical complaintsCrashesInjuriesRecalls
20230001
20220001
20210001
20200003
20190003
20180002
20170002
20160001
20093000
20088000
200714000
200616000
200551102

Electrical recalls

Latest XC90 electrical complaints

2006 Volvo XC90Electrical system

Had to replace emission coil plugs.My mechanics said it has wiring issues

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11726307
2008 Volvo XC90Electrical systemSeats & seat beltsEngine & cooling

All seatbelts in vehicle sticks and/or catches have to use seriously more pressure on release button,or seatbelt/latch it's self or both. My wife and children have had me have to come get it because it wouldn't release. Engine motor mount bolt had to be replaced, I noticed when alternator went out, vehicle wouldn't respond from throttle acted like it was missing then threw dash lights then no lights all of a sudden it happened within 1-2mins vehicle wouldn't respond while running stopped in middle of road. Didn't...

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give any warning was even going out. Locks not working right with key fob 1or more locks won't lock/unlock including the fuel door lock, as well as child saftey locks coming on randomly. Steering locked in full turn left/right have to manually turn wheel because it will continue in direction wheel is associated in while moving instead of returning towards middle on its own momentum. Climate control fan not working properly not enough blowing force and ambient temperature sensor for climate control not regulating temperature/doesn't read correctly.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Seat belts · EngineNHTSA 11715435
2007 Volvo XC90Electrical systemVisibility & wipersFire

While driving the vehicle under normal conditions, a sudden electrical fire occurred, requiring immediate evacuation. The vehicle was pulled over safely and the driver exited before the fire escalated. The fire department responded and the vehicle was declared a total loss due to fire damage. The failure is believed to have originated from an electrical short involving the climate control/defroster system. The affected wiring and components were destroyed by the fire and are not available for inspection. The day...

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prior to the fire, the fuse controlling both the climate control system and the instrument cluster blew twice when the defroster was activated. The fuse was replaced, and the defroster was not used again. At the time of the fire, the defroster systems was not operating. There were no warning lights or alerts immediately prior to the fire. The fire occurred while the vehicle was in motion, creating a serious safety risk to the occupant and surrounding traffic. The incident has not been reproduced or inspected by a dealer. The vehicle was inspected by the fire department. No manufacturer inspection has occurred.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · Visibility / wiperNHTSA 11715108
2006 Volvo XC90SuspensionElectrical systemLights

Vehicle is slightly off-balance no matter if I do an alignment ball joints seem to always get affected. I'm not sure if the hydraulics are working correctly. Yesterday I just started leaking antifreeze fluid.

Filed Incident Suspension · Electrical system · Exterior lightingNHTSA 11648529
2005 Volvo XC90Electrical systemLightsAirbags

I was getting off the highway and made a left turn. As I was accelerating the motor gentle cut off.. (You wouldnt even notice if you wasnt driving) Full Traffic was behind me, so luckily I was able to get out of the way and pull to shoulder. It was the day before Christmas and car hasn't ran since. Upon investigation I found the CEM was effected. When the car died I was in left hand lane and I had to make my way to right, the shoulder. Yes the problem was diagnosed by myself. However I did investigation and...

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researched using all data at library. It has not been inspected by anyone else. There where no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. It happened all of a sudden in the middle of traffic when I was getting off the highway.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Exterior lighting · Air bagsNHTSA 11646424
2006 Volvo XC90Electrical system

Awakened to lights flashing, horn going off, wipers running on a vehicle that was parked with keys removed. The cem underneath driver's side dash had gotten wet from rain water leaking into it and subsequently shorted out requiring $2350 replacement via dealer. This IS A Huge problem.... however, and wait for it. IT IS NOT DUE TO THE SUNROOF.... I know this with absolute certainty because I have 3 2006-2010 xc90's and NONE HAVE SUNROOFS but all 3 had to have CEM reprogrammed. I can't understand why NOTHING has been done about this... it's absurd.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11582404
2006 Volvo XC90Electrical systemSeats & seat belts

the drivers side electric seat controls are causing unsafe driving conditions. i drive with the seat all the way back and down. I have the memory sets all for that position. Problem is when I get back in the car it will be back up and forward al the way. So i will set it back down. Well while ia m driving it will automatically start raising back up and forward. As you can imagine this gets very uncomfortable and feels like i am getting choked to death. I will set it back and it will keep doing that . I will...

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hear clicking and then it will start moving. sometimes. i will have to hold my finger on the down button to keep it from moving on me while im driving, sometimes it will still move all the way up while i am holding the button down. and then it will get all the way forward and the buttons will not work for me for a while. Im stuck in the forward up position choking and cant do anything about it. Eventually they will start working again nut its a very impossible position to be left in. I don't know why it is doing this. I feel like I have a Christine car(from the movie) . I haven't taken it anywhere and not sure where to go. I feel like the dealer would try to hide the problem.

Filed Incident Electrical system · SeatsNHTSA 11440370
2005 Volvo XC90Electrical system

I had filled an earlier complaint and this to be added to the earlier form that I had filled needs to go to the engineering department. See photo the electrical complaint from the magnetic electrical beings in me and in this picture I believe is about design of the fuses in vehicle and what they are tryin to communicate here I believe would be the distance between the positive and negative connections like what it is doing to them as it goes through those types of fuses. What I believe to be what happens to them in...

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those plastic fuses and would like them the fuse to be designed further apart a little bit bigger than a penny and with the connection straight across and not going up and down and back through it self. The magnetic beings would like to see the connections straight across so that they don't interfere with each other while traveling through the substraight. Not sure but you were this type of being you would try and communicated these things and design well just look and if you would like they like the older glass fuse with the stainless steel design. If you could they are asking that you the ntsb go back redesign a fuse that don't go back into itself they like straight across the connections to give them better flow. Reminder this goes to the earlier form that I wrote to you it an addition information cause they are important part of this world I am referring to the magnetic beings in electricity in every vehicle made and need to be taken into more consideration especially when making systems that heavily rely on the entities. They the beings are asking this of you thentsb to take them more into consideration as we us them rely on them the invisible magnetic electrical beings more and to develop friendlier and heavier system for them because the design now is making them sick and they are I am asking for the entities that you make healthyelectricity

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11340785
2006 Volvo XC90Electrical systemBody, doors & structureFuel system

Water leaking from an unknown place gathering in passenger side floor ! Causing many electrical problems! Vehicle was in idol and cut off will not restart leaving my young daughter and I stranded! While investigating and removing carpet came to realize they were 30 gallons of water under carpet!! Looking into it more online noticed many many many others have expressed this same problem! Why is not an important issue to volvo to want to fix this problem?? Why wasn't this problem issued for recall???? Does son have to die of physically harmed for their to be a recall for this ongoing problem

Filed Incident Electrical system · Structure · Fuel / propulsion systemNHTSA 11320450
2007 Volvo XC90Electrical systemDriver assistance

The issue first started on ma 3rd, 2019. I was driving down the highway on my way to the beach. The road was a little bumpy and then all of the sudden my car lost all power and shut itself off. It through 3 codes, 1. Immobilizer, 2. Engine control module and 3. Climate control module. I was able to have it towed home. My husband decided to research what could cause these issues. He located a youtube video that was posted 2 years ago regarding the ecm & ccm fuses. The man recording the video experienced the same...

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problems, and found that the fuse for the two items have blown. My husband thought maybe that might be the issue. He located the fuses and found that both of them were in fact blown. He replaced them both with brand new fuzes and the car started right now.. The next day, I drove to work with no issues and to and from lunch. On my way home, about 3 miles from work, I went down a side street as there was an accident and traffic was backed up. The side street had speed bumps. The went over the first one with no issue, and the next one is about 100 - 200 feet after, as soon as my back tires were over the 2nd bump, the car shut it self off again and I was stuck (may 6th 2019). My husband shown my where the fuzes was and left extras in the storage area on the safe side. Again, both were blown. Once they were replaced for a 2nd time, car started. Now fast forward 5 months, the road from my dads house is being repaved, as you can image very bumpy. I made it over all the bumps just fine, but as soon as I crossed over a major road, the car shut itself off again... This time I did not have extra fuzes, called a tow (october 11 2019). We were able to replace the fuzes again. Now the next day everything was fine again, but the same thing happened two more times (october 12, 2019). And now the car sits in my driveway, as I feel very unsafe to drive it.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Unknown or other · Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 11270345
2008 Volvo XC90Electrical systemSeats & seat beltsDriver assistance

2008 Volvo xc90 v8 has been towed 3x in the past month. The battery has completely and inconsistently drained. They checked relay switches, fuses, alternator, starter, battery connections, etc. 3X in the shop! So fed up. Car is now in shop and I've read that volvo is in a class action lawsuit for battery drain from sirius radio even if you do not have the subscription. They are charging me $135 to diagnose at volvo right now. It hasn't been diagnosed as that is the problem yet, but the service manager is inclined...

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to think that's what it is. Clearly they are aware of the problem. Also got stuck completely in drivers side seat belt and then it wouldn't work at all. Having door opening problems on driver side door and I'm just super frustrated. This has affected my business and seeing customers, etc.

Filed Incident Electrical system · Seat belts · Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 11242605
2007 Volvo XC90SteeringElectrical system

On or about february 06, 2019, our 2007 volvo xc-90 experienced a steering lock failure. That is the lock could not advance to the start position and consequently locked the key in the ignition switch. The lock would not advance. Consequently performed the following: a) consulted volvo owner's manual. The manual was silent on this. Since the vehicle was parked nose first in our garage, again consulted the volvo owner's manual to find out how to manually get the volvo out of park. Volvo's manual was silent...

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on this. B)contacted north town volvo dealer for advice. Response was to get the vehicle in by towing. No advice as to how to disengage the volvo's park feature. C)contacted volvo's on line chat service and received the same response. No help! Get the car towed in! D)contacted in collision and auto repair. They suggested a 2006 you tube video showing how to disengage the park function. This worked and the volvo 2007 xc-90 was towed to in collision and auto repair. It took three weeks to repair the lock for the parts had to come from germany. Pictures of the failed lock assembly are enclosed. After the lock repair, in collision performed the following: a)replaced radiator: the radiator had a small leak since the get-go. Brought the volvo in several times to north town volvo and they could not find it. During a visit to them the coolant was topped off at no charge and I apparently observed, but it was denied by the service advisor, the service advisor dropping something into the coolant expansion tank. Compared to the new coolant after radiator replacement, it is much clearer without the darken flakey consistency of the previous coolant of which was like that since the get-go. B)replaced hvac blower motor due to failure. C)cleaned up driver side door security contacts so that the power door locks lock when the alarm is toggled.

Filed Incident Steering · Electrical systemNHTSA 11194414
2005 Volvo XC90Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 volvo xc90. Ever since the vehicle was purchased in november of 2018, there had been several electrical failures. The headlights, power door locks, and power rearview mirror failed to operate. Also, the transmission caused the vehicle to jerk and stall while driving. The contact took the vehicle to an unknown volvo dealer, but they refused to provide diagnostic testing and stated that there was no recall or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 14,042.

Filed Incident Power train · Electrical systemNHTSA 11173516
2006 Volvo XC90SteeringSuspensionElectrical system

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 volvo xc90. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would pull to the right. The vehicle was taken to crippen volvo (8300 w. Saginaw hwy, lansing, mi), but the failure could not be duplicated. Approximately one month later, while driving 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly pulled hard to the right and the driver nearly lost control of the steering. After stopping the vehicle, it was discovered that the front passenger side tie rod ball joint failed and the wheels were not properly positioned....

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The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer and the tie rod was damaged. The contact indicated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 06v155000 (steering) although the vehicle experienced the same failure listed in the recall. Also, on several occasions, the vehicle could not be immediately started. While driving various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly shut off and caused the power steering and power brakes to become inoperable. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 130,000. *Tt*jb

Filed Incident Steering · Suspension · Electrical systemNHTSA 11150156
2008 Volvo XC90Electrical system

Fan control module not functioning properly. Loss of cooling system function and engine overheats. Air conditioner doesn't work properly. Mechanic has confirmed it is the fan control module that is failing. Same year different vehicles have same issues in case # nhtsa campaign id number: 09v218000 n/a

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 11123204

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked daily. Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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