When driving slowly to enter a parking garage, the steering wheel on the car started to feel stiff, and as I completed the turn, there was a loud snapping sound. The dashboard showed an urgent fault saying “SRS Airbag Urgent - Drive To Workshop”. I drove it to the Volvo dealer. The steering wheel was having problems turning left. When the dealer attempted to move the car, it was then unable to turn left at all. So, the steering wheel completely failed.
2016 Volvo XC90 complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2016 record →
My rear door, driver-side, will not unlock. I cannot open it from inside nor outside. I have cycled door and child-lock actuators and no change to the condition. This is definitely a safety concern as whatever happened to the driver-side mechanism can happen to the passenger side also then how would passengers exit quickly?
Low engine coolent alert started and when we got home we noticed that the coolant had leaked.
When driving and stop in a traffic light, for example, the Volvo ignition going off and I have to re-start it. The problem is rooted probably in the fuse associated with Volvo's stop/start motor. I found that other models have had the same problem, like the recall#R39574 and the reference safety campaign #15V555000.If the fuse blows in traffic, it could increase the risk of an accident, especially a rear-end collision.
Doors do not latch. Started in the winter. Car has to warm up some so far. It might pop open. This is reported all over the internet
In cold weather, doors will not close back once opened. It just bounces back at you. Thought door was closed a few times and it flew open on highway when exiting. My niece was in the back seat. How is this not recalled with multiple complaints on the Volvo forum?
I OWNED A 2016 VOLVO XC 90 IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. IN EARLY SEPTEMBER 2023, I TOOK IT FOR AN OIL SERVICE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I NOTICED A WARNING LIGHT FOR LOW COOLANT AND WAS SURPRISED THAT I HAD TO POUR MORE THAN A HALF GALLON TO REFILL (THIS SOON AFTER SERVICE). A FEW DAYS LATER, I TOOK THE CAR TO HAVE BRAKES CHANGED AND THEY ALSO NEEDED TO REPLACE AN OIL/AIR SEPARATOR PART. AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK, IT SAT ON DRIVEWAY FOR WEEK. UPON RETURNING FROM OUR TRIP, MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR AND IT STARTED SMOKING FROM HOOD WHILE ON [XXX] IN CHICAGO, NO WARNING LIGHTS SEEN. SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE AN EXIT RAMP AND FIND AN EMPTY CURBSIDE SPACE TO PULL OVER. WITHIN MINUTES THE SMOKE TURNED TO FIRE AND VEHICLE BURNED EXTENSIVELY BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED (~15 MINUTES LATER). THE INSURANCE COMPANY (STATE FARM) DECLARED IT A TOTAL LOSS AND SETTLED OUR CLAIM, HOWEVER WE DO NOT BELIEVE THEY TOOK ANY FURTHER ACTION ON INVESTIGATING THE REASON FOR FIRE. WE BELIEVE THE FIRE WAS LIKELY RELATED TO ISSUE WITH COOLANT SYSTEM. WE NOTICED A PUDDLE ON DRIVEWAY WHERE THE CAR WAS PARKED THAT LOOKED LIKE OIL, BUT IT DRIED QUITE QUICKLY SO WAS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN COOLANT. ON SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR FIRE RELATED ISSUE FOR VOLVOS, WE FOUND A FORUM THAT DISCUSSED A SERIES OF FIRES (10-12) FOR 2016 VOLVO XC90 RELATED TO COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS, THOUGH APPEARS TO BE FOCUSED ON EUROPEAN DIESEL MODELS. IN DISCUSSING THE ISSUE WITH THE REPAIR SHOP THAT LAST SER
I have a 2016 XC90, been letting Volvo know of my oil consumption since Feb 2022 when I noticed more oil being used before changes were due! My vehicle failed the oil test performed on 12/6/23 at Volvo on Manchester in St Louis, and now this Volvo extended warranty won’t cover it. Why? Well, I never received anything from Volvo and wasn’t even aware until the service advisor told me to call. A “ticket” was put in with Volvo headquarters on 12/8/23 and they state that I’m out of the extended warranty, yet I NEVER had any opportunity to even get it since I didn’t receive anything! They want to replace where the current leak is, which is $2600, then do another test! This was my first actual oil consumption test! Despite bringing it to my advisor at the time, which I was well within these “extended warranty parameters” such as mileage, my advisor never suggested this test back in 2022. I was just informed in December 2023 there is a Volvo lawsuit regarding oil consumption. Apparently letters were sent out to Volvo customers of this “extended warranty” opportunity to fix the issue, which I never received anything! I was informed by the dealership to reach out to Volvo headquarters, which I have, a case was put in and 24 hours later I received an email stating they would NOT assist as I’m outside of those “warranty guidelines!.” Like I’ve advised them, how is an owner to know of this extended warranty if we weren’t notified!! it will be $2,600 to fix the current consumption THEN th
Both of the rear doors fail to unlock and open from the inside or outside. This is a safety issue, as in a fire or accident, I would not be able to remove my children from the back seat of the car.
On a travel trip to Seattle, we stopped at few stop, and when my sons tried to exit the rear doors, both would not open. Neither from the inside or outside. Nothing worked. Upon searching, this is a very common issue with the 2016+ models. When inquiring with volvo, it will cost anywhere from 1000-2000 per door to fix the "locking" mechanism which they say can corrode. Ridiculous. This is a major safety issue if passengers can't exit. I've never had a car which a door can't be opened.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that the rear door latches and locks were frozen and no longer opened or closed as designed. The contact stated he no longer attempts to open the door out of concern that the door will no longer be able to be closed properly. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that water had entered the rear door locking mechanism. The door locks had not been repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The DIM (driver/driving instrument module), also known as the dashboard, on my vehicle suddenly stopped showing anything (speed, gas or battery charge level, etc.) recently, although there is still power (I could see the background lighting in the dark) and the vehicle can still be driven. This is certainly a severe safety issue. I had my vehicle checked at a Volvo Dealership shop; their diagnosis concluded that the entire DIM needs to be replaced; software update alone won't solve the issue. I shared this issue at a social media site (Volvo XC90 Owners Club at Facebook) and several others said to have had the same or similar issues with the DIM. I'd suggest Volvo to recall this safety issue.
Yesterday I had my vehicle checked at a Volvo Dealership shop for the malfunction of the DIM (driver/driving instrument module, also known as dashboard; I have filed a separate compliant about this common problem.), their diagnosis also found a critical malfunction of the steering wheel module, which needs to be replaced with stalks. This is a potentially very serious safety issue. I'd suggest Volvo to recall this safety issue.
Car had a known issue regarding inappropriate oil consumption and was awaiting repair by Volvo dealership. While merging onto highway and accelerating, car lurched, check engine light came on, and shortly after there was a warning regarding reduced performance. The car was maneuvered to the closest exit and parked. During this time, approx 90secs, all major warning lights came on and smoke started coming up from engine. We quickly pulled to the side of the road (was unable to put car in park) and exited the vehicle as smoke was entering the cabin. There was a fire under the engine compartment that quickly engulfed and consumed the front of thr car.
What seems to be a plastic coolant line cracked and is leaking antifreeze everywhere. Found a recall that mentions this but my vehicle is not listed. NHTSA campaign number: 19V308. Volvo's own number for this recall is R29936.
It came to my attention this summer that my 2016 Volvo XC90 has an extensive sunroof drainage problem that has resulted in major leaks in the interior of the car and that has destroyed the electrical system which impacts everything (airbags, speed control, back up camera, object alert warnings, etc. It was impossible to have knowledge of this problem until it was too late (like cancer). Many dashboard lights came on, the car was acting funning, back-up camera did not work, AC worked intermittently, standing water in trunk, headliner water damage, etc. Onboard diagnostic system also not working. I have attached the preliminary report but dealership saying they need to pull up carpets, seats and dash to get to a full diagnosis. Here's summary I put together(Volvo Corp won't really communicate w/consumer). I have photos if needed: I also spent time the last several days continuing to do my research. It takes little more than a google search to understand the widespread sunroom drainage/leak issue with many Volvos. There are too many articles to list, but here is one: [XXX] recalls 127K vehicles due to leak The recall covers 2016 and 2017 XC90 SUVs and S90 sedans Myriad Facebook complaints I also spoke to service managers at various other Volvo dealerships. They have seen and continue to see this sunroof drainage problem and according to them, it is not minor nor unique. They agreed that the first incomplete estimate (~$3,500) that dealership is just that: incomplete. They said t
Main Cooling system hose burst while driving down the road. Volvo Dealer said extremely rare for this to occur. Car overheated, all warning lights appeared and coolant exploded under hood all while driving.Had to have repaired $1000. Also a water leak inside 3rd row & leaks from rear view mirror area. Caused electrical damage to main system computer module, had to have replaced $2000+. All work done at volvo dealer. No frame damage,no missing parts, dealer stated unknown reason. Same thing is now happening a 2nd time and warranty will not cover water damage. Have spoken with others experiencing the same problem with roof leak. No alarms came on prior to combustion/main hose top engine area before break. Happend immediately, unexpectedly
The low coolant warning went off and the turn off engine notification came on. I turned off my vehicle and noticed all the coolant leaking out the bottom underneath the car. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic and I was given this diagnosis: Found cooling system low, pressure tested and located a slip line that runs from the coolant crossover tube to under the intake manifold. Coolant pipe runs from the crossover pipe down to the engine oil cooler. Volvo has an updated part number due to high failure rate of the component.
I own a 2016 XC90 that was regularly serviced by the Volvo dealer we bought the car from. My son and I were in my car on 08/02/2023 and we were at a stop light and something smelt a little off so my son put his window down to get fresh air. Then, we accelerated when the light turned green. Within 100 yds of accelerating my check engine light when on and simultaneously I lost acceleration. It was clear that something was wrong. I told my son we needed to unbuckle our seat belts and jump out of the car when I could get us safely stopped. We coasted into a parking lot where I found a safe spot to stop. While coasting I looked at my car screen to see if there was oil or other fluid that was low, but there was no indicator of a problem other than the check engine light that had just gone on at the same time as I lost the ability to accelerate. When the car stopped, I grabbed my purse next to me and before we were to the sidewalk the car was engulfed in smoke and then flames. Our lives were at risk within two minutes of the check engine light coming on. This car was on fire in a parking lot of a pediatricians office around other cars with young families inside. It was scary and extremely unsafe for my son and I and many other people who were around the vehicle. Our car received each recall replacement/fix that was identified. This was extremely scary and unsafe, it put our lives and others' lives at risk within 2 minutes. We along with many others called 911, the situation was imme
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced high oil consumption. After adding oil to the engine, the message "Oil Level Low" was display within three weeks. Additionally, while operating the vehicle the message "low engine function" had displayed and the vehicle would not properly accelerate and was jerking. The contact also discovered puddles of water inside the rear trunk of the vehicle with electrical wires and components submerged in the water. The vehicle had experienced various electrical failures with the back-up camera malfunctioning. In addition, there was mold inside the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted regarding the failures. The failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not included.
Previous issues with brakes, suspension, leaking sunroof, electrical and gauges. Vehicle became disabled due to defect with coolant system, smoke from engine compartment, towed to Monterery Volvo (dealership/service center identified issues with coolant leak present turbo & cooling Plastic pipe. Cruise control-Vacuum Pump: Found vacuum pump leaking oil. Estimated repair $5,414.38
For last 2 years, my 2016 xc90 has kept request to add oil every 1 or 2 month. In May, 2023, my car speed suddenly reduced the speed to 25 miles and the turtle sign popped up. It was very dangerous when I drove it on the highway, it was almost get hit by the car after me. After I sent to dealer, I was told that the the cylinder of the engine did not work. The engine light has been on and off many times. I sent my car to the dealer regularly for the maintenance
My vehicle’s SOS, On Call safety functions no longer work. In addition my navigation system no longer works properly. In the event of an accident These key safety features would not be able to alert emergency services or locate my position. This is a direct result in a flawed vehicle modem that uses the 3G network not supported by cellular carriers. Volvo has a solution that would cost me $850 to remedy this safety design flaw. Volvo should fix this key safety issue as it puts my family at risk if we are involved in an accident
My 2016 Volvo XC90's engine has suffered from high oil consumption that has required excessive servicing and additions of motor oil. These issues began several years ago when the XC90's low oil warning message appeared. The local Volvo dealership said my XC90 had an oil leak and it would cost over $10,000 to determine the source of the leak. So the Volvo dealership suggested that I regularly put 2 quarts of oil in the engine every couple hundred miles, which I have done. Despite the Volvo dealership's speculative guess, no oil leakage was ever seen and there was never any oil pooling under the vehicle. Then on Sunday, June 25, 2023, out of nowhere a "reduced engine performance" message popped up. The XC90 swerved, almost causing a wreck, while greatly decreasing speed in traffic on the interstate. I was barely able to get to the next exit where the engine died. Our car had to be towed over 30 miles to the nearest Volvo dealership. The engine was leaking oil throughout the engine compartment, including fully coating the spark plugs. Additionally, the motor mount is broken in multiple places causing the engine to shake wildly. Now I am told the engine is destroyed and will cost $20,000-$24,000 to replace. Volvo knows about the defective pistons and piston rings in the 2016 XC90 engines, as illustrated by Technical Journal 31216.6.0, but has never issued a recall. The local Volvo service dept. never checked, much less replaced the defective pistons and piston rings, even though
My XC90 had the oil consumption issue that I started reporting at 50K miles and Volvo finally performed a piston ring replacement at 80K miles under a service action. Fuel injectors were also replaced by the Dealer. On our first long distance trip from Tallahassee to Atlanta, the car lost all power and stopped on I-75, almost killing us. It had to be towed and the dealer says that the engine was flooded by fuel due to fuel pump module failure causing fuel injectors to stay activated and engine needs to be replaced. I believe that the issue was caused by the repair not being done correctly or the time it took Volvo to take responsibility for the oil consumption issue and subsequent repair.
The indicators do not work randomly and we have had near miss accidents. The bulbs are in good working order. The stalk functions correctly. The computer after several seconds flashes up a message that the system has failed. Clearly the system is not safe as it’s designed. If Volvo are using a computer system to operate the lights it should be sufficiently reliable and fault tolerant to maintain safe operation of the vehicle.
Vehicle caught fire after exiting freeway. Warning light turned on to check oil, immediately followed by smoke and flames from engine bay. Driver exited vehicle, call 911, fire was dispatched and extinguished fire. Vehicle suffered extensive fire/smoke damage and is a total loss.
Like you know now most 2016 volvo xc90 are burning oil 2-3 quarts every 1500 miles car is smoking blue smoke most of the xc90 2016 with 2.0 liter engine volvo has like extended warranty up to 100k on some cars but cars where burning oil from 2016 year most cars are over 100k volvo will not help fix issue . No check engine light on cars ! You stay behind the muffler can’t breath how bad it stinks no check engine passing emission like that !!! I don’t have money to pay $11000 to replace pistons rings volvo will not help so guess this car will smoke and can pass emission
The door locks FREEZE SHUT in the winter. You CANNOT open the affected door(s). This is a widespread, serious safety issue and Volvo has done nothing about it. A passenger could die if unable to exit the vehicle. Note that both of my rear passenger door LOCKS - not just the door seals, the LOCKS - have done this repeatedly during my ownership. The vehicle is kept out of the elements in a garage.
Rear doors will fail to latch shut in cold weather. Repeated closings of the door (slammed or gentle) fails to latch shut for up to 10 minutes or more. On last occasion door appeared to be shut, but while driving door came open (almost hitting 2 children waiting for school bus). TSB exists for this problem but some claim problem to persist after repair. Do not feel safe driving the car anymore for fear of a repeat incident of door coming open, especially while moving at speed with passengers in the back.
Our car has shut down in the middle of traffic due to the oil going from full to empty in a few hundred miles. Oil change was recently done with synthetic oil and only had driven a few hundred miles when it went to empty. I had to buy a quart of oil at the gas station. I need to put an extra quart of oil every few hundred miles due to excessive oil consumption.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated the vehicle was leaking and consuming engine oil. The contact checked and became aware that there was no oil in the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed an oil consumption test and determined that the piston rings and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Engine consuming lots of oil. sometimes it fails to accelerate when I press the accelerator pedal.
First, the rear passenger side door latch failed at 57k miles, allegedly due to water intrusion. They replaced with a revised part - p/n 32310869. Now at 63k miles, the driver side rear door latch failed in the same way. This compromises safety because it renders the rear seats completely inaccessible. I could not get my children out of the back seat through traditional means. The problem has been confirmed by a dealership and is well documented online. There was no warning or indication when the part had failed. The passenger door stopped working "regularly" (intermittently would not open) a few days before it failed entirely. The driver rear door gave no advanced notice.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that she became aware the engine oil level was lower than needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
When temperatures drop below freezing, the rear door latches will not latch closed. Our children have to hang onto the doors to keep them from swinging open on corners while they also try not to fall out of the vehicle. Dealer says this is a common problem on this model, and is known to Volvo. They’ve attempted to regrease, and advised that the technical service bulletin provided by Volvo does not fix the issue (attempting to reseal window above latch to keep from water intrusion/freezing).
Engine oil consumption issue. Engine is consuming a quart of oil every 1,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while driving down a hill and depressing the brake pedal, water started leaking through the sunroof. The contact stated he noticed water in the trunk of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the seals of the sunroof and the sunroof motor to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the front air strut needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Engine coolant line leaking from a faulty coolant pipe. Which can potentially cause fire.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving in the rain, water was entering into the vehicle from the sunroof onto the rearview mirror and the control display. Additionally, the contact also noticed that water was coming from the speakers. The contact called the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic who stated that tracks on the sunroof seal needed to be repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
Warning to add a quart of oil. Dealer investigated and found loss of compression in 2/4 cylinders. Dealer indicates that a ring and piston job will have to be done for all cylinders. Dealer also indicated they were aware of such problems with the rings wearing improperly. Therefore car burns oil. We are currently awaiting the extended warranty company to agree to pay for the repairs. The car has < 50000 miles and has received all recommended service at the dealer. I understand this is a problem with these cars. As failure of the cylinders could cause an accident, why is there no recall and if Volvo knew of the problem why did they not warn us.
Every 1500 miles or less, engine looses oil. Adding a quart of oil each week once it passes the 1500 trip mile. Also SRS warning light has come on, was told it was the seat harness that has a airbag module in which the airbag possibly won’t deploy in an accident. Dealer indicated it is not covered nor will the manufacturer repair it. These two issues can cause the engine to get on fire and the airbags not deploy in an accident which I believe are safety related.
Driving on the far left lane of the freeway and the engine needs coolant light came on. I started to change lanes, and by the time I got all the way to the right the car said turn off engine. The car started to smoke and I had to stop on the freeway in the right shoulder. Called a tow truck they picked up the car. and towed it to a local shop. This car had just been in for regular maitance at Rusnak Pasadena Volvo dealership. The car was taken to Bertone Motorsport and they discovered a coolant hose failure. They replaced the hose and bleed the cooling system.
The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH with his four children sitting in the rear of the vehicle, the parking brake engaged independently and the vehicle stopped abruptly. The contact stated that the seat belts engaged to the point of choking himself and the passengers. Additionally, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle resumed normal driving independently and he was able to drive to his residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would stall while driving. The message "Loss of Power" was displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle would occasionally start only when jumpstarted. The contact stated that the vehicle would often times be restarted within an hour. The dealer was notified and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Driving at highway speed and a sudden loss of power. Vehicle has a history oil consumption. Seems that engine has a major defect. Waiting on a second estimate, seems a known catastrophic issue with pistons issue causing major engine work or possible replacement.
SRS Airbag Service Urgent Drive to workshop light has come on twice. I was told by dealership it is a faulty wire harness where the airbags could possibly deploy if I was in an accident. Volvo does have a recall for the exact issue yet my VIN does not fall in this recall.
The engine was losing almost a quart of oil every thousand miles. It did not always notify me when it was low on oil. No one's safety was put at risk. I ended up refilling a total of 3 quarts before taking it to the dealer. The dealer said that the front crankshaft seal was leaking, and the oil was dripping down it and onto the side and bottom of the oil pan.
Oil consumption issue every 1500 miles engine requires top off oil 1 qt other wise piston rings can ignite damage engine result in loss of power.
The issue began in April 2021, the engine burns oil and empties out every 1,500 or less. Contacted Volvo corp & dealership several times. Have gotten two things repaired by Volvo indicating those were the root issue of the oil consumption, not the case, continues to burn oil. Was told by the dealer that I have to continue to drive the vehicle until the low oil comes on for them to re-check the engine. Not sure if they want me to crack the engine while I drive for them to realize this is a serious issue.
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2016 Volvo XC90 → · Every XC90 year → · How the figures are calculated →