Volvo V90 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used Volvo V90 options? We analyzed 5 model years (2017–2021) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Volvo V90 has 17 owner complaints and 9 safety recalls across model years 2017–2021. The most reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. 2019 drew the most complaints; 2021 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Volvo
- Model
- V90
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2021 (5 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 17
- Safety recall campaigns
- 9
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2019 (4 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2021 (2 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING
- Reliability signal
- Good
By model year
Volvo V90: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
GoodThe VOLVO V90 has 17 NHTSA complaints and 9 recalls on record. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 17 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 9 federal recall campaigns
- No crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
9 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
AIR BAGS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2021. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 17 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
17 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
This vehicle recently started experiencing a peeling dashboard on the passenger side immediately near/on the airbag region. This peeling has caused the upholstered leather to come apart from the underpinning of the dashboard and is now a safety issue. There is concern that the passenger side airbag system will not work as intended given the delamination on the dashboard. After some Googling, this was apparently a known issue that Volvo knew about as early as 2017 through 2020. They issued at least two verifiable Technical Journals (TJ 29012.6.0 and TJ 29012.5.0) and requested that anyone with this issue bring it to their dealership for replacement. However, after contacting the dealership and Volvo North America, I was told that they would not be fixing this safety issue.
The 2017 trim leather dash panel cover peals significantly on the upper side and front side facing passenger. This may affect the airbag expensing by interfering with parts of the dash panel and could also introduce second harm in cases of these components flying out in high speed.
Rear lights have accumulated condensation during rain on multiple occasions, and then will stop working and cause an error code in the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system.
In the past two years, my car has had 3 wheel sensors fail. When a wheel sensor fails while driving, things can get dangerous. When this happens, the following systems immediately fail in a chain reaction of events: ABS system, ESC Control, tire pressure monitoring, and loss of power. It’s dangerous when it happens on the road because the brakes are not working and the accelerator won’t accelerate. I have to pull off the road immediately to get out of the way of traffic. This is the 3rd time it’s happened and I’ve only driven the car 9k miles since I bought it. That’s a very high fail rate for a seemingly important piece. The 3rd incident also triggered a “transmission service required” message. This car only has 37,600 miles on it. I rarely drive it. This should not be happening unless Volvo is using defective parts.
Rear light malfunction alert. Intermittent. Seems to happen when humidity is high.
A medium rain caused water to enter the rear taillights and short out, causing malfunctions for both sides. The forums and Facebooks are littered with these post. It’s not off but when. It’s a poor design and safety hazard that is costing to repair.
Read 11 more owner reports
Rear light malfunction alert. Intermittent. Seems to happen when humidity is high.
A medium rain caused water to enter the rear taillights and short out, causing malfunctions for both sides. The forums and Facebooks are littered with these post. It’s not off but when. It’s a poor design and safety hazard that is costing to repair.
Rear taillight failure due to moisture incursion. No message appeared, but light failure was observed less than a month ago. Car is in for regular service now and item is being replaced at great personal expense, since it will not pass required safety inspection until repaired. Reporting this here because it is a known problem for hundreds of owners of this vehicle, and should be subject to a safety recall, but Volvo has repeated refused to address this flaw. Please see the documentation here of many other instances of same: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear taillight failure due to moisture incursion. No message appeared, but light failure was observed less than a month ago. Car is in for regular service now and item is being replaced at great personal expense, since it will not pass required safety inspection until repaired. Reporting this here because it is a known problem for hundreds of owners of this vehicle, and should be subject to a safety recall, but Volvo has repeated refused to address this flaw. Please see the documentation here of many other instances of same: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was at a stop street in Toledo and was pulling out onto a four lane street. I pressed the accelerator and the car crept slowly onto the street for about two or three seconds and the surged to about 3000 rpms and 20-25 mph. This has happened repeatedly an on occasion the delay has been 4-5 seconds. The dealership denies that there is a problem and refuses to repair the car.
I was at a stop street in Toledo and was pulling out onto a four lane street. I pressed the accelerator and the car crept slowly onto the street for about two or three seconds and the surged to about 3000 rpms and 20-25 mph. This has happened repeatedly an on occasion the delay has been 4-5 seconds. The dealership denies that there is a problem and refuses to repair the car.
I JUST SWAP MY VOLVO S90 2018 FOR A VOLVO V90-CC 2020. THIS VEHICLE HAS A EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF WINDSHIELD GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD & HEADS-UP DISPLAY THAT CREATES A GREAT AMOUNT OF DISTRACTION AND VERTIGO WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAN CREATE SUCH OF DISTRACTION THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP US REVIEW THIS ISSUE. *TR
I JUST SWAP MY VOLVO S90 2018 FOR A VOLVO V90-CC 2020. THIS VEHICLE HAS A EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF WINDSHIELD GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD & HEADS-UP DISPLAY THAT CREATES A GREAT AMOUNT OF DISTRACTION AND VERTIGO WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAN CREATE SUCH OF DISTRACTION THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP US REVIEW THIS ISSUE. *TR
I JUST SWAP MY VOLVO S90 2018 FOR A VOLVO V90-CC 2020. THIS VEHICLE HAS A EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF WINDSHIELD GLARE FROM THE DASHBOARD & HEADS-UP DISPLAY THAT CREATES A GREAT AMOUNT OF DISTRACTION AND VERTIGO WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAN CREATE SUCH OF DISTRACTION THAT I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. PLEASE HELP US REVIEW THIS ISSUE. *TR
In our 2021 Volvo XC90, the hybrid battery has completely failed, which I suspect is a common issue in this model. The error message is Hybrid System Failure, and the dealership has confirmed that the entire battery will need replacement. Volvo has not listed this car as subject to a recall over this issue, and I suspect they are underplaying its frequency. We have been waiting weeks for a replacement to become available.
In our 2021 Volvo XC90, the hybrid battery has completely failed, which I suspect is a common issue in this model. The error message is Hybrid System Failure, and the dealership has confirmed that the entire battery will need replacement. Volvo has not listed this car as subject to a recall over this issue, and I suspect they are underplaying its frequency. We have been waiting weeks for a replacement to become available.
Showing 17 of 17 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
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Before you buy, check the exact Volvo V90
These pages show model-year patterns across 5 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used Volvo V90, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Volvo V90 has 17 complaints on record across 5 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Volvo V90 has 9 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 0 of the Volvo V90's 17 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Good) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Volvo V90 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two Volvo V90 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Volvo V90 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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By state
Check a Volvo V90 by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used Volvo V90.
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Volvo V90 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the Volvo V90 reliable?
Good. The Volvo V90 has 17 NHTSA owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which Volvo V90 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2019 (4 complaints), 2020 (3 complaints), 2021 (2 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common Volvo V90 problems?
Top reported issues: EXTERIOR LIGHTING (7 complaints); ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (4 complaints); VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL (3 complaints).
Does the Volvo V90 have recalls?
Yes — 9 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the Volvo V90. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.