2017-2024 Volvo V90 Problems: 6 Known Issues

Both the V90 wagon and the V90 Cross Country are named in NHTSA recall 20V144000 for model years 2019 and 2020. The defect is not mechanical: a software/hardware incompatibility in the car's active-safety electronics means the Automatic Emergency Brake system may not detect obstacles and may not engage as intended. Nothing about the brakes themselves is defective — normal pedal braking is unaffected — but the automated intervention layer a V90 owner is paying for may be inert, which NHTSA states can increase crash risk. The campaign as a whole covers 121,605 Volvo vehicles across all models included; that figure is not specific to the V90.

The 2021 Volvo V90 — the wagon and, per NHTSA's listing, the V90 Cross Country — is included in Volvo Car USA's recall 21V682000. The defect is in the seat belt automatic locking retractor, the mechanism that locks the belt once it is drawn fully out so it can clamp a child seat in place. On affected V90s that mechanism may deactivate early, which can prevent a child restraint system from being secured properly. NHTSA logged the recall as a failure to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," with the consequence that an unsecured child restraint increases the risk of injury in a crash. The 19,149-vehicle figure attached to this recall is the campaign-wide total covering every Volvo model in it.

Only the 2022 model year of the V90 is named in this Volvo rear-visibility recall (the V90 Cross Country is listed separately in the same campaign). On these wagons, the rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse, so the car does not comply with FMVSS 111, "Rear Visibility." NHTSA lists the defective component as back-over prevention software. The practical effect for a V90 owner is the one NHTSA describes: without the camera image, your view behind a long wagon is reduced and the risk of a backing crash increases. Because it is a software fault, no camera or harness parts are involved in the fix. The 413,151 units NHTSA reports is the total across the entire campaign and all models in it — it is not a count of 2022 V90s. Note that 25V908000 replaces the earlier recall 25V282.

Only the 2022 model year V90 plug-in hybrid falls under NHTSA campaign 25V179000, making this a narrow but serious recall for V90 owners. The defect is a possible short circuit within a module of the high-voltage battery, occurring when the battery is fully charged and the car is parked. NHTSA lists the consequence as an increased risk of fire. Volvo's interim guidance is unusually blunt for a recall: do not charge the vehicle until it has been repaired. The 7,483-unit figure NHTSA publishes is the size of the whole campaign across every Volvo plug-in hybrid model named in it, and says nothing about how many 2022 V90s are involved.

The Sensus touchscreen infotainment system freezes, goes black, or reboots randomly. This affects navigation, climate control (which is controlled through the screen), and media. Early models are most affected, but it persists to some degree across model years.

The V90 with optional rear air suspension (also optional on the Cross Country) develops air spring leaks and compressor failure. The rear air springs crack from thermal cycling and UV exposure, leaking air slowly. The compressor then overworks to maintain ride height, eventually failing. The V90 Cross Country with air suspension may be particularly affected because the higher ride height puts more stress on the air springs. Failure typically occurs between 50,000-80,000 miles.