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2019 Volvo XC90 Owner Complaints

Updated May 30, 20262 Critical Recalls
Daniel Wilson

Complaint Summary

The 2019 Volvo XC90 has 41 reported complaints.

  • Top issues involve electrical system and engine.

Reliability Score

Reliability Score

7.0/ 10

Based on 41 complaints

Most Frequent Issues

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

9 22%

ENGINE

7 17.1%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

7 17.1%

SERVICE BRAKES

3 7.3%

AIR BAGS

3 7.3%

Quick Insights

  • The top category is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for 22% of all complaints.

  • Owners have reported issues across 16 distinct vehicle systems.

  • Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.

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Complaint Summary

What owners keep reporting on the 2019 Volvo XC90

The 2019 Volvo XC90 has 41 owner complaints in this dataset. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the most common complaint category, representing about 22% of the reports shown here.

Most common complaint categories

The top complaint groups for the 2019 Volvo XC90 are ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (9), ENGINE (7), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (7).

Are these complaints a serious red flag?

Potentially. 24 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.

What should buyers inspect on a used 2019 Volvo XC90?

Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.

Read the full buyer guideRecall report and remedy notesMaintenance costs and intervals2018 XC90 complaints2020 XC90 complaints2017 XC90 complaints

Detailed Complaint Log

Showing 16 of 16 systems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

9 Reports22% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

I PURCHASED MY NEW 2019 VOLVO XC90 ON DECEMBER 15, 2018. ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 29, 2018 I WAS WITH MY TWO CHILDREN WHEN THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE VEHICLE KEY RECOGNITION SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. MY VEHICLE GAVE ME THE ERROR 'VEHICLE KEY NOT FOUND. SEE OWNER'S MANUAL'. THIS LEFT MYSELF, MY 4 YEAR OLD AND MY 4 MONTH OLD STRANDED. THE LOCAL FORT MYERS DEALER SAID THEY REPLACED THE FOB ANTENNA. MY VEHICLE THEN HAD THE SAME PROBLEM FEBRUARY 14, 2019 LEAVING MYSELF AND MY TWO CHILDREN STRANDED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. VOLVO CLAIMED TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE VEHICLE AGAIN MALFUNCTIONED WHILE IN THE POSSESSION OF MCGRATH VOLVO OF FORT MYERS. AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2019 MY VEHICLE WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE MY KEYS AND WOULDN'T START, YET AGAIN LEAVING MYSELF AND MY TWO CHILDREN STRANDED. AFTER VOLVO TOLD ME THEY FIXED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A DEFECTIVE WIRE, I RECEIVED MY VEHICLE BACK. ON MARCH 6, 2019 I WAS DRIVING WITH MY THEN 6 MONTH OLD BABY WHEN MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF TWICE. AS I WAS DECELERATING, MY VEHICLE ENGINE SHUT OFF BY ITSELF AND ALL SCREENS IN THE VEHICLE WENT BLANK. THIS OCCURRED TWICE WHILE DECELERATING. VOLVO HAS HAD MY CAR SINCE MARCH 6, 2019 PROVIDING ME NO UPDATES AS OF TODAY, MARCH 19. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE 94 DAYS AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 35 DAYS, WITH ONLY 2387 MILES ON IT.

3/19/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED. A FUSE WAS REPLACED BY VOLVO CARS OF GREENVILLE (2668 LAURENS RD, GREENVILLE, SC 29607, (864) 288-5555); HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

7/17/2019

7 more complaints are available in this category.

ENGINE

7 Reports17% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

I PURCHASED MY NEW 2019 VOLVO XC90 ON DECEMBER 15, 2018. ON THE MORNING OF DECEMBER 29, 2018 I WAS WITH MY TWO CHILDREN WHEN THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION WITH THE VEHICLE KEY RECOGNITION SYSTEM WHICH ALLOWS FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. MY VEHICLE GAVE ME THE ERROR 'VEHICLE KEY NOT FOUND. SEE OWNER'S MANUAL'. THIS LEFT MYSELF, MY 4 YEAR OLD AND MY 4 MONTH OLD STRANDED. THE LOCAL FORT MYERS DEALER SAID THEY REPLACED THE FOB ANTENNA. MY VEHICLE THEN HAD THE SAME PROBLEM FEBRUARY 14, 2019 LEAVING MYSELF AND MY TWO CHILDREN STRANDED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. VOLVO CLAIMED TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT THE VEHICLE AGAIN MALFUNCTIONED WHILE IN THE POSSESSION OF MCGRATH VOLVO OF FORT MYERS. AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2019 MY VEHICLE WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE MY KEYS AND WOULDN'T START, YET AGAIN LEAVING MYSELF AND MY TWO CHILDREN STRANDED. AFTER VOLVO TOLD ME THEY FIXED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS A DEFECTIVE WIRE, I RECEIVED MY VEHICLE BACK. ON MARCH 6, 2019 I WAS DRIVING WITH MY THEN 6 MONTH OLD BABY WHEN MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF TWICE. AS I WAS DECELERATING, MY VEHICLE ENGINE SHUT OFF BY ITSELF AND ALL SCREENS IN THE VEHICLE WENT BLANK. THIS OCCURRED TWICE WHILE DECELERATING. VOLVO HAS HAD MY CAR SINCE MARCH 6, 2019 PROVIDING ME NO UPDATES AS OF TODAY, MARCH 19. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE 94 DAYS AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 35 DAYS, WITH ONLY 2387 MILES ON IT.

3/19/2019

According to Volvo, there is a problem with the valve ring(s) not sealing, oil coming into the #1 piston chamber and excessive oil consumption. However, they have yet to provide everything clearly in writing with an explanation. As mileage was about 89K when we first brought into them for what we viewed as major engine problems, they are saying we are outside warranty period.

8/31/2023

5 more complaints are available in this category.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

7 Reports17% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Air conditioning failed to function as soon as vehicle lease was up. Less than 45k miles on a 3 year old car. Stopped working, hot air blowing in the middle of summer no less. This does not appear to be a part that is on the maintenance interval list. This does not appear to be an isolated incident when researching this fault now over a year later.The climate control system failing on a new car on a part that cannot be reasonably serviced seems problematic to say the least. I asked the dealer to consider a good will repair on more than one occasion as I had literally just moved from a lease to a finance purchase. No luck on that.

1/18/2024

There are many form online stating that Volvo has an issue with water leaking/water drainage line from the sunroof. The water leaked into some components of the airbag and electrical system. After the first time taking to the dealership they were no issue with the system and the vehicle was fine that incident happened back in 2020. The same issue happened again where water was leaking in from the sunroof area (I am assuming because it looks the same as last time) this time the water is in the driver side, and there was a puddle of water forming where the gas and brake paddles are. After noticing the water puddle I try to close the sunroof and turns out the sunroof no longer functions with the electronic control right in front of the sunroof. I also took the initiative to open some of the trims where the side air bags are and it turns out that the area are completely soaked. I do no know if this will cause an issue to the airbag or not but I am worries that prolong exposure to water will compromised the integrity of the airbag system. What's was is that since it affected the electronic for the sunroof what if it affect the sensors for the air bag system.

3/6/2024

5 more complaints are available in this category.

SERVICE BRAKES

3 Reports7% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The front rotors on my truck had to be changed twice already. The truck has 25k miles on it. The dealer warrantied them both times but they keep putting in the same kind of rotors. After a few month of driving with the new rotors the steering starts to shake when brakes are applied. The front brake pads also wear out pretty quickly. With only 25k miles they told me I needed new ones. I have invoices if needed to prove the rotors have been changed twice

11/3/2021

On 23rd July 2022 my son went underneath a reversing XC90 2019 vehicle. The front wheel went over his leg and arm. He miraculously survived and the event was close to taking his life. The vehicle was my wife's car. We are in possession of the surveillance video which shows that the vehicles safety features failed. Although the vehicle was left in the reverse gear, the car was stationary, after having been in a forward motion. This sequence automatically engages the park brake and only deactivated when the pedal is pressed. The pedal was not pressed. In addition the video shows the door was open when the brake was deactivated. Another safety feature which failed to prevent the event. My wife was outside of the car and pushing on the rear of the car, trying to stop it driving over my son. Both my wife at the rear bumper and my son on the floor behind the vehicle on the floor, failed to activate the reverse sensors safety feature. Although a small post did after the vehicle drove over my son. I have a video I can email but is too big for the upload feature. Please let me know how to send the video: be warned the video is not very pleasant. After the event I had the vehicle codes read at the local Volvo dealership. Multiple codes related to failures in the parking brake were identified. I contact Volvo and have been assisting them over the last two weeks with their investigation. They have had the car for 4 hours to run this investigation and I am aware the engineers in Sweden are involved. They have now come back to me and asked to see the vehicle again to read more codes. I have been very disappointed in Volvo through this process. The video clearly shows an "Event". and they keep referencing back to the car being fine at the point of the inspection; failing to reference or acknowledge the event timing itself. I am at the point I need to make sure their investigation is being done correctly, since I feel they are playing with words and not telling me the truth.

8/19/2022

1 more complaint is available in this category.

AIR BAGS

3 Reports7% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON. DEALER VERIFIED AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON. CONNECTED TO VIDA AND RECEIVED CODE (SRS-BB15381B HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY POWER SUPPLY DISCONNECT DEPLOYMENT LOOP CONTROL. GENERAL ELECTRICAL FAILURES. CIRCUIT RESISTANCE ABOVE THRESHOLD ). THEY REPLACED TERMINALS 11 & 12 IN THE LOW VOLTAGE CONNECTOR AT THE HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY. REFERENCING TJ 37119-0. MY VOLVO FACTORY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD NO COVER THE REPAIR.

9/4/2023

There are many form online stating that Volvo has an issue with water leaking/water drainage line from the sunroof. The water leaked into some components of the airbag and electrical system. After the first time taking to the dealership they were no issue with the system and the vehicle was fine that incident happened back in 2020. The same issue happened again where water was leaking in from the sunroof area (I am assuming because it looks the same as last time) this time the water is in the driver side, and there was a puddle of water forming where the gas and brake paddles are. After noticing the water puddle I try to close the sunroof and turns out the sunroof no longer functions with the electronic control right in front of the sunroof. I also took the initiative to open some of the trims where the side air bags are and it turns out that the area are completely soaked. I do no know if this will cause an issue to the airbag or not but I am worries that prolong exposure to water will compromised the integrity of the airbag system. What's was is that since it affected the electronic for the sunroof what if it affect the sensors for the air bag system.

3/6/2024

1 more complaint is available in this category.

STRUCTURE:BODY

2 Reports5% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The rear right passenger door is stuck in a locked state. It's not possible to open that door from the interior or the exterior. Locking and unlocking the doors does not solve the problem. Activating and deactivating the child lock system does not solve the problem either. Turning the engine on and off does not solve the problem. This is extremely unsafe in case of a collision where the passenger needs to be evacuated from the car with no access to the other side of the vehicle. The car has not been inspected by anybody, yet. I'll take the vehicle to the dealership for repair. The door has been like this for a several days now, as of 05/11/2022. There were no signs or other symptoms prior to this problem. There are no signs or messages about this malfunction. Upon looking online on some Volvo owners forums, this problem has occurred to more people before on different models as well. To be clear, this is not a case of the door being stuck due to low temperatures. It has been well above the 40's in the last week at my location in South County, Rhode Island.

5/11/2022

Rear passenger door won’t open. We had freezing temps in Colorado, when I tried to open the rear door to get my 2 month old out of the car the door would not open. Apparently this is a known problem for this vehicle the rear door motors spontaneously stop working.

1/18/2024

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2019 VOLVO XC90. The contact stated that while her foot was on the brake pedal and while talking with a friend outside her vehicle, she had decided to place the vehicle into park. After approximately 8-10 minutes, the vehicle independently accelerated forward without warning and crashed into her friend's garage door. The air bags deployed immediately upon impact. An automatic safety feature on the vehicle detected the crash and automatically notified the police; a police report was filed. The contact sustained bruising to her left arm and leg and the passenger sustained bruising to her stomach. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed a dealer where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The contact's insurance was able to retrieve the EDR report from the vehicle which showed that the vehicle accelerated prior to the crash; however, it did not determine if the vehicle was in parking gear when it crashed. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

8/9/2021

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Water damage to the electrical system from blocked drainage by sunroof; potential mold damage

6/29/2022

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

On 23rd July 2022 my son went underneath a reversing XC90 2019 vehicle. The front wheel went over his leg and arm. He miraculously survived and the event was close to taking his life. The vehicle was my wife's car. We are in possession of the surveillance video which shows that the vehicles safety features failed. Although the vehicle was left in the reverse gear, the car was stationary, after having been in a forward motion. This sequence automatically engages the park brake and only deactivated when the pedal is pressed. The pedal was not pressed. In addition the video shows the door was open when the brake was deactivated. Another safety feature which failed to prevent the event. My wife was outside of the car and pushing on the rear of the car, trying to stop it driving over my son. Both my wife at the rear bumper and my son on the floor behind the vehicle on the floor, failed to activate the reverse sensors safety feature. Although a small post did after the vehicle drove over my son. I have a video I can email but is too big for the upload feature. Please let me know how to send the video: be warned the video is not very pleasant. After the event I had the vehicle codes read at the local Volvo dealership. Multiple codes related to failures in the parking brake were identified. I contact Volvo and have been assisting them over the last two weeks with their investigation. They have had the car for 4 hours to run this investigation and I am aware the engineers in Sweden are involved. They have now come back to me and asked to see the vehicle again to read more codes. I have been very disappointed in Volvo through this process. The video clearly shows an "Event". and they keep referencing back to the car being fine at the point of the inspection; failing to reference or acknowledge the event timing itself. I am at the point I need to make sure their investigation is being done correctly, since I feel they are playing with words and not telling me the truth.

8/19/2022

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Rear passenger door won’t open. We had freezing temps in Colorado, when I tried to open the rear door to get my 2 month old out of the car the door would not open. Apparently this is a known problem for this vehicle the rear door motors spontaneously stop working.

1/18/2024

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while stopped and attempting to accelerate, the brake became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed two times and taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed three times that the brake booster had failed. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

7/10/2024

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, the contact depressed the brake pedal; however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact pumped the brake pedal and then depressed the brake pedal to the floor for the vehicle to come to a stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to be diagnosed and it was determined that the brake master cylinder and the brake booster had failed internally, causing a vacuum leak. The contact was informed that the brake master cylinder and brake booster needed to be replaced, the brake lines needed to be bled, and the brake control module needed to be calibrated. The vehicle was scheduled to be repair but had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,800.

10/23/2024

VISIBILITY

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after stopping and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact's fiancée arrived on the scene and was able to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle later failed to restart, and the gear shifter seized. The message "Gear Lever Lock" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the panoramic sunroof seal strip had a gap, allowing debris and water into the vehicle, clogging the drain, and rendering the vehicle inoperable. The mechanic disassembled the entire interior and allowed it to dry before reassembling. The contact was informed that the front passenger’s side air bag sensor, seat belt buckle, and seat belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: TJ 35503.3.0 (Panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

1/10/2025

SEAT BELTS

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after stopping and parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact's fiancée arrived on the scene and was able to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle later failed to restart, and the gear shifter seized. The message "Gear Lever Lock" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the panoramic sunroof seal strip had a gap, allowing debris and water into the vehicle, clogging the drain, and rendering the vehicle inoperable. The mechanic disassembled the entire interior and allowed it to dry before reassembling. The contact was informed that the front passenger’s side air bag sensor, seat belt buckle, and seat belt tensioner needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: TJ 35503.3.0 (Panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

1/10/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

After a software update the backup camera’s field of view is super focused on the tailgate, license plate, and the immediate ground below. This is a safety concern as there have been a few near misses at parking lot speeds.

5/16/2025

POWER TRAIN

1 Report2% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Upon driving a symbol with a turtle and engine cation sign flashed upon the dash displaying and reading reduced power train mode as this is being shown on dash the passenger next to me smelt smoke as we next seen smoke coming from the air conditioning system we immediately pulled over to the safest spot out of the ongoing traffic as smoke continued to worsen now under the hood when flames engulfed the engine and spread to rest of car.

12/10/2025

About This Data

Data and Methodology

MethodologyHow we score →

Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.

FAQ

What are the most common owner complaints for the 2019 Volvo XC90?

The most reported complaint category for the 2019 Volvo XC90 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, with 9 owner reports. That is about 22% of all complaints logged here. Other recurring themes include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Are complaints about the 2019 Volvo XC90 a serious warning sign?

Potentially. 24 complaint reports fall into higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components. That does not prove every vehicle has a defect, but repeated complaints in those systems justify a more careful pre-purchase inspection.

How should buyers use complaint data for the 2019 Volvo XC90?

Use complaints as an early pattern to investigate, not a standalone verdict. Start with the top complaint categories, compare those themes against the recall report and maintenance guide, then inspect service records for evidence that the same problem areas were already addressed. If the same issue appears repeatedly across complaints and recalls, treat it as a real ownership-risk flag.

Are complaints about the 2019 Volvo XC90 severe?

24 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection before purchase.

Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.

Read complaint summaries

Volvo XC90: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?

Use complaint patterns together with recalls and maintenance guidance to estimate ownership risk and inspection priorities.

Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.

Return to full vehicle report
Complaint entries
41
Top-topic view
5 grouped topics shown
Primary source
NHTSA ODI owner complaint records

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In this guide

  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Common Problems
  3. 03Owner Complaints
  4. 04Data and Methodology

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