2022 Volvo XC90 Owner Complaints

Propulsion Service Required message one week after we picked up our new car. Three weeks later----check engine light. Soon after another Propulsion Service Required. Each time, our dealership reset the computer. Three months into ownership, on I-84, traveling 75 mph in the far left lane: turtle mode light, loss of power, no propulsion, able to just get off the freeway on the left. Two hour wait for assistance on side of freeway in 98 degree heat. Dealership kept car for 40 days: replaced BDU, AC compressor, IGM. Similar accounts of turtle mode and power failure from other 2022 Volvo owners on speedswede.com. We are not driving our car. Someone is going to get run over by another vehicle if Volvo doesn't address the problem.

8/24/2022

Electric charging connector frozen. Electronic release inoperable, and no alternate way provided to disconnect charger from vehicle. As a result, vehicle is completely stuck in very cold weather.

1/27/2023

On August 17th 2022 I received the reduced performance and acceleration reduced sign with an icon of a turtle. Besides getting this light on my dash my evening ended in fear and distress as I received a call from my family that the new car purchased was acting up and all that they were afraid for their life. This occurred to my spouse in the middle of driving home on the freeway (as she had our two kids in the backseat). She had to drive in a very low and dangerous speed on the highway and take the first exit possible as the car started acting up. A strong smell of something burning started to permeate the car coming from under the hood of the engine. My family was beyond terrified of this. The threat and fear for their life was due to the safety failures of this vehicle. The amount of stress and anxiety this suv caused my spouse and underage children is beyond horrific. I was forced to drive across town (in severe distress and panic, as I did not know how this will all end and if my family was ok) and exchange cars with my frightened and petrified family. As I drove the car, I was frightened for my life as I understood the possibility of the car catching on fire (as the burned smell permitted the car). I was not able to drive more than 15mph. This is the third instance of the serious safety and hybrid system malfunction of car itself within the last 90 days post purchase. First time dropped the vehicle at Sacramento Volvo on May 4, 2022 due to check engine came on / acceleration reduced. Second time dropped the vehicle at Sacramento Volvo on Aug 9, 2022, check engine light came on, hybrid propulsion fault is on, vehicle struggles to accelerate. This dangerous safety issues that I have experienced within the short time owning this SUV can have severe consequences on the lives of my family. I opened a case with Volvo USA, so here is the case 220818-000954.

8/19/2022

Propulsion Service Required message one week after we picked up our new car. Three weeks later----check engine light. Soon after another Propulsion Service Required. Each time, our dealership reset the computer. Three months into ownership, on I-84, traveling 75 mph in the far left lane: turtle mode light, loss of power, no propulsion, able to just get off the freeway on the left. Two hour wait for assistance on side of freeway in 98 degree heat. Dealership kept car for 40 days: replaced BDU, AC compressor, IGM. Similar accounts of turtle mode and power failure from other 2022 Volvo owners on speedswede.com. We are not driving our car. Someone is going to get run over by another vehicle if Volvo doesn't address the problem.

8/24/2022

Propulsion Service Required message one week after we picked up our new car. Three weeks later----check engine light. Soon after another Propulsion Service Required. Each time, our dealership reset the computer. Three months into ownership, on I-84, traveling 75 mph in the far left lane: turtle mode light, loss of power, no propulsion, able to just get off the freeway on the left. Two hour wait for assistance on side of freeway in 98 degree heat. Dealership kept car for 40 days: replaced BDU, AC compressor, IGM. Similar accounts of turtle mode and power failure from other 2022 Volvo owners on speedswede.com. We are not driving our car. Someone is going to get run over by another vehicle if Volvo doesn't address the problem.

8/24/2022

While on my commute to work I received an “engine propulsion system” error message. While traveling on a busy interstate with a speed limit of 70 mph I received a second error stating “reduced engine performance, max speed reduced” I was unable to accelerate above 45 mph which seems incredibly unsafe.

9/20/2022

Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) lends itself to unsafe conditions. This is true for the many drivers who are used to driving cars that are smilarly equipped. For nearly 15 years I have been driving cars that were similarly equipped and when activating the turn signal in the direction where the system indicated another vehicle in the "blind spot" an audible warning sounded until the trun signal was extinguished or the danger passed. Volvo fails to provide the audible signal and thus, if there is a failed LED in the mirror, there is no indication of a vehicle in the blind spot and no redundancy. Further, habits are hard to break and after driving cars with the audible warning, and relying on it, it is difficult to get used to not having it. In addition, all the cars that I personally drove with HUD (head up dispay), vehicles in the blind spots were displayed on the HUD. Volvo cars are equipped in terms of hardware to enable these functions (audible warning & HUD display) with simple software patches. One additionl point, the lights on the mirrors can be practically invisible during the day with sunlight behind the car and at night with bright lights illuminating the mirrors from behind. I feel it is imperative that Volvo is compelled to incorporate the proposed changes as those would certainly mitigate potenial accidents.

7/11/2022

I park my Volvo in my driveway which has a blind exit to a pedestrian sidewalk. When I start the car and put it in D or B mode, it does not make any sound. This happens in any of the vehicle modes including "Pure" electric where the ICE is not engaged unless the battery runs out. There is no way for oncoming pedestrians to hear the vehicle or to understand that it might pull out of the blind corner. According to the NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 141 "The final rule requires hybrid and electric vehicles to emit sound at minimum levels while the vehicle is stationary (although not when the vehicle is parked, i.e., when the transmission is in “park”), while in reverse, and while the vehicle is in forward motion up to 30 km/h. (sic) full compliance should be by September 1, 2020" Our 2022 XC90 T8 Recharge does not make any sound while stationary in N, D, or B tranmission modes or while in Hybrid or Pure drive modes. I see this as a serious safety issue and wanted to report it before I have an actual safety incident. Volvo claims that my vehicle is in compliance with all NHTSA safety standards. Their response is attached.

7/21/2025

Volvo's Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) lends itself to unsafe conditions. This is true for the many drivers who are used to driving cars that are smilarly equipped. For nearly 15 years I have been driving cars that were similarly equipped and when activating the turn signal in the direction where the system indicated another vehicle in the "blind spot" an audible warning sounded until the trun signal was extinguished or the danger passed. Volvo fails to provide the audible signal and thus, if there is a failed LED in the mirror, there is no indication of a vehicle in the blind spot and no redundancy. Further, habits are hard to break and after driving cars with the audible warning, and relying on it, it is difficult to get used to not having it. In addition, all the cars that I personally drove with HUD (head up dispay), vehicles in the blind spots were displayed on the HUD. Volvo cars are equipped in terms of hardware to enable these functions (audible warning & HUD display) with simple software patches. One additionl point, the lights on the mirrors can be practically invisible during the day with sunlight behind the car and at night with bright lights illuminating the mirrors from behind. I feel it is imperative that Volvo is compelled to incorporate the proposed changes as those would certainly mitigate potenial accidents.

7/11/2022

On August 17th 2022 I received the reduced performance and acceleration reduced sign with an icon of a turtle. Besides getting this light on my dash my evening ended in fear and distress as I received a call from my family that the new car purchased was acting up and all that they were afraid for their life. This occurred to my spouse in the middle of driving home on the freeway (as she had our two kids in the backseat). She had to drive in a very low and dangerous speed on the highway and take the first exit possible as the car started acting up. A strong smell of something burning started to permeate the car coming from under the hood of the engine. My family was beyond terrified of this. The threat and fear for their life was due to the safety failures of this vehicle. The amount of stress and anxiety this suv caused my spouse and underage children is beyond horrific. I was forced to drive across town (in severe distress and panic, as I did not know how this will all end and if my family was ok) and exchange cars with my frightened and petrified family. As I drove the car, I was frightened for my life as I understood the possibility of the car catching on fire (as the burned smell permitted the car). I was not able to drive more than 15mph. This is the third instance of the serious safety and hybrid system malfunction of car itself within the last 90 days post purchase. First time dropped the vehicle at Sacramento Volvo on May 4, 2022 due to check engine came on / acceleration reduced. Second time dropped the vehicle at Sacramento Volvo on Aug 9, 2022, check engine light came on, hybrid propulsion fault is on, vehicle struggles to accelerate. This dangerous safety issues that I have experienced within the short time owning this SUV can have severe consequences on the lives of my family. I opened a case with Volvo USA, so here is the case 220818-000954.

8/19/2022

The contact owns a Britax Safety Seat, Model Number: E1C387T, Model Type: One4life ClickTight, Manufacture Date: September 2020. The contact stated that while the safety seat was being utilized in a 2022 Volvo XC90, she noticed that the safety harness was loose and was not restraining her daughter properly. The contact stated that the safety harness continually loosened whenever pulled. The child was in the safety seat at the time of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The safety seat was not replaced.

11/30/2022

The vehicle locking system malfunctioned, locking itself with the keys inside the vehicle. The vehicle was in park, the engine was off, I was only out of the vehicle for 30 seconds to 1 minute in time while filling my gas tank. My dog was inside the vehicle, in the back with no access to door locks or keys, it was 90* outside, he was locked in the car for 30minutes until the fire department arrived and broke the rear passenger a window. The vehicle will go in for diagnostic testing 9/12/23 at a Volvo dealership. Volvo USA refused to note the safety concern, they believe the vehicle operated as designed to self-lock if you forget. My vehicle has never self locked in the 1.5 years of owning it, rather it sends you an alert to your phone to inform you that it is unlocked- it does not lock itself. There have been no lights to alert of any possible concerns.

9/8/2023

After we purchased the vehicle, we discovered that it did not come with a spare tire. It came with inflator kit. This is a huge safety concern to us. The inflator kit is a quick repair, a temporary tire sealer. The disadvantages with this, as we read online, is that this kit can only be used if the puncture is on the tire’s tread and is not larger than 4 millimeters. It will not work if the puncture is on the tire sidewall. We spend most of our driving in remote areas where there is no cell phone coverage and repair shops are miles away. If we were to be stuck in a remote area without a spare tire, in a 110 degree weather or 20 degree weather it will be catastrophic. We cannot call for help and on a good day, usually we don’t see another person or vehicle for hours. Also, the vehicle does not have space for a spare tire. Dealership or the manufactory needs to provide a warning label that this vehicle does not come with a spare tire. If we had known this formation, we would not have purchased the vehicle.

9/10/2023

We took our Volvo to the dealer today to address another problem with the Volvo care system. We were told it was the back up battery. The car was left at Volvo for no more than 90 minutes. Prior to leaving it with Volvo, we had a convertible car seat installed in the second row, passenger side seat. We have a 26-month-old who rides in it every day. Later today, we picked up our son and ran several errands and returned home tonight around 9 PM. That’s when we discovered that the car seat had been completely disconnected from the vehicle. Apparently this is done to access some component of the car for the repair that was performed. Volvo technicians apparently uninstalled the car seat, performed the repair, and then returned the car seat, uninstalled, right back in the exact spot they had taken it from. The main connection is down behind the seat, at the base, so it was not obvious that the car seat had been uninstalled. Apparently Volvo is not providing instructions to their technicians to ask permission to uninstall a car seat, or to refrain from replacing the car seat without informing drivers that it is not installed. Hopefully Volvo improves this process before a child is hurt or killed because they are not secured to the vehicle.

9/30/2023

We took our Volvo to the dealer today to address another problem with the Volvo care system. We were told it was the back up battery. The car was left at Volvo for no more than 90 minutes. Prior to leaving it with Volvo, we had a convertible car seat installed in the second row, passenger side seat. We have a 26-month-old who rides in it every day. Later today, we picked up our son and ran several errands and returned home tonight around 9 PM. That’s when we discovered that the car seat had been completely disconnected from the vehicle. Apparently this is done to access some component of the car for the repair that was performed. Volvo technicians apparently uninstalled the car seat, performed the repair, and then returned the car seat, uninstalled, right back in the exact spot they had taken it from. The main connection is down behind the seat, at the base, so it was not obvious that the car seat had been uninstalled. Apparently Volvo is not providing instructions to their technicians to ask permission to uninstall a car seat, or to refrain from replacing the car seat without informing drivers that it is not installed. Hopefully Volvo improves this process before a child is hurt or killed because they are not secured to the vehicle.

9/30/2023

During cold weather, and when backing up, the vehicle makes a loud knocking noise as if an accident has occurred. This is an intermittent problem. The vehicle is equipped with Auto-hold brakes. The dealership stated that this might be the issue where the auto-hold is engaging without warring. The dealership tested the brakes and stated that it was operating per manufacturing specs. This issue happened several times so far since 2022. It is a scary moment when feeling as if I had hit some one or some thing.

11/23/2023

Front sensor not detecting objects when parking. First time the dealership checked it, they said it was operating as designed. The second time, while driving on the freeway, I got a blind spot sensor service required warring error on dashboard. The dealership said that there was a bug residue on the outside sensor.

11/23/2023

Front sensor not detecting objects when parking. First time the dealership checked it, they said it was operating as designed. The second time, while driving on the freeway, I got a blind spot sensor service required warring error on dashboard. The dealership said that there was a bug residue on the outside sensor.

11/23/2023

I was going 60 mph when the check engine light came on , the car started to jerk and reduce speed. I pulled onto the shoulder until the car stopped. I than proceeded to drive slowly and the turtle appeared on the dash. I drove about another mile until I reached my home doing 30 miles per hour or less.

3/22/2024

The contact owned a 2022 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving in stop-and-go traffic, the odor of smoke was suddenly present inside the vehicle and moments later smoke was viewed coming from under the hood. The vehicle was stopped and moments after exiting the vehicle the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle and property inside the vehicle were destroyed. A fire report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed to the local towing yard. The cause of the fire was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The local dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was 11,000

4/16/2024

I received an SRS airbag, service urgent, drive to workshop warning. I took the car in six times the first two times they said it was a software update and they failed to update the software the third time they updated the software. It didn’t work the fourth time they said it was the passenger seat and the scale wasn’t working or connecting so it was throwing off the airbag. They fixed that, it didn’t change that warning. I still got the warning. And the last time they said it was a battery issue the battery wires weren’t connecting. They fix that, but after five minutes of driving out of the dealership and a repair shop, the warning came up again.I’ve sent an email to Corporate asking for either a refund or or a new car in accordance with the lemon law of California. They want me to take it in the seventh time which I refuse to do because the car is on safe safe to drive and I have two kids that I cannot keep driving in this car.

9/20/2024