2025 Volvo EX90

Recall R10342 Power Operated Tailgate (POT) Drive Unit separation was not remedied by dealer prior to delivery of new vehicle. While performing research on this vehicle for another issue, NHTSA's stite provided an unrepaired recall on the vehicle in question. Upon further research, Volvo was aware of this issue and had already reported it to NHTSA prior to the date of vehicle delivery. See attached.

I am writing to file a formal safety complaint regarding my Volvo EX90, which experienced a complete and dangerous shutdown while driving on a LA freeway on Christmas Day. While traveling at freeway speed, the vehicle suddenly lost power and displayed a warning stating “Critical Electrical Fault.” The car shut down in the middle of active traffic. Two vehicles narrowly avoided colliding with us, and we were extremely fortunate to be able to turn the car back on, maneuver the vehicle to the shoulder of the road before being struck. The vehicle had to be towed from the shoulder of the freeway. This incident posed a serious risk of severe injury or death, not only to my passengers but also to other motorists. This was not an isolated incident. This is the second time this vehicle has experienced a sudden shutdown. The first incident involved a warning reading “Critical Propulsion Fault,” which also resulted in loss of vehicle function. Following the Christmas Day incident, the vehicle has been at an authorized Volvo dealership for over three weeks. As of today, Volvo has been unable to identify the root cause or provide a clear explanation or repair. The uncertainty surrounding the failure of a brand-new vehicle (1,754 Miles) further reinforces the seriousness of this defect. A vehicle that can unexpectedly lose all power at freeway speeds is fundamentally unsafe. Based on my experience, I believe the Volvo EX90 presents a significant safety defect, and I am deeply concerned that these vehicles continue to be sold and driven on public roads. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter to determine whether a broader defect or pattern exists and to take appropriate action to protect the public.

While driving on I-5 north by Castaic (exit 176A) the car displayed "electric system temporarily limited" then "critical electric fault" at which time it rapidly decelerated while on the freeway. The hazard lights were pressed but did not work. There was no shoulder and cars nearly rear ended our vehicle, with our family of 4 (including 2 kids) inside. We were able to navigate the vehicle to a small shoulder at the freeway exit and called CHP for support to ensure our safety while we seemed roadside assistance. Volvo roadside assistance contacted a tow truck and walked us through a "hard reset" of the vehicle. After about 15 minutes we were able to drive the car with a CHP escort off the freeway ramp to a nearby parking lot. The "electrical system temporarily limited" fault remained. Our car was towed to the nearest dealership where the fault was observed. At this point (8 calendar days later) no fix has been identified. This vehicle has had repeated electrical system faults since we leased in on 9/5/25 and has been serviced 3 previous times. This was the first time it stopped while driving.

Please note this is an all electric SUV. On Saturday 6th December, I unplugged the car from the A/C charger after it had finished charging to 90% in my garage and there was a very loud bang heard from under the car. The dashboard then reported there is a fault with the car and it cannot charge. Took the car to the dealer same day and they suspected it was a failed GHCA part (AC to DC converter). They ordered a replacement and fitted it on 20th December but the car still will not charge on A/C. It still charges on DC and the dealer is using that to keep it powered. I received a call from the dealer today (1/2/26) to say that Volvo corporate needs to perform a detailed investigation as to what has caused the car to stop charging on AC. The dealer will not let me have the car back as they are concerned about the safety of the car and have been without it for approaching one month now. With that in mind and the many reports on social media of similar failures as well as multiple months of having faulty cars, it appears this is a major problem that should be subject to a recall. An example of posts can be seen here: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On [XXX] around [XXX], while driving on [XXX] fro Santa Paula to Ojai, my car displayed a message on the dash that said "critical brake fault, pull over safely." When I applied the brakes they did not respond. I came to a stop only when the car lost momentum. When I exited the car to investigate, I shut the driver's door and was locked out. Neither my key card, nor phone key worked and the Volvo app indicated the reason was that the car was still driving it was not). I was just a mile away from descending a steep and winding road on the [XXX]. Had I been on that stretch of the road, the consequences I am certain there would have been a serious crash, as one side of the road has no shoulder and the other side is a steep cliff into a ravine. I had it towed that night to the dealership and it has been there at the dealership for almost three weeks. Both the dealership (Rusnak Volvo) and Volvo Customer Care have been uncommunicative, though on 12/7/22 Volvo Customer Care informed me I have a case number ([XXX]). When I called for an update today 12/12/25, I was told only that it had been assigned. No additional information has been provided. A simple internet search indicated that this brake issue has affected many Volvo cars in the past few years. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When leaving a downtown parking garage, I noted the following alert on the driver's screen: "Steering fault - Drive with caution. Book a service." The driver's screen also showed that there was a driver support system fault and that the lane keeping aid was not available. The center stack stated the following: "1 serious issue detected. Steering fault Drive with caution. Book a service." At the time that the fault came up, the car had been driven out of its parking spot (by turning left) approximately 50 feet. I had then stopped the car to talk to a friend. When I got back into the car, I noted the fault message on the driver's screen when I went to back the car up so that I could leave the parking garage. During my trip from downtown to the dealership, I did not note anything unusual other than the fact that the fault messages were displayed. The messages were displayed when I arrived at the dealership and stayed displayed until I exited the car. When I got back in the car to turn it on, the error messages had disappeared.