2ND row, center seat, seatbelt lock will not work, will not latch/lock, cannot use seatbelt. Since owning car, the seatbelt locked intermittently, as of today, it does not work at all.
2018 Volvo XC90
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Volvo XC90 do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 34.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all XC90 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 16 of 50 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel/propulsion System. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
50 reportsRear Drivers door (left) fails to latch. Volvo has an updated part for better water ingress prevention, then the part that was used to build the car. The problem is that water enters the moveable window, runs down the metal channel separation gthe fixed and moveable window, and enters the door latch mechanism. This is extremely …
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Rear Drivers door (left) fails to latch. Volvo has an updated part for better water ingress prevention, then the part that was used to build the car. The problem is that water enters the moveable window, runs down the metal channel separation gthe fixed and moveable window, and enters the door latch mechanism. This is extremely dangerous, in that the door may appear closed, and the vehicle may allow the driver to move forward or backward, but the door is not latched and can fly open leading to death! This is an issue known by Volvo, hence the updated OEM replacement part, however they are grossly negligent in not reporting or self recalling vehicles for this issue.
At random times the back doors will not open, from the inside or outside…hit all the unlock buttons and will NOT open. If this is not a massive safety issue, I don’t know what is…. If we get in a wreck and our car is on fire and we cannot instantly get ourselves or our children out quickly that’s a problem… if we wreck on the fr…
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At random times the back doors will not open, from the inside or outside…hit all the unlock buttons and will NOT open. If this is not a massive safety issue, I don’t know what is…. If we get in a wreck and our car is on fire and we cannot instantly get ourselves or our children out quickly that’s a problem… if we wreck on the freeway and we see vehicles coming at us and we cannot quickly exit. This is a problem. For a car company to not address this it is gross negligence… we own a Ford focus it’s been taken in about three times for door recalls, but we never even actually had an issue…Volvo being a luxury car company and choosing to ignore this issue at the expense of the consumer has went on too long! This hasn’t happened only once, has happened sporadically multiple times
My car completely locked up on the road and came to a screeching stop. This car is known for having the ERAD completely fail and it could have caused it to have a serious accident. It has also caused my car to plummet in value losing over 30k in just 3 years. Now my repairs cost nearly what it’s worth and aren’t guaranteed to …
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My car completely locked up on the road and came to a screeching stop. This car is known for having the ERAD completely fail and it could have caused it to have a serious accident. It has also caused my car to plummet in value losing over 30k in just 3 years. Now my repairs cost nearly what it’s worth and aren’t guaranteed to actually fix it. It’s terrible. I’m so upside down n my loan due to this issue that they dealerships refuse to help on. The dealership acknowledges it is a design flaw but yet they won’t help. I have an email stating that it is a design flaw
On 8/20/2025, my 2018 Volvo XC90 T8 suffered catastrophic failure of the Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD). The vehicle suddenly developed a loud whining noise from the rear and became undriveable. This ERAD had previously been replaced under warranty at Boston Volvo Cars. On 10/28/2025, Queens Volvo inspected the vehicle and c…
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On 8/20/2025, my 2018 Volvo XC90 T8 suffered catastrophic failure of the Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD). The vehicle suddenly developed a loud whining noise from the rear and became undriveable. This ERAD had previously been replaced under warranty at Boston Volvo Cars. On 10/28/2025, Queens Volvo inspected the vehicle and confirmed the failure was caused by improper prior service. Their technician documented that the ERAD housing was likely not properly torqued, which led to transmission fluid leaking over time, sludge buildup, and internal damage to gears and motor. The failure was sudden, confirmed by an authorized Volvo dealer, and the ERAD is no longer serviceable. This created a safety risk by causing immediate loss of propulsion and stability. If it had occurred at highway speeds, the risk of crash would have been significant. The failed component remains available for inspection.
3 weeks ago we had the transmission module fail on our vehicle while it was being driven. According to Volvo forums, this is a multi-model year, multi vehicle issue for those with sunroofs. Accrding to the dealer in our case, the seal failed, and water runs into the compartment where the transmission module is located, causing …
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3 weeks ago we had the transmission module fail on our vehicle while it was being driven. According to Volvo forums, this is a multi-model year, multi vehicle issue for those with sunroofs. Accrding to the dealer in our case, the seal failed, and water runs into the compartment where the transmission module is located, causing it to fail. We had it happen twice, and both times on the highway, with the engine running ragged causing it ot accelerate and then quickly decelerate. There were 3 warnings that popped up-"Gear lever locked," "transmission acceleration performance reduced," and "Parking Brake unaavialble." It happened twice and and was towed to the dealer both times, as it was not drivable-once the vehicle was parked it would no longer move out of park. The first time the diagnosis and module reset was comped by the dealer (Borton Volvo, Golden Valley, MN) and the second time, the transmission module was "dried out," and the sunroof seal was replaced, which was just under $700. It is available to be inspected if necessary. The vehicle was a hazard to others on the road while it was "acting up." Dealer was familia with the issue. No inspection was done other than by the dealer Warning lamps as outlined above
The contact owns a 2018 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that the A/C unit failed to operate as needed, causing the HVAC system to become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, which showed that the evaporator core inside the HVAC system was cracked and needed to be replaced. The conta…
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The contact owns a 2018 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that the A/C unit failed to operate as needed, causing the HVAC system to become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed, which showed that the evaporator core inside the HVAC system was cracked and needed to be replaced. The contact attempted to have the part replaced; however, the contact was informed that the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.
While actively driving into an intersection, driving on the street and or stopped at a light or at a stop the vehicle will shut off, the lights on the dashboard will sometimes be on, other times go completely black, a notification pops up on the dashboard saying "engine not in P". There is no way I'm aware of to re create this a…
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While actively driving into an intersection, driving on the street and or stopped at a light or at a stop the vehicle will shut off, the lights on the dashboard will sometimes be on, other times go completely black, a notification pops up on the dashboard saying "engine not in P". There is no way I'm aware of to re create this action. My children's safety as well as mine has been put at significant risk and in harms way as well as others due to the severity and nature of this unexpected risk while driving on the freeway, through intersections and in general driving through traffic and busy streets. I've had multiple close calls of almost being hit when the car stopped while I'm driving with my children. The problem has yet to be reproduced by the dealer at this time however we have photos and video of it's ongoing safety concern. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer nor police but is currently at the dealer undergoing inspection. There has not been any notifications or warnings prior to any one of these serious events, the message only comes up when the car is off and won't go.
The engine coolant bleeder hose in my 2018 Volvo XC90 cracked in the middle of my journey causing a severe coolant leak. This happened in August of 2024 while driving and the engine coolant suddenly started showed warning with low level and the engine started overheating. The vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph, and the te…
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The engine coolant bleeder hose in my 2018 Volvo XC90 cracked in the middle of my journey causing a severe coolant leak. This happened in August of 2024 while driving and the engine coolant suddenly started showed warning with low level and the engine started overheating. The vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph, and the temperature warning light flashed continuously, creating a safety hazard in traffic. The Volvo dealership diagnosed the issue and confirmed that the coolant bleeder on the supercharger is broken and leaking. They replaced the bleeder hose and vacuum fill system. I believe similar issues happened to the 2016 models and a recall was issued for the coolant bleeder hose (part # 32249907-0) to be replaced by Volvo. This has not been recalled for the 2018 models, making it an expensive replacement for me. I urge NHTSA to investigate Volvo XC90 coolant hoses for material defects, as this issue endangers drivers through unexpected breakdowns and engine failure.
The vehicle engine will fail while driving. The electronics reflect the vehicle is still running. Restarting is not immediate and is difficult. This is a known problem that Volvo recalled for 2019/2020 XC90s. Volvo will not diagnose and repair under goodwill despite my repeated attempts.
Official recalls
323V827000 · Seat Belts:critical Fasteners
Dec 7, 2023
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly tightened seat belt buckle may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing their risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the second-row seat belt buckle anchorage bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10259.
21V273000 · Electrical System:software
Apr 21, 2021
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2016-2020 XC90 Excellence vehicles. Liquid or condensation on the rear seat control display may cause the front passenger seat to move back as far as possible.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will update the rear seat control display software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10093.
18V800000 · Electrical System:software
Nov 13, 2018
Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Volvo XC90, S90, V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, XC40, XC60, and V90 Cross Country vehicles. The software installed in the Vehicle Connectivity Module (VCM) may have an error causing the Telematics and Driver Support Systems to function improperly. As a result, the GPS will not provide location information to emergency personnel in the event of an emergency.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the GPS location is not provided to emergency personnel it can inhibit emergency response in the event of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software, free of charge. The recall began December 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R39917.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
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