Home · 2018 Volvo XC90 T5 · Complaints

What 47 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Volvo XC90 T5

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (47)Crash / fire / injury (5)Electrical system (12)Brakes (9)Fuel system (6)Engine (5)Visibility & wipers (5)Body & structure (4)Driver assistance (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Latches & locks (2)Steering (2)

3 of 47 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · clear filters

Oct 5, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

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

NHTSA ODI 11691437

Sep 19, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

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.

NHTSA ODI 11688273

Dec 13, 2018Transmission & drivetrain

SOMETIMES WHEN THE START STOP SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED AT A STOP AND YOU START BACK OFF THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES FORWARD WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. ON 3 OCCASIONS IT CAUSED ME TO ALMOST RUN INTO THINGS. I REPORTED IT TO VOLVO AND THEY SAID THE SYSTEM IS FINE.

NHTSA ODI 11161200

Working with the data? Download all 47 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 21, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2018 Volvo XC90 T5 verdict →