What 38 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Volvo XC90 T5

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and or while the vehicle was parked, the A/C unit became inoperable, and the defogger failed to clear the front windshield. The contact stated that the A/C was shifted to the MAX setting to operate as needed to defrost the windshield with an abnormal odor blowing through the vents. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the front evaporator core needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ODI 11749584

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at various highway speeds, the vehicle suddenly entered LIMP mode and decelerated before stalling. The failure had occurred on two separate occasions. On one occasion, the vehicle did not restart and was towed to the dealer. During the second occurrence, the vehicle was restarted moments later and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, where the contact was informed that diagnostic trouble codes for fuel delivery system malfunction and low fuel pressure were retrieved; however, the exact cause of the failure was not determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the fuel tank was half-full during the failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 79,900.

NHTSA ODI 11743566

The front and rear evaporator core of my 2019 Volvo XC90 has failed and I no longer have air conditioning. This issue was diagnosed by a dealer. The evaporator core failure is a massive, widely documented issue specifically targeting the 2016–2020 Volvo SPA-platform models. According to my research, Volvo sold approx. 370,000 vehicles in the US during this period. At roughly $5,000 per vehicle, the owners are being asked to spend over a billion dollars on this known, product defect. Volvo is fully aware of this defect, yet they refuse to cover the full cost of the repair. They issued an official Technical Journal (TJ 35912.1.0) admitting that the system over-cools, causing the evaporator to freeze, expand, and crack. When technicians perform this repair, Volvo explicitly mandates installing a retroactive "jumper cable" resistor harness (Part No. 32241228) to prevent the replacement core from cracking again. The question for you is this: Is this a vehicle safety concern. We might consider why one would need air conditioning in the first place. Is it only for comfort or could it sufficiently cool air to help venerable people form having health issues (e.g., elderly, those with asthma). A recent Lancet study, for example, showed heat related deaths in Europe rising to 63,000 per year. This may be extreme, but if one lives in a southern state where temperatures climb to 100s or even a northern state where this routinely occurs in July and August, lack of A/C could be a serious health and safety concern.

NHTSA ODI 11741732

The contact owns 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated while parked and occupied in the vehicle or while driving various speeds, the contact noticed when attempting to turn the air conditioner on she noticed that the a/c unit was not working as intended in the vehicle. The contact mention she can hear a clicking noise coming from the air conditioner. An independent mechanic and A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they recharged the vehicle and no diagnoses, the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear air conditioner vapor needed to be replaced, the vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where they informed her the rear and front vapor needed to be replaced .The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mention these failures have occurred on several different occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they offered her one thousand dollars out of the seven thousand. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11740350

The exterior paint on my 2019 Volvo XC90 has experienced significant premature peeling and delamination on the front bumper and surrounding body panels. This is not the result of collision, misuse, or environmental damage the vehicle has been properly maintained and garaged. The paint failure appears to be a factory defect related to improper adhesion, primer application, or a substandard clear coat process during manufacture. The affected components are available for inspection upon request. Safety concern: Peeling and delaminating paint can obscure visibility of underlying corrosion, accelerate rust formation on structural body components, and create road debris hazards if large sections separate at highway speeds — posing risk to following vehicles. The concern was submitted to Volvo Cars USA Customer Care and assigned a formal case number. After requesting photographs and inquiring about paint protection documentation, Volvo denied any financial assistance without conducting a physical inspection, technical review, or providing a written basis for denial. No dealer inspection was performed, and no independent technical evaluation was offered or facilitated by Volvo. There were no warning lamps or electronic symptoms prior to the paint failure. The defect became visually apparent gradually and has progressively worsened. No prior accidents, repaints, or aftermarket modifications have been made to this vehicle. It is my belief that this paint defect may be a systemic manufacturing issue affecting multiple 2019 XC90 vehicles, and that Volvo Cars USA is aware of or should be aware of this condition. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether a defect trend exists across this model year and whether a safety recall or technical service bulletin is warranted.

NHTSA ODI 11738272

The suspension module failed due to water accumulation on floorboards. Suspect other electronics may be at risk. Water ingress cause by a combination of what dealer said was a worn out sunroof gasket and two of four drains that became plugged. Further examination from dealer found the plugged drains were crimped from when the vehicle was manufactured. The dealer blamed the excessive water ingress was further allowed by a failed sunroof seal. The vehicle has always been serviced by the dealer and problem areas like that were either not inspected or not reported. The seal appears as good as the day we purchased vehicle from dealer. It seems it needs a more expert eye to detect how it fails. The result was standing water in the floor boards and body cavities, which then caused the suspension module to fail. The entire interior had to be disassembled to verify there was no further electrical damage. The dashboard and other interior pieces needed to be removed to replace or correct the drains. This appears to be a common problem with this model although no service advisories seem to have been issued. Total estimated damage is about $5200. Vehicle has only 60K miles. Volvo has rejected responsibility for the compromised drain and failed sunroof seal. Service documentation attached, not including the estimated $1700 to remove dash for repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11736779

The contact owns a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lurched forward while switching back and forth between electric and gasoline mode. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure recurred while driving three years later. Additionally, the turtle warning light was illuminated with the message "Engine System Reduced Performance". The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11730933

The contact owned a 2019 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-52 MPH, there smoke coming from the front passenger’s side wheel well of the vehicle. The contact stated that an off-duty Police Officer witnessed the failure and activated the Emergency Lights, allowing the contact to safely pull off the highway The contact immediately pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The grandson seated in the front passenger’s seat immediately exited the vehicle and the contact was able to unbuckle and removed the [XXX] from the second-row middle seat. The contact stated that moments later there were explosions, and there was black smoke and flames engulfing the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries sustained; however, all three occupants of the vehicle experienced emotional trauma from the vehicle catching on fire. Medical attention was not needed. A Police Report was filed at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The contact stated that the car seat in the rear of the vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was examined by an Insurance Adjuster, and it was determined that the fire had started in the engine compartment. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 61,511. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11719068

I am writing to formally a repeated mechanical failure involving the HVAC evaporator systems in two Volvo vehicles that I purchased within a few months of each other. The vehicles involved are: • 2019 Volvo XC90 T6 Momentum VIN: [XXX] Purchased: November 2024 • 2020 Volvo XC60 T5 Momentum Purchased: January 2025 Within a six months apart, both vehicles suffered complete air conditioning system failure due to large evaporator leaks. In total, three evaporators have now been confirmed as leaking across these two vehicles. The 2020 XC60 experienced evaporator failure in May 2025 and required full evaporator replacement under its CPO warranty. The 2019 XC90 subsequently developed the same issue. After multiple independent inspections and a full diagnostic performed by Volvo, they have confirmed that both the front and rear evaporators were leaking. The total repair estimate exceeds seven thousand dollars. Despite the statistical improbability of two vehicles purchased months apart suffering identical HVAC system failures within months of ownership, Volvo Cars North America denied my goodwill assistance request. The denial was based solely on the fact that a prior owner of the XC90 had previously received an unrelated goodwill repair. I was not informed of this at the time of purchase and had no connection to that prior claim. I then filed a complaint with the BBB against Volvo Cars North America. Volvo did not respond at all. The BBB has now formally closed the case and recorded that Volvo failed to respond to the complaint. I have acted in good faith at every step. I paid for diagnostics. I provided complete documentation. I pursued proper escalation channels. I sought resolution through the BBB. Volvo has remained silent. This is not an isolated service matter. It reflects a potential systemic defect affecting multiple Volvo platforms and model years. The repeated evaporator failures raise serious concerns as far us intaking large freon amounts. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11712444

Some back info: I keep the auto start/stop feature disabled. There are three identical incidents total. One about a year or two ago and two back to back a few weeks ago. The first time I was stopped at a drive through but in “drive” with my foot on the brake. All of the sudden the car completely turns off. Screens black, engine off. Completely black car no inside lights on. Within a couple of seconds, I hear the engine reengage and the car “starts” as normal like when you turn the switch. All of the lights and screens turn on and apple car play reconnects. The most recent two incidents were the same day and in drive having stopped at stoplights. The car goes “dead” then restarts all in drive with my foot on the brake. No warnings come up after the incident either. This time my husband and children were with me and can confirm it happened. I did not get these incidents checked out since the car was instantly back to normal with no warning messages. Very unnerving though and feels like the car is being remotely restarted somehow. The first time I just brushed it off, now I am concerned about this happening while in motion.

NHTSA ODI 11708339

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.

NHTSA ODI 11704235

My engine caught on fire. Unknown cause at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11701504

Rear evaporator coil (Failure) The rear evaporator coil failed on my Volvo XC90 purchased new at the dealership in 2019. This car only had 27,000 miles on it when the evaporator coil went bad. Refrigerant smells entered the cabin when AC was on while my 2 year old daughter was in the back. Having refrigerant leaking into the cabin is not great for health, especially that of a toddler. Additionally this could have caused an inability to defrost windows creating a safety hazard. All refrigerant leaked out leading to a condition where I had to drive in 90 - 100 degree temperatures with my daughter.

NHTSA ODI 11690299

While driving, the brakes completely failed without any warning. There were no signs, alerts, or symptoms prior to the failure. The braking ability was suddenly and entirely lost, creating an extremely dangerous situation. Upon inspection, it was determined that the brake booster had failed. This component failure directly caused the complete loss of braking power. Because this occurred without warning or prior indication and such an unexpected failure not only poses a significant safety risk to the driver and passengers but endangers everyone on the road, and it represents a severe safety hazard. A sudden brake booster failure can easily lead to loss of vehicle control, accidents, injury, or even fatalities. Immediate action is required to address this serious issue that threatens public safety.

NHTSA ODI 11689054

Vehicle started experiencing stalling and when trying to accelerate it would not pick up on speed, I have been quoted by Volvo that the supercharger is bad on a car that is only 6 years old. That repair for this is $2,000 as the engine valve also has to get cleaned out. The vehicle started having issue with AC after 2 years and now the front evaporator has gone bad and with summer Time is when I realized of this defect. $5,000 repair for the evaporator.

NHTSA ODI 11663618

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.

NHTSA ODI 11661570

Car shut off while driving and rebooted. Was precessed by the infotainment system crashing and then rebooting a minute prior. Car made a sound like a grunting sound right as it shut down.

NHTSA ODI 11661326

There was a leak on the evaporator coil within the AC system for this car. We started having issues with the AC around the 56,500 mile mark ([XXX]). After a couple of rounds of recharging the system with refrigerant and looking for a leak, the repair shop finally found the leak on the evaporator coil system. The repair was quoted cost $4,854.03. The evaporator coil During the summers when the AC was not working, this was definitely a safety concern. Riding in the car with no AC in the summertime in Hawaii is brutal. The $4,854.03 cost for the evaporator coil replacement, did not include the amount of money we spent the first two go arounds looking for the leak and recharging the system with refrigerant. After doing some research and talking to the repair shop the evaporator coil replacement work it seems that this is a very common failure on this model/year Volvo. I also noticed it looks like they already had a similar recall out for this failure on other similar Volvos. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I would like to have Volvo USA to address this issue and fix this common issue and recall this year model.

NHTSA ODI 11651860

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.

NHTSA ODI 11635297

There was a leak on the evaporator coil within the AC system for this car. We started having issues with the AC around the 56,500 mile mark ([XXX]). After a couple of rounds of recharging the system with refrigerant and looking for a leak, the repair shop finally found the leak on the evaporator coil system. The repair was recently completed on 10/22/2024 at the cost $4,254.03. This car has roughly 66000 miles on it now (12/07/2024). The evaporator coil During the summers when the AC was not working, this was definitely a safety concern. Riding in the car with no AC in the summertime in South Carolina is brutal. The $4,254.03 cost for the evaporator coil replacement, did not include the amount of money we spent the first two go arounds looking for the leak and recharging the system with refrigerant. After doing some research and talking to the repair shop who completed the evaporator coil replacement work it seems that this is a very common failure on this model/year Volvo. I also noticed it looks like they already had a similar recall out for this failure on other similar Volvos. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11629383

Vin: [XXX] We just had the starter go bad at roughly 66000 miles. When the repair shop had removed the bad starter they noticed a very odd failure. The nut/stud on the starter was stripped. They stated that this was definitely from a manufacturing defect. I can provide the bad starter and receipt of the cost of replacement. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11629386

The chrome trim started peeling on the center console, near cup holders. This revealed a razor sharp edge on which I cut my finger. All of the exterior door handles have chrome trim and are peeling. Last week my [XXX] daughter cut her finger as a result of a sharp peeled chrome edge. Many reports of this on volvo forums. Some dealers will repair for free, others want to charge for this defective, safety hazard. My service provider said they could not fix for free and wanted $3800 for the repair. This is a known issue and a safety hazard that Volvo is not addressing, see for example: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11621625

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.

NHTSA ODI 11621462

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.

NHTSA ODI 11600947

Engine began to misfire. According to Volvo, there is a problem with the valve ring(s) not sealing, oil coming into the #4 piston chamber and excessive oil consumption. Vehicle has under 95K miles, and has been properly maintained, but Volvo is saying we are outside warranty period.

NHTSA ODI 11597916