What 61 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 Volvo EX90 Bev

GHCA Failure that resulted in inability to charge the car.

NHTSA ODI 11715857

Ongoing Software Issues From shortly after delivery through now, the vehicle experiences frequent and recurring warning messages and system failures, including but not limited to: Suspension system warnings Driver assistance and self-driving feature failures One-pedal driving malfunctions Parking camera and sensor errors Other system warnings that appear to be software-related While the vehicle was often still technically drivable, these issues regularly caused the car to operate at reduced functionality, with key safety and convenience features disabled. Although software updates have reduced the frequency of these issues, they still occur intermittently and often require a vehicle reset or time to resolve. Because of these persistent and unpredictable warnings, my family and I have avoided taking this vehicle on long trips out of concern that the car may become unsafe or inoperable while traveling. The vehicle was brought in for service in December 2024 in an attempt to address these software-related issues; however, the service did not resolve the problem at that time. Hardware Failure #1 – GHCA In January 2025, the vehicle experienced a failure of the GHCA component, rendering the all-electric vehicle unable to charge. This occurred shortly after purchase. Service appointment booked: January 27, 2025 Vehicle in shop: aprox 30 days The vehicle was out of service for approximately one full month. During this time, I shared my experience on Reddit due to the severity of the issue and the vehicle’s newness. That post received over 350,000 views, and numerous Volvo EX90 owners reported experiencing the same GHCA failure—many stating they had required multiple replacements of the same component. This strongly suggests a widespread defect rather than an isolated incident. Hardware Failure #2 – GHCA (Repeat Failure) On February 3, 2026, the GHCA failed again, and the vehicle was returned to the dealership for service with no ETA on a fix.

NHTSA ODI 11715573

The Grid to High Voltage Converter A (GHCA) is a critical, often failing, component in 2025+ Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 electric vehicles that converts AC grid power to high-voltage DC for the battery has failed 5 times in my car with no fix from Volvo in the foreseeable future. There are some reports on reddit/ex90 and other owner forums that these failures can cause unsafe voltages and have blown up home chargers. It seems like it is getting to the point where they need to be forced to issue a recall for this part and compensate owners.

NHTSA ODI 11715615

AC charging failed.

NHTSA ODI 11715649

The onboard charger (ghca) failed, destroying my evse and tripping the circut breaker in my electrical panel. It took 3.5 weeks for the replacement part to come in and be installed. On another occasion, the pilot assist adas presented an error and was unavailable until the computer was rebooted.

NHTSA ODI 11715687

While Level 2 charging at home from a NEMA 14-50 receptacle using the Volvo-supplied cable/adapter, charging stopped unexpectedly accompanied by a loud thunk. The central computer restarted and presented a profile setup routine as if the car was new. Stored settings were not retained. Repeated attempts to re-initiate charging resulted in ‘Charging fault’ notifications on the instrument panel and a solid red light on the charging port indicator. The car can no longer charge with AC power, but still charges with Level 3 DC equipment. Also, the car software doesn’t seem to recognize that there is a problem with the vehicle. It shows the status as ‘everything is OK’.

NHTSA ODI 11715700

The instrument panel displays symbol for exterior lights malfunction and the vehicle status screen reports “1 serious issue detected – Headlight fault – Book a service”. The high and low beams appear to function normally on both sides of the car. The daytime running lights (white) around the headlight are only illuminated on the drivers side; the passenger side running lights are not working. This issue is intermittent. It first occurred within one day of ownership and has recurred about once per week since then. Service department stated in mid-December that this is a software issue that will be fixed in a future update, but there hasn’t been one and the issue still presents. Car software is currently version 1.4.15, and I believe has been since delivery.

NHTSA ODI 11715705

Vehicle will no longer charge with 120 or 240 volt chargers.

NHTSA ODI 11714809

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.

NHTSA ODI 11714814

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.

NHTSA ODI 11711504

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.

NHTSA ODI 11710154

I have been in multiple situation where my car is unable to charge from my home charger, and the issue is always same which is the need of GHCA replacement. Right now, GHCA for EX90 is in national back order with unknown ETA

NHTSA ODI 11709750

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)

NHTSA ODI 11708444

Charging failure. GHCA failure.

NHTSA ODI 11708460

The car triggered a "charging fault" while charging on a trip and will no longer charge on a level-2/AC charger. I was lucky to have enough charge to make it to a DC Fast charger and continue my trip. If I had not been so close to an alternative DC Fast charger this could have left me stranded.

NHTSA ODI 11708219

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)

NHTSA ODI 11704750

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.

NHTSA ODI 11698396

While driving, my car suddenly displayed the "Driver Support System Fault" icon (Picture 1). At that time, the only issue was the fault icon. I still had full navigation, lane departure warning and 360 camera functionality when I backed into my parking spot. The car was locked with my key card. I returned to 15 to 20 minutes later. The Driver Support System Fault Icon was lit in addition to the lane departure unavailability icon (Picture 2). The following functions and/or features did not work: - Lane Departure - 360 Camera - Front Camera - Tracking Lines for the Rear Camera - Park Sensor audible alerts (Forward or Backup) - Ambient Temperature (Reads "0 degrees Celsius") - Odometer in the central stack (Reads "-- km") - HVAC Functionality - Heated Seats - Heated Steering Wheel - Bluetooth - Wi-Fi - Google Assistant - Navigation, including map being frozen in one position - Glovebox access - Connectivity with Internet or Volvo App - Volume control for the radio did not function. - 4-way hazard button greyed out and non-functional on center stack Attempted reset/reboot of the Infotainment System did not resolve the issue and the car was taken to the local Volvo dealer. Summary of Pictures attached: Pic 3 - Quick Controls - Shows glove box, 4-way hazard icon and other control icons greyed out Pic 4 - Status - States "Everything is OK", but tire pressure button is not available and Total distance reads "--km". Additionally, as shown in Picture 3, the 4-way hazard icon is greyed out. Pic 5 - Similar shot as Picture 2 - Shows Driver Support System Fault and no Lane Departure Pic 6 - Car is in reverse. Shows rear back up camera without guidance lines. Does not show 360 camera. Pic 7 - HVAC Climate is off and cannot turn on. All controls were greyed out. I pressed "Manual" and "Auto" with no change. Pic 8 - Heated seats and heated steering wheel would not turn on even when I pressed the buttons.

NHTSA ODI 11693995

On three occasions my car has initiated automatic emergency braking while I was driving across the same grated bridge deck (Montlake Bridge in Seattle). In each instance there was no potential for collision and my car slammed on brakes and jammed on my seatbelt with varying levels of discomfort and terror. This also created a safety risk because I could have been rear ended as there was so reason to suddenly stop and certainly was shocked to have my car brake urgently and restrain me suddenly with seatbelt. My best guess is that this related to boats traveling under the bridge as this happened three times during higher boat traffic. I reported incident to Volvo and was told a case would be opened and that I would be contacted. I was not contacted. I scheduled a service appointment to address this and other issues with the EX90 that are unrelated but for the third time my appointment was cancelled as the Volvo dealership is refusing to service the ex90s they have been selling.

NHTSA ODI 11693952

The vehicle supports a feature to reset the display computer by holding the play/pause button for approximately 45 seconds. When executed the center console display as well as the speedometer display over the steering wheel reset and go blank for up to 1 minute. The safety issue is that this function can be performed while the vehicle is in motion. This leaves the speedometer inoperable until the reset completes. This poses an extreme safety hazard as the driver has no way to assess current speed. I'm able to reproduce this on the latest OTA software update 1.3.18.

NHTSA ODI 11693256

I experienced a serious safety issue with my 2025 Volvo EX90 around 1:15 PM on October 7, 2025. It was drizzling at the time. I had stopped in front of an ATM to deposit and withdraw money. After finishing, when I released the brake pedal to leave, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward on its own, much faster than normal creeping speed. I had to keep pressing the brake pedal to control the car. I used intermittent braking to steer it around and managed to park it safely. After shifting into Park (P), I restarted the vehicle’s system, but the issue did not go away. Only after I parked, locked the car, and came back later did it return to normal. I shared my experience on Reddit to see if other owners had similar incidents, and several reported the same issue. I am very concerned that this could happen again, as it poses a serious safety risk if it occurs in traffic or near pedestrians.

NHTSA ODI 11692870

Car accelerates and lurches forward on its own sometimes.

NHTSA ODI 11692871

1. The passenger side daytime fog light occasionally fails to operate, which could be a safety concern in certain driving conditions. 2. The one-pedal drive feature automatically switches off, even though it is saved in my profile. This may present a hazard if I accelerate as if one-pedal drive is still active. 3. The blind spot warning system does not provide an audible alert, and it sometimes activates even when no vehicle is nearby. 4. The reverse warning system occasionally alerts when there are no obstacles behind, making it difficult to trust the warnings. This could be dangerous if a real obstacle is present and the alert is ignored. 5. The door handles can sometimes auto-lock while being held, which poses a risk of finger injury, especially to children. 6. The lane-keeping assist feature occasionally stops functioning unexpectedly, which could be dangerous if the driver is relying on this assistance. 7. The infotainment system’s microphone or speaker intermittently stops working, which is particularly risky if a phone call is ongoing through the system. I have had to manually change the mode while driving. 8. The car can sometimes be unlocked or driven simply by having a paired phone present, with no additional verification checks. This could be a security risk if someone gains access to my phone.

NHTSA ODI 11691768

The vehicle has exhibited unexpected braking without any apparent external trigger, posing a safety risk. Most troubling, we have now had a third incident of the seatbelt pre-tensioning unexpectedly and forcefully, which caused my wife several days of lower abdominal discomfort. The most recent episode happened while parking at low speed. These experiences have undermined our trust in the vehicle’s safety systems.

NHTSA ODI 11691630

I have documented 42 issues with this vehicle over the past 9 months of ownership, supported by multiple videos. These issues range from minor annoyances to serious safety concerns. The most alarming incidents include: a) Sudden disengagement of the powertrain b) Stability control system disabling unexpectedly c) Malfunctioning airbags d) Faulty or inoperative lighting systems e) Malfunctioning wipers in rain f) Inability to unlock or start the vehicle To date, I’ve documented and categorized 42 distinct issues. The vehicle has been in service four times, totaling over 48 days, yet the problems remain unresolved.

NHTSA ODI 11680818