Research · complaint index

Volvo V90 years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 5 model years of the Volvo V90 by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 1998 stands out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
19980
20180
20190
20200
20210
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
2021101.020Typical
2020100.920Typical
2019100.830Typical
2018201.310Typical
19981002.101Most complaints
  • 20211 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 20201 complaints · 2 recallsTypical
  • 20191 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
  • 20182 complaints · 1 recallTypical
  • 199810 complaints · 0 recallsMost complaints
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 10, 2026
02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Volvo V90 years have the most complaints?

Adjusted for years on the road, 1998 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 5 model years compared.

Is this a reliability rating?

No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.