Problems · by component
2005 Volvo XC90 engine problems
29 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Volvo XC90 cite engine, 13% of all 223 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
29
13% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WHEN CRANKING IT STALLS AND CUTS OFF AND AFTER DOING IT AROUND 10 TIMES IT FINALLY CRANKS THEN I HAVE TO HURRY TO PUT IN DRIVE TO GET THE MOTOR GOING IN ORDER TO KEEP HER CRUNK AND COUPLE WEEKS AGO BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM SHE STALLED OUT AND I HIT A HOLE IN THE ROAD AND BUSTED THE OIL PAN SO SHE HAS BEEN PARKED EVERY SINCE CAUSE I HAD MY DAUGHTER IN THE CAR AND THAT WASN'T A PRETTY SIGHT SINCE THE HIT MADE HER NERVOUS NOW CAN'T GET HER TO GET IN THE CAR SO I NEED MY CAR FIXED AND I SEE IT HAS SEVERAL RECALLS AND ALL AND IT WAS ON A COUNTY STREET ONCE I GOT IT CRUNK BACK UP IT SMOKED BADLY TILL I TURNED IT OFF AND IT TOOK FOUR HOURS FOR ME TO GET IT OUT THE ROAD”
“THE KNOWN VOLVO BALANCE SHAFT FAILURE IN THE 05 XC90 V8 B8444S ENGINES SN UP TO 6833.VOLVO HAS KNOWN THE V8 ENGINE ON THE 2005 XC90 IS FAULTY SINCE 2005.SPECIFICALLY, THE COUNTERBALANCE SHAFT BEARING FAILING DUE TO WATER INTRUSION & HUMIDITY.MINE HAS NOT FAILED YET.I WILL BE LUCKY IF IT FAILS WHILE AT IDLE.BERGERON VOLVO IN METAIRIE, LA, SOLD ME A TICKING TIME BOMB TO DRIVE MY 4 YEAR OLD SON AROUND IN.THERE WAS NO DISCLOSURE OF THE KNOWN CB SHAFT BEARING FAILURE!I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS FOR ME & MY LITTLE BOY!MY ENTIRE ENGINE WILL EVENTUALLY SEIZE UP & MY OTHERWISE BEAUTIFUL CLEAN CAR WILL BE A LARGE & USELESS PAPERWEIGHT.IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING AT SPEED,IT COULD CAUSE A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT!UNLESS VOLVO ACTIVELY (AND, I AM ONE OF THEM #1868) FINDS THE REMAINING AFFECTED ENGINES IN SERVICE & FIXES THIS PROBLEM, IT REMIANS A RISK REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE.MY CAR CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 72K MILES ON IT! I AM TRYING TO PREVENT THIS FORM HAPPENING, AND NEEDS TO BE PAID FOR BY VOLVO.THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO PREVENTATIVELY MAINTAIN! APPROPRIATELY,THEY SHOULD ALSO REIMBURSE ANYONE WHO WAS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM SINCE THEY LEARNED…”
“MY 2005 XC90 (ODOMETER APPROX. 178,000 MILES) THROWS CHECK ENGINE, REDUCED ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND ENGINE SERVICE REQUIRED DASHBOARD WARNINGS INTERMITTENTLY, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT HAS A NEW CEM AND A SECOND NEW THROTTLE BODY IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. IT ALSO ISSUES A LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BULB FAILURE WARNING, EVEN WHEN THE BULB IS LIT, AND THE LEFT TURN BLINKER IS STICKY. SOMETIMES, THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND PASSENGER SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR READJUST SIMULTANEOUSLY UPON OPENING THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION AND NO ONE SITTING IN THE SEAT. RECENTLY WHILE TRAVELING ON AN EXPRESSWAY AT 65 MPH, THE CAR ABRUPTLY LOST SPEED (A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE) AND STRUGGLED TO ACCELERATE TO 40 MPH. A FEW DAYS LATER, IT LOST POWER IN HEAVY CITY RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC (ALSO TERRIFYING) AS A RED LIGHT TURNED GREEN. IT BARELY MADE IT TO 10 MPH AND CAME CLOSE TO CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION CRASH WITH THE CARS BEHIND IT (ALSO TERRIFYING). LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO STEER INTO A NEARBY BANK PARKING LOT, TURN IT OFF AND RESTART IT. IT DROVE NORMALLY BUT THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES, CITING ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WOES, WHICH…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RANDOMLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND PARKED ON THE CONTACT'S STREET DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLVO XC90. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, A FUEL ODOR EMITTED FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AS THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, THE FUEL ODOR RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL LINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 113,000.”
Showing 6 of 29 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.