Problems · by component
2005 Volvo XC90 engine and engine cooling problems
40 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Volvo XC90 cite engine and engine cooling, 18% of all 223 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
40
18% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WAS DRIVING ON FREE WAY, AS I WAS ACCELERATING I LOST ALL POWER AND STEERING.. THE ENGINE STALLED OUT AND I HAD TO VEER OFF TO SIDE SO THAT I WOULDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR”
“AT 111,000 THOUSAND MILES THE COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT BEARING WENT INSIDE THE MOTOR. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON LINE AND FOUND OUT THAT IT IS A DESIGN PROBLEM, THAT VOLVO KNOWS ABOUT. IT COULD COST ANY WHERE FROM $5000.00 TO $15000.00. I BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL FOR THIS KNOWN PROBLEM, AND HELP THERE CUSTOMERS WITH THE REPAIRS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER. *TR”
“WHEN I FILL MY TANK UP ALL THE WAY MY GASOLINE ONLY LASTS ABOUT 150 MILES. THE GAS HAS GOT TO BE LEAKING SOMEWHERE!!! I HAVE TO FILL MY TANK UP SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. *TR”
“MY VOLVO 2005 XC 90 V8 ENGINE FAILED. COULD NOT DRIVE IT SO I HAD IT TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD, AFTER 2 DAYS OF DIAGNOSIS, THAT THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THAT VOLVO COULD NOT HELP WITH COST OF NEW ENGINE SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, DATE -WISE BUT NOT MILEAGE- WISE. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF LIKE ENGINES HAVE SUFFERED THE SAME CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT CONCERNING A BEARING/SHAFT. TO DATE, VOLVO HAS DONE NOTHING TO HELP ME. AT A HIGHER SPEED, THIS ENGINE FAILURE COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. *TR”
“2005 VOLVO XC90 V8 ENGINE NUMBER 5569. BALANCE SHAFT FAILURE. OR COUNTER BALANCE SHAFT FAILURE. DUE TO ENGINE DEFECT. BALANCE SHAFT BEARINGS IN CLOSED, NON-LUBRICATED AREA. BEARINGS REST IN AN AREA THAT RETAINS MOISTURE AND THE BEARINGS EVENTUALLY DETERIORATE AND FAIL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THERE IS CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 7000 VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECT. THE DEFECT WAS REALIZED AFTER ENGINE 6883. WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT THE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR THE PREVIOUS DAY ON OUR 200 MILE INTERSTATE TRIP. ENGINE DESTRUCTION AT 75 MPH COULD HAVE PROVED FATAL. LOUD POPPING AND RATTLING FROM THE ENGINE WAS THE ONLY WARNING...NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. VOLVO IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT AND HAS SENT SERVICE MEMOS TO DRILL HOLES TO ALLOW WATER IN THIS AREA TO DRAIN AND PREVENT RUSTING OF BEARINGS. THERE ARE MANY DOCUMENTED CASES ON THIS SITE AND OTHER TRAFFIC SAFETY SITES. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ISSUED! *TR”
“WHILE LEAVING HOUSE TO GO AND PICK-UP SON FROM SCHOOL .DOWN THE STREET VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. I PULLED OVER AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO THE VOLVO DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THINKING IT WOULD BE COVERED BY EXTENDED WARRANTY I WAS TOLD NO. THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE COUNTERBALANCE SHAFT BEARING. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A MANUFACTURES FLAW WITH THE DESIGN OF THEIR ENGINE REPAIRS RAN CLOSE TO $3500.00 . I WAS PLANNING TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VOLVO VEHICLE BUT MAYBE NOT . I THINK I'LL GO AMERICAN. *TR”
Showing 6 of 40 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.