2018 Volvo XC90 problems

“This submission supplements NHTSA Complaint #11759206, filed on August 24, 2026, regarding a 2018 Volvo XC90, in order to provide additional relevant information that came to light after the original filing. At the time of the first safety-critical malfunction (in-vehicle warnings including "Transmission Acceleration Performance Reduced" "Gear Lever Locked" and related electrical system symptoms), the service manager at Volvo Cars Brooklyn was able to remotely diagnose the likely cause by telephone, before the vehicle was even towed to the shop, specifically instructing the owner to check for dampness under the driver's floor mat, which was confirmed to be present. This indicates the symptom pattern described (sunroof leak leading to corrosion affecting the transmission, brakes, and electrical system) was already recognized and familiar to Volvo Cars Brooklyn's service staff, not a novel or difficult-to-diagnose issue. Additionally, the owner was informed that multiple other Volvo vehicles were present at Volvo Cars Brooklyn on the same day for repair of the same reported issue. Once arriving at the dealership, the service manager tole us that he had, "Just…”

“On Wednesday 9/23, I was driving on a residential road and came to a stop sign. When I tried to stop at the intersection my brake pedal seized up and the car would not stop. The check engine light came on. I had to shift the car into park in order to stop the vehicle. I towed it to the dealer and found out today that the brake booster failed.”

“At approximately 6:30 PM, after normal driving and parking at a local park, our family was unloading children from the vehicle. One child was standing next to the vehicle while we removed a younger child from the rear seat. The child suddenly screamed and stated that he had burned himself. We later determined that he had accidentally come into contact with the exterior exhaust outlet. As we continued walking, we noticed the injury was more severe than initially believed. We took photographs of the burn and later sought medical evaluation. The physician determined that the injury was a second-degree burn due to blistering and provided treatment recommendations. The vehicle was operating normally, and there were no warning lights, messages, or signs of a malfunction before the incident. The concern is that the exposed exhaust outlet becomes hot enough during normal vehicle operation to cause a serious burn from brief accidental contact. We believe the location and accessibility of the exhaust outlet may present a burn hazard, especially to children during routine loading and unloading activities around the vehicle. The vehicle and photographs are available for…”

“The vehicle first experienced a safety-critical malfunction while driving on the highway on August 11, 2026, producing in-vehicle warnings reading "Transmission Acceleration Performance Reduced" and "Gear Lever Locked," along with broader electrical system symptoms, requiring the 2018 Volvo XC90 to be towed to Volvo Cars Brooklyn on August 11, 2026. At that time, dampness was discovered under the driver’s floor mat, leading to the discovery of a sunroof leak and resulting water intrusion. The dealership represented the vehicle as fully repaired and safe to drive. The same safety-critical malfunction occurred later that night, while driving about 90 miles away from the dealership, with the same warnings appearing, confirming that the original repair failed to address the underlying issue. Loss of normal transmission and braking function while the vehicle was in motion directly affected the driver's ability to control the vehicle. The vehicle was towed for a second time on the morning of August 12, 2026, to Volvo Cars Brooklyn, where it was confirmed that module corrosion caused by the original sunroof leak had not been properly diagnosed or corrected during the…”

“While actively driving into an intersection, driving on the street and or stopped at a light or at a stop the vehicle will shut off, the lights on the dashboard will sometimes be on, other times go completely black, a notification pops up on the dashboard saying "engine not in P". There is no way I'm aware of to re create this action. My children's safety as well as mine has been put at significant risk and in harms way as well as others due to the severity and nature of this unexpected risk while driving on the freeway, through intersections and in general driving through traffic and busy streets. I've had multiple close calls of almost being hit when the car stopped while I'm driving with my children. The problem has yet to be reproduced by the dealer at this time however we have photos and video of it's ongoing safety concern. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer nor police but is currently at the dealer undergoing inspection. There has not been any notifications or warnings prior to any one of these serious events, the message only comes up when the car is off and won't go.”

“My 2018 Volvo XC90 had repeated water leakage from the panoramic sunroof. In most cases, when the vehicle is parked flat or the front is at a slight angle, water leaks in and collects in the cargo area. It collects into a plastic compartment over the battery located on the right side of the cargo area and/or on top of the rear cargo mat. When the vehicle is moving and it is raining, water leaks in from the rearview mirror, making the entire dash, screen, shifter and both driver and passenger wet. The rain also comes in from the rear right side of the second row making the entire seat or any passenger sitting there wet. Volvo is not acknowledging this defect nor are there any solutions in place. This is extremely concerning.”