Problems · NHTSA complaints
2021 Volvo XC90 problems
Owners filed 17 complaints about the 2021 Volvo XC90 with NHTSA between Dec 2020 and Aug 2025. The most-cited component is electrical system (5).
Complaints
17
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system5
- Service brakes4
- Engine3
- Back over prevention2
- Forward collision avoidance2
- Steering2
- Power train2
- Wheels1
- Visibility/wiper1
- Chest clip, buckle, harness1
- Tires1
- Seat belts1
- Fuel/propulsion system1
- Other / unknown3
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
3
4
4
3
2
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
5 reports1 related recall
“The vehicle’s Start/Stop system began displaying warning messages and malfunctioning prior to the expiration of the factory warranty. The issue first appeared before 50,000 miles and reappeared at 49,997 miles, when a warning was displayed on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. A diagnostic review confirmed the need to replace the Start/Stop auxiliary battery and repair the Park Assist system. A diagnostic fee was charged, and both system failures were documented. The Start/Stop system’s failure raises a potential safety concern because the vehicle may not reliably restart after automatically stopping at intersections or in traffic. This could lead to dangerous situations if the vehicle stalls unexpectedly or fails to re-engage power at a critical moment. Although the issue has not caused a crash or injury, it introduces unpredictable behavior that could compromise safe operation. The Park Assist system also failed, triggering system warnings and disabling parking assistance features. If a driver is relying on these systems during low-speed maneuvers, a sudden or silent failure may increase the risk of collision with…”
Service brakes
4 reports
“The brakes did not work when the automatic emergency braking turned on. When I pressed the brakes all the way down, the brakes didn’t respond because it was still in automatic mode. I was able to swerve into the next lane to not hit the vehicle in front of me. The automatic emergency braking also turned on when I was reversing from a parked location when there was a vehicle waiting to park behind me and my vehicle stoped and didn’t come off of brake/park mode. I had to turn my vehicle on and off again to get it to move again. I have taken my vehicle in twice for shaking. My back rotors were replaced 2 weeks ago but my vehicle still shakes. This car only has around 21,000 miles to have so many issues already with rotors and shaking.”
Engine
3 reports
“I plugged my usb to usb-c charging cable into my iphone 20 seconds after starting the vehicle. I proceeded to exit my driveway when the infotainment screen went completely blank and the same thing to the driver's display 10 seconds later. I drove to the end of my street to a stop light where the car completely shut off and automatically restarted within a few seconds. I was traveling with my wife and [XXX] daughter. I have yet to reproduce the problem but have an appointment scheduled with the dealership later this week. Zero warnings or messages were present before, during or after the incident.”
Back over prevention
2 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 VOLVO XC90. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE BACKUP CAMERA DISPLAY APPEARED VERY BLURRY AND DISTORTED CAUSING A VISIBILITY HAZARD TO THE DRIVER. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT, NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200. *LN*JB”
Forward collision avoidance
2 reports
“ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE ENGAGING VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AT LEAST. 3 TIMES. RESULTING IN ABRUPT STOP IN MOVEING TRAFFIC! DEALER IN NO HURRY TO REPAIR SUGGESTING BRING BACK WHEN THEY ARE ABLE! AM NOTIFYING VOLVO, DEALER , THEY WILL ASSUME ALL LIABILITY FOR INJURY OR DEATH FOR THIS DEFECT AND LACK OF CONCERN IN REPAIRING ( TOLD A SOFTWARE PROBLEM , BUT ALSO TOLD CAUSED DAMAGE TO OTHER COMPONENTS DUE TO VIOLENT AND ABRUPT STOPS! VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ESPECIALLY SINCE REPAIR MGR IS SO ARROGANT!”
Steering
2 reports1 related recall
“Vehicle steer violently on pilot assist and powertrain disabled, not allowing us to steer the wheel on a highway. (Last year) We were lucky no other cars were nearby, needed a reboot for the wheels to work again. Dealership isn’t sure what happened. Now we have a hybrid system failure which a lot of cars with the same model Xc90 T8 is having with the hybrid system. Please investigate into this”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.