Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and door latches and locks. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2020Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2020 Volvo XC90: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/2
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2020's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
Worth adding to your 2020 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2020 Volvo XC90. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cylGas | AWD, FWD | 23–25 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | AWD | 520 mi range |
NHTSA complaints for the 2020 Volvo XC90, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The digital instrument cluster flickers or goes completely dark while driving, sometimes on the highway, with no warning beforehand. When it fails, the driver loses the speedometer, fuel gauge, and all warning messages. Dealers fix it by replacing the entire panel, and no cause is given. Sunroof leaks also let water pour into the cabin, which raises worries about wet electronics and mold, and the leak can come back after a repair. A separate report describes an airbag fault warning traced to a ground fault in the driver seat belt.
The brake pedal can lose all stopping power without warning, forcing the driver to steer off the road. Reports put this at about 60,000 and 70,000 miles, with a new brake booster and master cylinder needed and a soft pedal afterward. Automatic braking is also reported to stay off before a low-speed rear-end collision, with airbags deploying and causing a minor injury. Other complaints describe a brake sensor warning light that stays on, blamed on spills near sensors under the center console, adaptive cruise control shutting off, and rear brakes and rotors worn out by 26,296 miles.
Rear side doors either refuse to open from inside or outside, or fail to latch when shut. A door that has not latched can go unnoticed, and dealers mention one that flew open while driving. In one case the door kept failing after the dealer replaced the door lock kit at about 71,000 miles, and no warning light came on. The latching failure recurs, and dealers say other customers have come in with the same problem.
Second-row door handles stop working, both inside and outside, if a passenger pulls a handle while the locks are moving. The door stays shut until someone works through a long sequence of toggling the electronic child locks and relocking the doors, and even that fix is temporary. Owners point out that this could trap passengers in a fire or if the car ends up in water. In a separate report, the spoiler cover over the third brake light came off on the freeway.
Excerpts from complaints XC90 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
I need new rear brakes and rotors at 26,296. I have leased cars for the past twenty plus years and never had to replace brakes/rotors after a year and a half.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2022
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2020 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 9 XC90 years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2020 is the fifth model year of the XC90's second generation (2016 on).
It is also the first year of a mid-cycle update.
What changed for 2020
Recall repairs are free at any Volvo dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2020-2021 S90, 2020-2022 S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and 2022 V90 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is parked.
Risk: A short circuit in a high-voltage battery increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the high-voltage battery module as necessary. In addition, dealers will update the software to monitor the battery. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 28, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10312.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.
Risk: An improperly tightened seat belt buckle may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing their risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the second-row seat belt buckle anchorage bolts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10259.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2022 V60CC, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. During steering gear assembly, double screws may have been assembled on top of each other, which can cause a screw to fall into the gearbox housing.
Risk: A screw inside the gearbox housing can cause the steering wheel to lock up and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 1, 2023. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10213.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021 S90L, 2020-2021 XC60, and XC90 vehicles. An improperly welded rotor and shaft may separate within the integrated brake system.
Risk: Separation of the rotor and shaft may cause a reduction in braking assistance and a loss of the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC), increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hydraulic unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10120.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
Risk: Failure of the low-pressure fuel pump can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2016-2020 XC90 Excellence vehicles. Liquid or condensation on the rear seat control display may cause the front passenger seat to move back as far as possible.
Risk: The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will update the rear seat control display software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 14, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10093.
Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.
Risk: If the automatic emergency braking system does not engage as intended, it can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29998.
Cars shoppers compare with the Volvo XC90, with their own 2020 checklists.
2020 owner complaints, side by side
