Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, brakes, and steering. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2021 Volvo XC90: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
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 2021's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2021 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 2021 Volvo XC90, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The center screen and driver display go black while driving. In some reports the car then loses power, or shuts off at a stop and restarts by itself. No warnings appear, and dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. Cars with the Bowers & Wilkins system can give a loud pop from the speakers and then lose all sound, including turn-signal clicks and parking-sensor alerts, until the car restarts. Dealers address the pop with a software update. One report describes a failed Start/Stop auxiliary battery and a Park Assist repair near 50,000 miles.
The car shudders when braking at highway speed and below, and owners blame warped front rotors. One report puts the problem at 12k miles. Machining the rotors and balancing the tires helps only a little, and repeat brake and rotor replacements also show up in electrical complaints. The more serious report describes the electric parking brake engaging hard at highway speed at least 3 times, stopping the car abruptly in moving traffic. The dealer calls it a software problem but is slow to fix it.
Drive power cuts out at highway speed with no warning. A turtle icon lights up, the car enters a reduced-function mode that limits it to 35 mph, and it slows sharply in flowing traffic. Dealers trace some cases to software, and the fault can come back months later. In a separate report, the wheel jerks hard while Pilot Assist is on, the powertrain shuts down, and the driver cannot steer until the car reboots. That report also links the problem to hybrid system failures on the T8. Both patterns create a real risk of losing control at speed.
Excerpts from complaints XC90 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
My Xc90 is shuttering at interstate speeds as well as below. When I purchased, they had to machine the rotors and said they balanced the front tires. It did not help much. The brakes shake less. I'm sure the entire rotors are warped. All this with 12k miles on the vehicle.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2022
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
Filed with NHTSA, August 2024
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks eighth for owner complaints among 9 XC90 years, well under 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 2021 is the sixth model year of the XC90's second generation (2016 on).
It includes the 2020 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 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 2021 XC40, XC 40 Recharge, V60CC, V90, V90CC, XC90, and 2021-2022 V60, XC60, S60 vehicles. The seat belt automatic locking retractors may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.".
Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 13, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10111.
Volvo Cars USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021 Volvo V60, V60 Cross Country, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. The Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) control unit may not have been properly attached to the car body and may detach during a crash.
Risk: A detached SRS control unit can decrease the performance of occupant protection systems such as air bags, seat belts, and high voltage battery disconnect, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Volvo Car will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, tighten the SRS control unit mounting screws, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10068.
Cars shoppers compare with the Volvo XC90, with their own 2021 checklists.
2021 owner complaints, side by side
