Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, backup camera, and brakes. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2025 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 first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
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 2025's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 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-cylHybrid | AWD | 26 mpg |
| 2.0L 4-cylPlug-in hybrid | AWD | 530 mi range |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Volvo XC90, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
The center screen, gauges, lights and remote start cut out and come back at random. Some reports describe the whole display going blank at highway speed or at night. Interior speakers can also go silent, which takes away the blind-spot, turn-signal and collision warning sounds. A car started by remote may refuse to switch into normal driving mode until it is shut off and restarted. The most serious reports involve the car slowing on its own and showing "Engine Has Now Stopped" while driving. Problems start within the first weeks of ownership, and dealers often cannot find a cause or fix it.
The rear camera fails in reverse and shows a "Camera temporarily unavailable" message. The fault comes and goes. Rebooting the screen often does not bring it back, and in some cases the side and front camera views are blank too. Some owners say the screen and camera keep crashing several times a week even after a dealer repair. One crash-related report describes backing into an object with no camera image and no alert, along with the parking brake applying by itself. Reports begin within weeks of delivery.
The brake pedal stops slowing the car, up to complete brake failure. In some reports no warning light comes on. In others a brake failure warning appears along with many other alerts at once. One crash-related report involved airbag deployment after the car would not stop on a downhill. Another ties the brake loss to a recent over-the-air software update that appeared to have installed correctly. There are only three reports, but each describes a direct loss-of-control risk.
A haze inside the rear passenger window glass blurs and distorts the view. Dealers do not agree on it. Some replace the glass and others call it normal. One crash-related report describes backing out in heavy fog with windows not fully cleared. The camera did not show the obstacle, and automatic braking did not engage before the car hit an overhead structure. That owner says it happened during a week of ongoing software update problems.
Excerpts from complaints XC90 owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Remote start, infotainment system which controls everything, dashboard, lights, and cigarette lighter all intermittently turn off and on. Everyday, something else seems to stop working. My vehicle is 2.5 weeks old. This is apparently is a know latent defect that Volvo has chosen to keep from customers, based on feedback from VOLVO service, who are actually denying appointments stating that there is nothing they can do.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2025
Interior car speakers stopped working which made collision audio cues not operational. During driving no blind spot audio, turn signal, and other audio was playing
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
On 2 occasions (only had vehicle 3 weeks), Ive received a message on the screen that the camera is temporarily unavailable when in reverse. The message suggests I press the home button but didn’t help. I then rebooted the Google based system by long pressing the home button again. After the reboot, hit the same message the camera is unavailable. I then tried to select the other cameras (side mirrors, front bumper), but nothing displayed.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
When I try to back the car out of parking lot, it shows "Camera temporary unavailable". The problem disappears sometime. It is a new car and this has happened a couple of times already.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2025
The rear passenger windows have a defective haze in the glass that distorts and reduces clarity of visibility. Issue reported to dealership and VOLVO USA yet no resolution. Research indicates that this is a concern with various models - some dealers are replacing the glass, others claim this is normal.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 ranks seventh 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 2025 is the tenth model year of the XC90's second generation (2016 on).
It is also the first year of a mid-cycle update.
What changed for 2025
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 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2024 C40BEV, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40, and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 24, 2026. Owners may contact Volvo Car’s customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10333. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 16, 2026. This recall replaces previous NHTSA recall number 25V282. Vehicles previously repaired under recall 25V282 will need to have the new remedy performed.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2023 Volvo C40 BEV, 2025 EC40, 2023-2024 XC40 BEV, 2020-2026 XC90 PHEV, 2022-2026 XC60 PHEV, 2023-2025 S60 PHEV, 2024-2025 V60 PHEV, and 2025-2026 EX40 and 2025 S90 PHEV vehicles. In certain driving scenarios while coasting down a hill and using "B" mode or "One Pedal Drive," the vehicle may lose brake function.
Risk: A loss of brake function increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised not to use "B" Mode (for plug-in hybrid vehicles) or "One Pedal Drive" (for pure electric vehicles) until the repair has been completed. The brake module software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10329.
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021-2025 XC40, 2022 V90, 2022-2025 S90, V90CC, C40, XC60, 2023-2025 S60, V60, V60CC, XC90, and 2025 EC40 and EX40 vehicles. The rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10320.
Cars shoppers compare with the Volvo XC90, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
