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2016 Volvo Xc90 Recalls & Complaints

8

open safety recalls on record

Critical

310 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.40 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical19V308000

Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System:Hoses/Lines/Piping/Fittings

If the coolant leak goes unnoticed, coolant may accumulate in the catalytic converter heat shield insulation and catch fire when the vehicle is stationary, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

Volvo Cars will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine side coolant bleeder hose, free of charge. The recall began June 12, 2019. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R29936.

Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2016 XC90 vehicles. Exposure to heat and humidity may cause the engine coolant bleeder hose to crack, resulting in a coolant leak.

Serious21V273000

Electrical System:Software

The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

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 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.

Serious16V690000

Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner

Significant water drainage into the passenger compartment may adversely affect air bag deployment in the event of a crash, raises the risk of occupant injury.

Remedy & full details

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air conditioning drain hose for proper installation, replacing the hose as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on November the 14, 2016. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this campaign is R89707.

Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Volvo XC90 and S90 vehicles manufactured April 15, 2015 through September 19, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning may leak into the passenger compartment due to a drain hose installation error during manufacturing.

Serious16V798000

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

If the seat belt buckle separates from the bracket, the front seat passenger may not be adequately restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt buckle stud, replacing the seat belt buckle as needed, free of charge. The recall began January 2017. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89708.

Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 XC90, S90, XC60, V60 Cross Country, V60, S60 Cross Country, S60, and S60 Inscription vehicles manufactured February 16, 2015, to August 22, 2016. On the affected vehicles, the front passenger seat belt buckle attaching stud may loosen, allowing the buckle to separate from the seat belt bracket. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages" and number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."

Serious16V268000

Visibility:Sun/Moon Roof Assembly

If the switch is unintentionally pressed and the sunroof panel closes, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.

Remedy & full details

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software upgrade that disables the auto-close function, free of charge. The recall began June 24, 2016. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552 or by visiting http://Volvo.custhelp.com. Volvo's number for this recall is R89702.

Volvo Car USA LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 XC90 vehicles manufactured January 27, 2015, to April 23, 2016. The sunroofs on the affected vehicles have a switch on the overhead console that may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from being unintentionally pressed. When pressed, the sunroof may fully close. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."

Serious15V497000

Air Bags:Side/Window

Underinflated air bags may not fully protect third row occupants, raises the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy & full details

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will modify the D-pillar interior panels to allow full inflation of the third row airbags, free of charge. The recall began on September 21, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo Customer Care at 1-800-458-1552.

Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo XC90 vehicles manufactured January 27, 2015, to July 10, 2015. The third row seating side curtain air bags may not fully inflate.

Serious15V342000

Air Bags:Side/Window

If the wiring harness is routed incorrectly, the wiring may be damaged, disabling the front seat side impact air bag, and raises the risk of injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front seat s…

Remedy & full details

Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the routing of the SIPS wiring, correcting the routing and installing a protective sleeve as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2015. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552. Volvo's number for this recall is R89571.

Volvo Cars of N.A., LLC (Volvo) is recalling certain model year 2016 Volvo XC90 vehicles manufactured January 27, 2015, to May 19, 2015. The affected vehicles have front seats whose wiring harness for the Side Impact Protection System (SIPS) may have been routed incorrectly.

Serious23V827000

Seat Belts:Critical Fasteners

improperly tightened seat belt buckle may not restrain an occupant as intended, increasing their risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy & full details

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 2015-2024 XC90 vehicles. The second-row seat belt buckle and lower belt anchor bolts may not be tightened properly.

Complaint volume

310 this model-year 7 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

11Crashes
15Fires
14Injuries
0Deaths

Across 310 complaints. Severity Index 0.40.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine85 · 27%Electrical System55 · 18%Unknown Or Other36 · 12%Structure · Body21 · 7%Service Brakes14 · 5%Fuel/Propulsion System12 · 4%Vehicle Speed Control10 · 3%Power Train10 · 3%
  1. Engine — 85 reports
  2. Electrical System — 55 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 36 reports
  4. Structure:Body — 21 reports
  5. Service Brakes — 14 reports
  6. Fuel/Propulsion System — 12 reports
  7. Vehicle Speed Control — 10 reports
  8. Power Train — 10 reports
  9. Air Bags — 8 reports
  10. Steering — 7 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

2003 (5) · 2004 (6) · 2005 (6) · 2006 (3) · 2007 (2) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (1) · 2010 (3) · 2011 (1) · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2016 · 2017 (7) · 2018 (3) · 2019 (6) · 2020 (7) · 2021 (6) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (6) · 2024 (3) · 2025 (2)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.