2003 Volvo XC90 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other XC90 years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Volvo XC90. That ranks 4th out of 23 XC90 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (49 complaints, 53%), typically at around 76,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 2 fires, 6 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 93owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Volvo XC90 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 49 | 53% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 18 | 19% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 9 | 10% | 65,250 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 8% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 6% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 6% | 47,045 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 5% | 50,045 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 4% | 88,150 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 4% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 4% | 43,814 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 3% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 3% | 77,400 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 3% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 3% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 3% | 49,271 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 3% | 59,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 2% | 172,344 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 132,344 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 2% | 137,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 79,300 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Volvo XC90 recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Equipment:electrical:navigational system(global positioning system)
Problem: Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (gps) units because the batteries on those units may overheat.
Risk: An overheated battery could lead to a fire.
Fix: Volvo advises owners to please stop using the garmin portable gps device immediately, and visit the garmin website to determine if their unit is affected. The unit's battery will be replaced with a new battery and a spacer will be inserted on top of the battery next to the pcb. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 18, 2010. Owners may contact garmin at 866-957-1981 or visit garmin's website at www.garmin.com/nuvibatterypcbrecall.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Volvo is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 s80, model year 2001-2004 v70, s60, xc70 and model year 2003-2005 xc90 vehicles sold in or registered in the states of alabama, arizona, arkansas, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, kentucky, louisiana, mississippi, nevada, new mexico, north carolina, oklahoma, south carolina, tennessee, texas, utah, virginia and the u.s. Territories. When exposed to certain environmental conditions (hot climate and temperature cycling) over time and in combination with varying fuel quality, the fuel pump can develop cracks in the fuel pump flange.
Risk: If the condition occurs vehicle owners may notice fuel smell and/or fuel leak which, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the fuel pump installed in the vehicle, and if necessary replace the fuel pump with a part of a modified design. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on january 15, 2010. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Steering:linkages:tie rod assembly
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles,the outer tie rod ball joint can deform at high loads causing a loss of the clamping force and the nut may loosen, which may eventually lead to a fatigue fracture of the outer tie rod ball joint.
Risk: The driver may notice that the vehicle is difficult to maneuver increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the outer ball joint tie rods with improved outer ball joint tie rods free of charge. The recall began on june 23, 2006. Owners may contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer
Problem: On certain vehicles, if the wiper arm is activated in extreme winter weather conditions and without lifting the wiper arms and cleaning the windshield prior to moving, the wiper arm might slip on its driveshaft, resulting in an inability to move the wipers from the park position.
Risk: Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiper arms and retaining nuts. The recall began on september 5, 2006. Owners may contact volvo cars at 1-800-458-1552.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the seat belt attachment(s) for the second and third row seat(s) may not have been fitted properly.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the second and/or third row seat belt attachments. Owner notification began on december 8, 2003. Owners should contact volvo at 1-800-458-1552.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Fuel line was recalled in 2010. Volvo repaired it now it has the same problem. And is leaking fuel. Same line that they replaced in 2010. Please recall.
Transfer case keeps locking up and messing up. In past year paid 1500 two times to replace transfer case and is now in shop again for same reason. Transfer case locking up. Feb 2020, july 2020, and now january 2021 feb going speed of 35-40, july on highway speed of 70 in middle of freeway, and jan…
Driving the xc90 and suddenly there is a huge thump and clicking from the dashboard. All the dials around the spedometer stop working.. If we keep driving there are more thumps and we quickly lose engine power - it is extremely scary when it happens.. All the lights come on (inside the car)…
When this vehicle was purchased it started within 4 days to have problems with the transmission, after the transmission the transfer case began to have problems, so the vehicle was placed in the shop before the thirty days tags could expire and both parts were rebuilt by an outside company which…
Vehicle drains water on to front passenger floor, and ocassional driver side after it rains. It is a know problem that a class action suit was won in new jersey, including 5 other states. The water is from clogged drain tubes in sunroof and sometimes shrinkiage of drain tube that dislodges. Vehicle…
Other Volvo XC90 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 XC90 | 29 | 2 |
| 2024 XC90 | 36 | 3 |
| 2023 XC90 | 41 | 6 |
| 2022 XC90 | 29 | 4 |
| 2021 XC90 | 39 | 6 |
| 2020 XC90 | 33 | 7 |
| 2019 XC90 | 42 | 6 |
| 2018 XC90 | 51 | 3 |
| 2017 XC90 | 80 | 7 |
| 2016 XC90 | 197 | 8 |
| 2015 XC90 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 XC90 | 4 | 0 |
| 2013 XC90 | 11 | 0 |
| 2012 XC90 | 3 | 0 |
| 2011 XC90 | 19 | 1 |
| 2010 XC90 | 12 | 3 |
| 2009 XC90 | 7 | 1 |
| 2008 XC90 | 29 | 3 |
| 2007 XC90 | 38 | 2 |
| 2006 XC90 | 53 | 3 |
| 2005 XC90 | 223 | 6 |
| 2004 XC90 | 462 | 6 |
| 2003 | 93 | 5 |
See all Volvo XC90 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
Similar Volvo models
Embed this 2003 Volvo XC90 badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Volvo XC90?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, suspension problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 49 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Volvo XC90?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Volvo XC90 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other XC90 model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.