2005 Volvo XC90 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other XC90 years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 6 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 223 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Volvo XC90. That ranks 2nd out of 23 XC90 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (62 complaints, 28%), typically at around 71,500 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 3 fires, 1 injury. There are 6 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.

- 223owner complaints
- 6safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 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 problems | 62 | 28% | 71,500 | “transmission failed” (26%) | $7,750 |
| Electrical System problems | 51 | 23% | 95,417 | “windshield wipers” (14%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 40 | 18% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 29 | 13% | 99,400 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 25 | 11% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 22 | 10% | 121,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 4% | 82,417 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 4% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 4% | 14,058 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 3% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | 11,900 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 2% | 109,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 2% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 2% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 1% | 80,275 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 169,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 1% | 71,450 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 61,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 39,350 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 8,700 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Volvo XC90 recalls (6)
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.
Electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery:cables
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, it has been determined that while doing battery maintenance the jack's crank handle can be misplaced under a bracket which retains the battery.
Risk: Misplacement of the jack's crank handle can pose a safety risk as it can result in a short circuit of the battery which could then lead to a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and ensure proper placement of the jack crank handle and a warning label with approved text will be affixed to the bracket which retains the battery. This warning label will inform an operator not to place the jack crank handle between the bracket and the battery free of charge. The recall began on july 7, 2007. 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.
Electrical system:starter assembly:solenoid
Problem: On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, due to an error in the factory assembly instruction, the b+terminal may be in conflict with the starter motor solenoid. If this occurs, the conflict between the b+terminal and the starter motor solenoid may develop into a short circuit of the battery cable to ground.
Risk: Smoke may appear from under the hood and it may be impossible to start the car. If the short circuit happens during driving, electrical power could be lost resulting in the warning lamps being deactivated. An electrical short could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and increase distance between the b+terminal and the starter motor solenoid by adjusting the terminal. The recall began on january 31, 2006. Owners may 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Central Electronic Module Failure (PE10025) — opened Jul 20, 2010, closed Nov 22, 2010.
- Volvo xc90 battery cable failures (EA06006) — opened Mar 21, 2006, closed Jun 14, 2007, led to recall 07V221000.
- Windshield wiper arm performance (PE05064) — opened Dec 2, 2005, closed May 10, 2006, led to recall 06V144000.
- Volvo xc90 battery cable failures (PE05057) — opened Nov 2, 2005, closed Mar 23, 2006, led to recall 05V529000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was getting off the highway and made a left turn. As I was accelerating the motor gentle cut off.. (You wouldnt even notice if you wasnt driving) Full Traffic was behind me, so luckily I was able to get out of the way and pull to shoulder. It was the day before Christmas and car hasn't ran since…
Iâve had to change my fuel injection pump and catalytic convert twice on one year.
ADAS, AIR BAR Warning lights/urgent and High Gas fumes coming out from the rear seats when fully filled gas. We had called [redacted] and guided us to plug in our VIN [XXX] on www.volvocars.com and nothing showed as far as recall and told us that these recalls expired and our 2005 Volvo are not…
Water is leaking from the windshield into the driver and passenger side inside on the window obstructing my view while driving. Cannot drive the vehicle while itâs raining. Serious safety problem! Please recall and fix all Volvos with this problem.
I had filled an earlier complaint and this to be added to the earlier form that i had filled needs to go to the engineering department. See photo the electrical complaint from the magnetic electrical beings in me and in this picture i believe is about design of the fuses in vehicle and what they…
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 | 34 | 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 | 223 | 6 |
| 2004 XC90 | 462 | 6 |
| 2003 XC90 | 93 | 5 |
See all Volvo XC90 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
Similar Volvo models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Volvo XC90?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 62 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Volvo XC90?
Yes, 6 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 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 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.