2016 Volvo XC90 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other XC90 years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 23 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 8 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Volvo XC90. That ranks 3rd out of 23 XC90 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (86 complaints, 44%), typically at around 16,250 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 10 fires, 8 injuries. There are 8 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 197owner complaints
- 8safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 86 | 44% | 16,250 | “oil consumption” (28%) | $10,900 |
| Electrical System problems | 56 | 28% | 10,000 | “instrument panel” (9%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 36 | 18% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 23 | 12% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 7% | 2,585 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 6% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 6% | 4,625 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 5% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 4% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 3% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 3% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 3% | 690 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 2% | 2,758 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 3 | 2% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% | 62,100 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 1% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 4,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 379 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 31,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 128,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Volvo XC90 recalls (8)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:critical fasteners
Problem: 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.
Electrical system:software
Problem: 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.
Risk: The rear passenger may become trapped by the front seat without the ability to cancel the seat's movement, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:hoses/lines/piping/fittings
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the coolant leak goes unnoticed, coolant may accumulate in the catalytic converter heat shield insulation and catch fire when the vehicle is stationary, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:appliance:air conditioner; air bags
Problem: 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.
Risk: Significant water drainage into the passenger compartment may adversely affect air bag deployment in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Problem: 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."
Risk: If the switch is unintentionally pressed and the sunroof panel closes, there is an increased risk of occupant injury.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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.
Risk: Underinflated air bags may not fully protect third row occupants, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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.
Risk: If the wiring harness is routed incorrectly, the wiring may be damaged, disabling the front seat side impact air bag, and increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front seat side impact air bag.
Fix: 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.
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
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
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 discovered an engine coolant leak from a crack near the end of the Plastic Coolant Bypass Pipe (part #31368673/32382362) after noticing coolant puddling on my garage floor. There are numerous comments with pictures on-line about how common this part fails on this model Volvo. What's also…
Piston rings inside the engine failed due to a known oil consumption issue with this model vehicle. The engine failed while the car was driving 85 mph and consequently slowed down to 15mph on the highway, leaving the owner of the car stranded alone on the highway. Volvo has a known fix for this…
The AC evaporator has a leak. I am reporting as this is a well known issue on the Volvo's, especially the 2016 XC90 which has a large amount of issues that cause issues of safety and undue amount of financial burden on owners who operate the vehicle in normal conditions. I have been told by the…
My 2016 Volvo XC90 suddenly lost power while I was driving, requiring me to pull over and have the vehicle towed. This is a documented safety issue associated with a known piston ring defect in 2013-2016 Volvo vehicles equipped with 2.0L and 2.5L engines, which was the subject of a federal class…
The eRAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) on my 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 PHEV failed completely. The warning light appeared approximately 11/3/2025, within one week of purchasing the vehicle at 88,000 miles. The failure was confirmed by a Volvo dealership. The eRAD is the component that powers the rear…
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 | 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 XC90 | 93 | 5 |
See all Volvo XC90 problems by year, every Volvo model, or the Volvo VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Volvo XC90?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 86 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Volvo XC90?
Yes, 8 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 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 2016 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.