The Lemon Index

All cars · Volvo XC90 · 2016

2016 Volvo XC90. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index134100 = average car
Complaints61NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold45,303U.S. model year
Per 100K sold135complaints
Complaint rank#9 of 10among the 10 scored Volvo XC90 model years (2004–2022); #1 = fewest complaints per car sold, not the YouTube rank

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 2,500 and 19,000 miles. Median 7,200, from 56 complaints with a mileage.

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Electrical49%
Engine39%
Brakes20%
Speed control16%
Body structure13%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
6132105

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 8

  • 23V827000 Dec 2023 Seat Belts / Critical Fasteners

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 21V273000 Apr 2021 Electrical System / Software

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 19V308000 Apr 2019 Engine And Engine Cooling / Cooling System / Hoses/Lines/Piping/Fittings

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 16V798000 Nov 2016 Seat Belts / Front / Buckle Assembly

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 16V690000 Sep 2016 Equipment / Appliance / Air Conditioner

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 16V268000 May 2016 Visibility / Sun/Moon Roof Assembly

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 15V497000 Aug 2015 Air Bags / Side/Window

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

  • 15V342000 Jun 2015 Air Bags / Side/Window

    Defect. 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.

    Remedy. 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.

NHTSA investigations

StatusSubjectOpenedClosed
ClosedPedestrian alert sounds20232023

Manufacturer communications 721

Volvo filed 721 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • This is a technical journal : * vstg op no
  • This is a technical journal : if an engine still has a high level of oil consumption despite…
  • This is a technical journal: if squealing noise occurs from front brakes on cars built before…

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Volvo XC90 T5 SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
Volvo XC90 T5 SUV FWDnot rated★★★★★★★★★★not rated
Volvo XC90 T6 SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆
Volvo XC90 T6 SUV FWDnot rated★★★★★★★★★★not rated

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardStandardStandard

Engines and drivetrains 3

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S8)FWD22 / 26 / 24Premium$3,200
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S8)AWD20 / 25 / 22Premium$3,500
2.0L 4-cyl turbo plug-in hybridAuto (S8)AWD24 / 27 / 25Premium$3,100

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2013–7–Electrical
2014–1–Airbags
20161346145,303Electrical
2017612330,996Engine
2018531731,609Brakes
201919735,760Electrical

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data

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