Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Volvo XC90 - part 1

The catillatic converter exploded as we started the vehicle . Was a very loud explosion. . No fire but lots of smoke.

See all problems of the 2011 Volvo XC90 🔎.

My vehicle was signaling me to add oil every 600 - 1000 miles around 85,000 miles. The dealership charged me for a chemical treatment to stop the oil burning around 90,000 miles. At about 95,000 miles, my engine failed while driving on the interstate. There was no warning light or degradation of power. Suddenly, the engine lost power, went into limp mode and I could not maintain highway speed. The display flashes "engine performance reduced. " my SUV is now parked in my yard. I have paid two Volvo dealerships and a Volvo repair shop to inspect it. They reported oil burning, cylinder scoring and spark plug failure. There is scoring in the #3 cylinder and there is also no compression in the #3 cylinder. They further advised me that all engines that fit in my vehicle will experience this oil burning issue and the subsequent pathway to failure. I see evidence that this is a known issue with 2. 0l and 2. 5l Volvo engines between 2013-16. Of particular note is that several other owners have experienced failure in the #3 cylinder. There is an issue of clogged rings causing oil burning. Oil burning leads to damage to internal engine components like pistons, spark plugs, valves and etc. . Causing engine failure and ultimately engine fires. Oil burning extends into the exhaust system and also damages catalytic converters leading to failure of those components and even fires. I understand Volvo issued tech journals to dealerships but, to date, this information has not been published to the consumer that we may be made hole. This is a major design flaw that creates an expensive and extremely dangerous situation affecting numerous engine parts subject to high levels of heat during engine operation. Any of these parts are susceptible to spontaneously combusting during operation and without warning. It is an extremely dangerous situation. However, I see no evidence of a recall on my vehicle.

See all problems of the 2016 Volvo XC90 🔎.

Some back info: I keep the auto start/stop feature disabled. There are three identical incidents total. One about a year or two ago and two back to back a few weeks ago. The first time I was stopped at a drive through but in “drive” with my foot on the brake. All of the sudden the car completely turns off. Screens black, engine off. Completely black car no inside lights on. Within a couple of seconds, I hear the engine reengage and the car “starts” as normal like when you turn the switch. All of the lights and screens turn on and apple car play reconnects. The most recent two incidents were the same day and in drive having stopped at stoplights. The car goes “dead” then restarts all in drive with my foot on the brake. No warnings come up after the incident either. This time my husband and children were with me and can confirm it happened. I did not get these incidents checked out since the car was instantly back to normal with no warning messages. Very unnerving though and feels like the car is being remotely restarted somehow. The first time I just brushed it off, now I am concerned about this happening while in motion.

See all problems of the 2019 Volvo XC90 🔎.

The contact owned a 2017 Volvo Xc90. The contact stated that after driving 35 miles at 70 mph on I-95 south in south carolina, the contact started smelling an abnormally gasoline odor inside the vehicle entering through the ac vents. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact and her husband continued driving, believing that the odor was coming from the outside because the air recirculation switch was set to recirculate the air inside the vehicle. The contact stated that after driving an additional 5 miles, the gasoline odor grew stronger, and the contact suggested to her husband to pull over so that they could exit the vehicle. The contact stated that her husband pulled over and they both exited with a child. The contact stated that while running away from the vehicle she could see flames underneath the vehicle coming from the engine before the vehicle exploded and was engulfed in flames. The contact and her husband ran away from the vehicle and there was grayish white smoke coming from the vehicle. The fire department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact stated that fire department and police department filed incident reports, but the contact had not yet received the documents. The contact stated that the entire front of the vehicle including the engine compartment had melted down to the wheels. The contact sustained soreness to the neck and left shoulder, as well as a headache from the fuel odor. The contact, her child, and her husband were emotionally distressed from the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was deemed a total loss. The insurance provider and a claims adjuster was notified of the fire and the contact was informed that further investigation was needed to determine the cause of the fire. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Volvo XC90 🔎.

In early December (2025), I experienced hybrid system failure, with the vehicle showing this fault in the dashboard and the check engine light coming on. I took it to the dealership, as the hybrid system is still within warranty, and they diagnosed a failed hybrid battery module. They said I could continue to drive the care in combustion-only mode and would order the module. Having heard nothing, I checked in early January and was told the module would not be available until may or June of 2026. I escalated to Volvo corporate. They opened a case and keep promising to have a manager reach out to update me, but they have failed to follow-through for almost a month. I am now faced with the prospect of operating an impaired vehicle that can't pass an emissions test (and which is under warranty) for more than half a year.

See all problems of the 2020 Volvo XC90 🔎.

Upon driving a symbol with a turtle and engine cation sign flashed upon the dash displaying and reading reduced power train mode as this is being shown on dash the passenger next to me smelt smoke as we next seen smoke coming from the air conditioning system we immediately pulled over to the safest spot out of the ongoing traffic as smoke continued to worsen now under the hood when flames engulfed the engine and spread to rest of car.

On thanksgiving day I drove to train station in the morning, and had no issue. After work I got in the car started to drive, I was going 25-35 miles per hour in the maplewood township, and I wanted to slow down just in case I dont see any kid or person at dark. I almost had no brake! I was so scared and I pushed th brake pedal so hard, I was very dangerous for the society at this moment. I just wish I was not on the highway going higher speed, or there were no people around! I really cannot trust this car anymore, I could have hit something!!!.

My engine caught on fire. Unknown cause at this time.

As I was driving, the coolant low warning came on. Luckily I was able to pull over safely at a nearby gas station. I found that the coolant expansion tank was empty. The coolant was leaking from the plastic connector on the bleeder hose and was pooling on the top of the engine. There is a recall on 2016 vehicles for this (Volvo campaign r29936) and looks like many are having same issue on 2017 models also. My problem was exactly as described, the part broke, coolant squirts out all over hot engine parts, system coolant level rapidly depletes. Fortunately, this happened in place that allowed safe stopping.

On September 30, 2025, a 2016 Volvo Xc90 t6 experienced sudden engine failure while driving westbound on I-75 (alligator alley) at highway speed. The vehicle abruptly went into reduced power mode (“turtle mode”) without warning. This forced the driver to stop on the roadside, creating a serious safety hazard in fast-moving traffic. Component/system that failed: engine / power train. An independent repair facility performed diagnostics on October 6, 2025, including a compression test. Results confirmed that one cylinder had lost compression due to a failed cylinder head. The mechanic attributed this to excessive oil consumption from defective piston rings, a condition documented in Volvo technical bulletins. Inspection: the vehicle was inspected by an independent service center. Photos and test results are available for inspection upon request. The manufacturer was contacted and denied assistance, citing mileage, despite known oil consumption defects in this engine family. Safety risk: the sudden loss of power at highway speed put the driver and other motorists at risk of collision. With no advance warning, the driver was left stranded on a dangerous stretch of interstate. Reproduction: the failure has been confirmed through diagnostic testing and inspection by the independent service center. Manufacturer/police/insurance inspection: the manufacturer has been notified, but no inspection by Volvo has occurred to date. No police or insurance inspection was performed. Warning messages or lamps: prior to the breakdown, no warning lamps or messages indicated impending failure. The first and only symptom was the sudden loss of power on the highway. Incident cause assessment: based on mechanic’s findings, the underlying cause is piston ring/oil consumption defect leading to cylinder head failure. This defect is widely reported in Volvo vehicles with this engine and represents a safety-related condition.

This car is consuming oil and has the potential to catastrophically fail, or catch fire.

Vehicle is a 2017 model year of the Volvo Xc90 and has the same safety issue in the quality bulletin for recall r29936: coolant bleeder hose (engine side), which is for the same make and model but for the 2016 model year. The vehicle has a plastic coolant bleeder hose that can crack and create a coolant leak that drips above the catalytic converter. The coolant accumulates in the catalytic converter heat shield insulation and poses a fire risk in the engine compartment area. The leak can also be small enough to cause coolant to evaporate and off gas into the cabin through the ac, exposing fumes to cabin occupants. The corrective action is to replace the engine side coolant bleeder hose, though this recall did not extend to 2017 model years, in which this same part was used. The same recall r29936 will need to be extended to other model years after 2016 in which the same component or design of component was used.

While on the highway, the system reported that engine coolant was low and to pull over safely. I pulled into a parking lot and within a couple of minutes the engine burst into flames. The local fire department responded and extinguished the fire. The car is totaled.

Piston ring failure, excessive oil consumption. There was an extended warranty regarding the issue, but it has since been closed. I know there have been multiple lawsuits regarding this issue.

Vehicle started experiencing stalling and when trying to accelerate it would not pick up on speed, I have been quoted by Volvo that the supercharger is bad on a car that is only 6 years old. That repair for this is $2,000 as the engine valve also has to get cleaned out. The vehicle started having issue with ac after 2 years and now the front evaporator has gone bad and with summer time is when I realized of this defect. $5,000 repair for the evaporator.

While actively driving into an intersection, driving on the street and or stopped at a light or at a stop the vehicle will shut off, the lights on the dashboard will sometimes be on, other times go completely black, a notification pops up on the dashboard saying "engine not in p". There is no way I'm aware of to re create this action. My children's safety as well as mine has been put at significant risk and in harms way as well as others due to the severity and nature of this unexpected risk while driving on the freeway, through intersections and in general driving through traffic and busy streets. I've had multiple close calls of almost being hit when the car stopped while I'm driving with my children. The problem has yet to be reproduced by the dealer at this time however we have photos and video of it's ongoing safety concern. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer nor police but is currently at the dealer undergoing inspection. There has not been any notifications or warnings prior to any one of these serious events, the message only comes up when the car is off and won't go.

See all problems of the 2018 Volvo XC90 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Volvo Xc90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the low coolant level warning light was illuminated. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir; however, approximately one week later, the warning light was again illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the small coolant hose was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The vehicle engine will fail while driving. The electronics reflect the vehicle is still running. Restarting is not immediate and is difficult. This is a known problem that Volvo recalled for 2019/2020 Xc90s. Volvo will not diagnose and repair under goodwill despite my repeated attempts.

Engine is the part that failed due to excessive oil consumption. Became a safety risk once it started selecting its own driving speed after dropping driving speed to 31mph on [xxx in raleigh. Problem was confirmed by the dealer, Volvo of cary has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others *upon a service visit our technician, ray rancell of Volvo of cary advised that the engine was leaking oil and engine failure would occur if we didn't take care of it so we did to a total of $2879. 74 which would keep the engine from seizing. That means we paid to prevent exactly what happened anyway and as I found out later he did not perform an oil consumption test so he had no way of knowing the shape the engine was in but charged for this work anyway. The repair invoice says the customer stated oil leaking on timing belt but that is incorrect. I would have no way of knowing that as the only thing I know about cars is replinishg fluids. We did have to replinish oil often and advised ray of that but he said it was normal. Thank god I was able to get into the slow lane and prevented any accident but my and my daughter's life was certainly put at risk. There is a known recall for excessive oil consumption which I fould out about later. When I questioned Volvo they said my VIN number was not included in the recall. Clearly, it should have been. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I plugged my usb to usb-c charging cable into my iphone 20 seconds after starting the vehicle. I proceeded to exit my driveway when the infotainment screen went completely blank and the same thing to the driver's display 10 seconds later. I drove to the end of my street to a stop light where the car completely shut off and automatically restarted within a few seconds. I was traveling with my wife and [xxx] daughter. I have yet to reproduce the problem but have an appointment scheduled with the dealership later this week. Zero warnings or messages were present before, during or after the incident. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2021 Volvo XC90 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Volvo Xc90. The contact stated that while driving through a residential area at 35 mph, the vehicle independently slowed down with the message "engine has now stopped" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle initially failed to restart after the first attempt; however, the vehicle restarted after the second attempt and resumed normal operation after the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 2,300.

See all problems of the 2025 Volvo XC90 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 Volvo Xc90. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, there was water leaking from the rearview mirror, which leaked into the vehicle, causing the electrical system to fail. There was an abnormal sound of water swishing around inside the vehicle. The on-call warning and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cracked sunroof cassette leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

Was driving and my low coolant light came on. I pulled over and car shut down and coolant leaking all over the exhaust and block of the engine. Crack in the coolant bleeder hose leaving me stranded on the side of the road. I then googled the issue to my surprise it is the same crack point and part that the previous year 2016 model had a recall on for safety as this is a fire risk leaking on the exhaust and this being a flammable liquid. I am just upset as this was a recall for the previous year model and it is happening on the 2017 model with many other people having the same issue. Contacting Volvo and they will not cover this as there is no active recall on this $800 for a $23 part that is a known issue is a problem and the risk of my vehicle catching on fire when I have 5 children in the car is very concerning for a car that is suppose to be reliable. Not to mention the bad front strut problems on these that go out and send you going in the wrong direction on a bump. Hope this gets taken care of due to the risk!.

All seatbelts in vehicle sticks and/or catches have to use seriously more pressure on release button,or seatbelt/latch it’s self or both. My wife and children have had me have to come get it because it wouldn’t release. Engine motor mount bolt had to be replaced, I noticed when alternator went out, vehicle wouldn’t respond from throttle acted like it was missing then threw dash lights then no lights all of a sudden it happened within 1-2mins vehicle wouldn’t respond while running stopped in middle of road. Didn’t give any warning was even going out. Locks not working right with key fob 1or more locks won’t lock/unlock including the fuel door lock, as well as child saftey locks coming on randomly. Steering locked in full turn left/right have to manually turn wheel because it will continue in direction wheel is associated in while moving instead of returning towards middle on its own momentum. Climate control fan not working properly not enough blowing force and ambient temperature sensor for climate control not regulating temperature/doesn’t read correctly.

See all problems of the 2008 Volvo XC90 🔎.

I have a 2016 Xc90 t6 inscription. The issue started after refill the engine oil and led to malfunction in engine system. The engine list the power and slowed down the car while driving. I brought the car to the dealer 2 times already and had been fine for 3 months. However, the engine oil light showed up to refill after 3 months. I am aware that other Volvo owners are facing the same issue and it is due to defect of piston and piston ring.

VIN: [xxx] we just had the starter go bad at roughly 66000 miles. When the repair shop had removed the bad starter they noticed a very odd failure. The nut/stud on the starter was stripped. They stated that this was definitely from a manufacturing defect. I can provide the bad starter and receipt of the cost of replacement. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unsure of what the issue is with the vehicle but smells like gas in my garage and I found a recall I was never notified about I moved from washington to las vegas and never received any info regarding the fuel pump recall as well as a noise that’s been going on for a year now when I drive at 60 miles an hour I’ve had it looked at and no one seems to know what that issue is.

See all problems of the 2004 Volvo XC90 🔎.

The contact owned a 2017 Volvo Xc90. The contact stated that while driving at 10 mph, a white-colored smoke began to emit from the vehicle's engine compartment. The "coolant low" warning message soon appeared on the instrument panel as the contact pulled over into a parking lot and exited the vehicle with her three children. As the smoke grew rampantly, the vehicle quickly caught fire. A fellow motorist attempted to extinguish the fire but to no avail. The authorities quickly arrived at the scene and the fire department extinguished the fire. While the contact and her 3 children were all mentally shaken by the incident; no medical treatment was rendered. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession for an insurance inspection. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire. The dealer nor the manufacturer had to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo Xc90. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 19v308000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that an oil change was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, who informed the contact that the vehicle was consuming oil and informed the contact about an oil consumption test. The contact was informed that a spark plug had exploded in the engine. The engine was replaced. The contact noticed that water was entering inside the vehicle. There was water dripping on the entertainment center, and the pixels were half out. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the infotainment screen needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. While driving at unknown speeds, the brakes became inoperable. While at a car wash, the fenders detached. After driving for several hours, the turn off engine message was displayed. The contact added additional coolant, but the coolant depleted quickly. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine line had split open. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and opened a case but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Coolant bleeder hose started leaking at y-connection. Appears to be same problem that lead to recall r29936 in earlier my16 vehicles.

The system that starts the vehicle, called a igs failed yet again. This failed at 700 miles in downtown chicago on the street blocking traffic. Now several months later today going on a trip and the vehicle dies in the middle of the street blocking traffic. Was unable to restart the vehicle again. Attempted to contact Volvo customer service and was on hold over 25 minutes without talking to someone. Tried to find a way to put vehicle into neutral to safely move out of the way, but this vehicle has no way to manually overrride it. It posed a safety risk and could of easily caused an accident.

See all problems of the 2024 Volvo XC90 🔎.

Started getting high coolant temperature warning, indicating to slow down and then after a short while to stop the vehicle. The vehicle now cannot be driven without the warning showing up after several minutes of driving after sitting. Of course comes on much sooner if it's been running before that. We had to pull over and wait several times during interstate travel. No codes are present using a code reader. It reads the temp at around 215 degrees when warning comes on to slow down. Continues to increase until warning to stop vehicle. I inspected the engine. A lot of symptoms were inline with a bad thermostat. Changed that with no luck. I again inspected the engine and found the broken tube. It was inline with where it's supposed to be attached, so it was missed the first time. I researched online and found recall 19v308 related to a previous version of the part. The newer version is installed (Volvo part 31238231), yet the same exact conditions are present that the replacement was supposed to avoid. Seems reasonable that if that's the case, it should also be covered by another safety recall. The pics also include coolant accumulation in that area as well as corroded plastic conduit for what looks like some type of wire for electrical component. I'm not sure what that part is, but I've sent a pic also of where it goes into the engine. Seems like the higher heat that the coolant can reach eventually melted/corroded the conduit. The wire inside is also not in good shape, but is intact still.

The engine coolant bleeder hose in my 2018 Volvo Xc90 cracked in the middle of my journey causing a severe coolant leak. This happened in August of 2024 while driving and the engine coolant suddenly started showed warning with low level and the engine started overheating. The vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph, and the temperature warning light flashed continuously, creating a safety hazard in traffic. The Volvo dealership diagnosed the issue and confirmed that the coolant bleeder on the supercharger is broken and leaking. They replaced the bleeder hose and vacuum fill system. I believe similar issues happened to the 2016 models and a recall was issued for the coolant bleeder hose (part # 32249907-0) to be replaced by Volvo. This has not been recalled for the 2018 models, making it an expensive replacement for me. I urge NHTSA to investigate Volvo Xc90 coolant hoses for material defects, as this issue endangers drivers through unexpected breakdowns and engine failure.

The hybrid motor periodical will hesitate when accelerating from a stop, specifically it'll start accelerating then lose power for up to a couple of seconds before regaining power. This poses a safety risk if you start pulling out into traffic and suddenly and unpredictably lose power while there's oncoming vehicles. The problem just occurred for the first time about a week ago and coincidentally just a few days after taking the car in for its annual service, since then it has happened more frequently and I can't find any rhyme or reason as to why it happens. The vehicle will be going in to be checked out shortly. There have been no warning lights any time this has happened.

There is a engine coolant leak from the plastic coolant line connector going into the motor.