Most common 2005 Volvo XC90 problems
Share of the 223 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Volvo XC90 complaints by model year
Best XC90 years: 2010, 2013, 2011. Years to avoid: 2016, 2025, 2023, 2017, 2024. Compare all years →
2005 Volvo XC90 recalls (6)
Equipment › Electrical › Navigational system(global positioning system)
Volvo is recalling certain vehicles equipped with garmin 760 portable global positioning system (GPS) units because the batteries on those units May overheat.
Remedy: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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,…
Remedy: 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.
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery › Cables
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.
Remedy: 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.
Steering › Linkages › Tie rod assembly
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.
Remedy: 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
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.
Remedy: 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
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2005 Volvo XC90:
Central Electronic Module Failure
Volvo acknowledged a problem affecting some subject vehicles involving water seepage into the plenum box area in the engine compartment.When this occurs water may enter into the interior / passenger compartment and track along the wiring harness for the Central Electronic Module (CEM), the device that controls many of the vehicle's electrical functions including wiper operation, lighting, and transmission…
Windshield wiper arm performance
The manufacturer notified NHTSA by letter dated April 21, 2006, that a safety recall has been initiated for correction of this problem on certain model year 2003 - 2006 Volvo xc90 vehicles. The recall affects approximately 122,400 subject vehicles produced between August 2002 and October 2005.NHTSA has assigned no.
Volvo xc90 battery cable failures
The office of defect investigations opened a preliminary evaluation, pe05-057 based on early warning data submitted to odi by Volvo. The data contained field reports of thermal failures of the positive battery cable. On November 17, 2005, Volvo notified odi that it had identified a safety defect in the positive battery cables in approximately 9,000 my 2005 Volvo xc90 vehicles with six cylinder engines that could…
Volvo xc90 battery cable failures
During pe05-057 and ea06-006 odi identified two conditions involving the positive battery cable in model year (my) 2005 Volvo xc90 sport utility vehicles that could result in a vehicle fire:(1) positive battery cable grounding to the starter solenoid housing; and (2) misplaced jack crank handles under the battery bracket after battery service/maintenance.during pe05-057 Volvo initiated a safety recall to correct the…
What 2005 Volvo XC90 owners say
Engine & cooling all 69 →
When cranking it stalls and cuts off and after doing it around 10 times it finally cranks then I have to hurry to put in drive to get the motor going in order to keep her crunk and couple weeks ago because this problem she stalled out and I hit a hole in the road and busted the oil pan so she has been parked every since cause I had my daughter in the car and that wasn't a pretty sight since the hit made her nervous now can't get her to get in the car so I need my car fixed and I see it has several recalls and all and it was on a county street once I got it crunk back up it smoked badly till I turned it off and it took four hours for me to get it out the road
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, a fuel odor emitted from the rear of the vehicle as the vehicle lost power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also mentioned that fuel was leaking from the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that after the vehicle was restarted, the fuel odor recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Transmission & drivetrain all 62 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Volvo XC90. Ever since the vehicle was purchased in November of 2018, there had been several electrical failures. The headlights, power door locks, and power rearview mirror failed to operate. Also, the transmission caused the vehicle to jerk and stall while driving. The contact took the vehicle to an unknown Volvo dealer, but they refused to provide diagnostic testing and stated that there was no recall or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 14,042.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Volvo XC90. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and it was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Electrical system all 51 →
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. Upon investigation I found the CEM was effected. When the car died I was in left hand lane and I had to make my way to right, the shoulder. Yes the problem was diagnosed by myself. However I did investigation and researched using all data at library. It has not been inspected by anyone else. There where no warning lamps or messages prior to the failure. It happened all of a sudden in the middle of traffic when I was getting off the highway.
After rainfall we began experience power failures in our Volvo. No windows were left open and the interior was not exposed to any water. But while driving the dashboard went out the needles for the fuel, miles per hour and everything went out. It came on shortly after then off again this time with the radio and windows could not roll down or up. Once the car was off it came back on only to repeat the same issue the dash and radio come on and off while driving and at one point will shut off everything until the car is turned off again. The headlights will flicker as well from time to time. This is extremely frightening considering I have a toddler and small child and while driving on a highway to have everything shut off was beyond frightening and extremely worrisome. …
2005 Volvo XC90 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
| 2.5L 5-cyl turbo | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 2.9L 6-cyl turbo | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.4L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 19 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Volvo XC90 a good car?
Based on 223 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 XC90 rates avoid: 6.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the XC90 at the same age. It is one of the XC90 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Volvo XC90?
The engine & cooling — 69 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (62) and electrical system (51).
How many recalls does the 2005 Volvo XC90 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2005 Volvo XC90, the most recent from November 8, 2010 (navigational system(global positioning system)). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Volvo XC90?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010, 2013 and 2011. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016, 2025, 2023, 2017 and 2024. See the full Volvo XC90 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Volvo XC90 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 86,000 miles; 14% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.