Most common 2020 Volvo XC90 problems
Share of the 34 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 →
2020 Volvo XC90 recalls (7)
Electrical system › Propulsion system › Traction battery
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2020-2021 S90, 2020-2022 S60, V60, XC60, XC90, and 2022 V90 plug-in hybrid vehicles. The high-voltage battery may experience a short circuit within the battery module when the battery is fully charged and the vehicle is parked.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and replace the high-voltage battery module as necessary.
Seat belts › Critical fasteners
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.
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.
Steering
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2022 V60CC, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. During steering gear assembly, double screws may have been assembled on top of each other, which can cause a screw to fall into the gearbox housing.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 1, 2023. Owners may contact Volvo Car's customer service at 1-800-458-1552.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2021 S90L, 2020-2021 XC60, and XC90 vehicles. An improperly welded rotor and shaft may separate within the integrated brake system.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the hydraulic unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552.
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Volvo Car USA, LLC (Volvo Car) is recalling certain 2019-2020 V90, XC60, S60, V60, V60CC, S90, V90CC, S90L, and XC90 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump can blow a fuse and fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuse, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 2, 2021. Owners may contact Volvo Car customer service at 1-888-458-1552. Volvo Car's number for this recall is R10100.
Electrical system › Software
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.
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.
Show 1 more recall
Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking
Volvo Cars USA LLC (Volvo Cars) is recalling certain 2019-2020 S60, V60, V60 Cross Country, S90L, V90, V90 Cross Country, XC40, XC60, and XC90 vehicles. Due to a software/hardware incompatibility, the Automatic Emergency Brake (AEB) system may not detect obstacles and engage as intended.
Remedy: Volvo will notify owners, and dealers will update the Active Safety Domain Master (ASDM) software, free of charge. The recall began April 9, 2020. Owners may contact Volvo customer service at 1-800-458-1552.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 Volvo XC90:
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles.
What 2020 Volvo XC90 owners say
Electrical system
The contact owns a 2020 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while driving 35-40 MPH, the message "Vehicle Not in Park" was displayed intermittently, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted after several attempts and was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that no failure was found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While investigating the failure online, the contact became aware that it was a common failure, and that the dealers were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
The LED instrument panel will intermittently flicker or in some cases completely go out for extended periods of time making the vehicle unsafe to operate. The instrument panel in these instances is completely unusable and the driver is unable to see critical vehicle information such as speed, any warnings lamps or caution messages, remaining fuel, etc. This is obviously a massive safety issue for anyone in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a Volvo dealership, who acknowledged that this is a pervasive problem and performed an inspection per our request. We were informed that the entire instrument panel would need to be replaced but were not given any explanation as to what caused the issue. Additionally, the part is marked as backordered with no known arrival date, effectively making our car unusable in a safe condition. …
Engine & cooling
I was driving the speed limit on the highway in my Volvo 2020 XC90 which was less than one year old. The vehicle lost acceleration power and then an engine performance light came on, then a check engine light. I pulled over immediately and my car engine caught fire under the hood. The entire front of vehicle was engulfed in flames within minutes. There were approximately 11k miles on the car and it had never been maintenanced or worked on in any way that would have caused an engine fire. It was clearly a fuel line fire and Volvo did not properly investigate. My insurance company said it was a fuel line fire but could not get information from the black box because it was destroyed. This car is incredibly unsafe and should be recalled. I have multiple videos and case files concerning this "thermal event". …
I was driving when a turtle popped up on my dashboard I pulled over to Google what that meant and popped the hood cause I seen a little smoke within 3 sec the car busted in flames I ran back and grab my daughter out the back seat we were almost locked in due to the car melting the wire and flames started coming inside the car
Brakes
Vehicle: 2020 Volvo XC90 Mileage at first incident: ~60,000 miles Mileage at second incident: ~70,000 miles In July 2025, while my wife was driving our 2020 Volvo XC90 the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of braking. The brake pedal did not provide stopping power, and the vehicle had to be steered off the roadway in order to come to a stop and avoid a serious accident. The incident created a serious safety risk. The vehicle was taken to an Wynn Volvo PA dealer and the brake booster and master cylinder were replaced at our expense (approximately $2,500). After the repair, the brake pedal initially felt abnormally soft and required a return visit for correct repair. Approximately six months later, in January 2026, while my teenage son was driving the same vehicle, the vehicle again experienced a complete loss of braking. Braking performance was lost without warning. …
The issue started a few months ago. The brake sensor light on the dash turned on and stayed on. We took it to the dealer and they said that they will not fix it because they can see coffee stains on the sensor. Basically they have brake sensors right under the center console where people drink coffee and the brake sensors are exposed so this can happen to any customer. Now they want to charge us 1600 dollars even though the SUV is about 2 years old and under full warranty. They want to screw their customers and don't care about their safety. This is the brake system of the car and now it's having issues with the adaptive cruise control inwhich the system turns off while in use. We are concerned about our safty and don't know what to do.
2020 Volvo XC90 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo supercharged plug-in hybrid | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 26 / 28 / 27 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 30 / 25 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.0L 4-cyl turbo supercharged | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Volvo XC90 a good car?
Based on 34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 XC90 rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the XC90 at the same age. 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 2020 Volvo XC90?
The electrical system — 11 complaints, 32% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (7) and brakes (4).
How many recalls does the 2020 Volvo XC90 have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2020 Volvo XC90, the most recent from March 24, 2025 (traction battery). 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 2020 Volvo XC90 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 25,000 miles; 60% 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.