Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 3% | 40,000 miles |
| 2020 | 3 | 9% | — |
| 2019 | 4 | 10% | — |
| 2018 | 4 | 8% | — |
| 2017 | 7 | 9% | 19,000 miles |
| 2016 | 23 | 12% | 48,000 miles |
| 2013 | 2 | 18% | 67,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 5% | 24,000 miles |
| 2010 | 2 | 17% | 60,000 miles |
| 2009 | 1 | 14% | 76,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 3% | 117,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 3% | 103,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 6% | 111,000 miles |
| 2005 | 4 | 2% | 122,000 miles |
| 2004 | 14 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 6% | 79,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
If a passenger or child in the second row attempts to open a door before/while the doors are unlocked, the interior AND exterior handles no longer function. This can be temporarily fixed by doing a complicated and long random series of enabling/disabling electronic child locks and unlocking and re-locking the doors, but in an emergency situation it would not be possible. Passengers would be trapped in the case of a car fire or submerging event. This needs to be addressed by the manufacturer with a properly engineered lock that does not prevent the door handles from working if the handles are operated while locks are actuated! Here are two threads full of people with this issue: [redacted]
The sunroof has leaked pouring water into the car. October 29, 2025 This is the second time this has occurred. First flood was January 3, 2023. Volvo covered the first repair done by a Volvo dealership. The current estimate to repair is $13,000 by the Volvo dealer. They have the car. The electronics have not been checked yet or are part of the estimate. It is unsafe to drive a car if the electronics may fail. I have filed a claim with Volvo and to date (42 days) there is no resolution. I cannot drive a car that fills with water when it rains. My daughter has a severe heart defect and cannot be in a car with mold and mildew.
The rear right passenger door is stuck in a locked state. It's not possible to open that door from the interior or the exterior. Locking and unlocking the doors does not solve the problem. Activating and deactivating the child lock system does not solve the problem either. Turning the engine on and off does not solve the problem. This is extremely unsafe in case of a collision where the passenger needs to be evacuated from the car with no access to the other side of the vehicle. The car has not been inspected by anybody, yet. I'll take the vehicle to the dealership for repair. The door has been like this for a several days now, as of 05/11/2022. There were no signs or other symptoms prior to this problem. There are no signs or messages about this malfunction. Upon looking online on some Volvo owners forums, this problem has occurred to more people before on different models as well. …
The exterior chrome trim on the door handle has severely delaminated and flaked. The peeling metallic coating has separated from the plastic handle structure, creating a razor-sharp edge. This component is located on a primary vehicle entry point, creating an immediate laceration hazard to anyone attempting to open the door. The flaking metal shards are sharp enough to cut fingers or hands during normal vehicle operation, posing a particular safety risk to children or anyone unfamiliar with the vehicle's defect. This is a known manufacturing material failure affecting 2019 Volvo models.
My 2018 Volvo XC90 had repeated water leakage from the panoramic sunroof. In most cases, when the vehicle is parked flat or the front is at a slight angle, water leaks in and collects in the cargo area. It collects into a plastic compartment over the battery located on the right side of the cargo area and/or on top of the rear cargo mat. When the vehicle is moving and it is raining, water leaks in from the rearview mirror, making the entire dash, screen, shifter and both driver and passenger wet. The rain also comes in from the rear right side of the second row making the entire seat or any passenger sitting there wet. Volvo is not acknowledging this defect nor are there any solutions in place. This is extremely concerning.
The secondary hood latch release cable is not functioning, preventing the hood from opening. Thousands of owners complaining about that. There is a Volvo Service Bulletin Action but they are pretending to charge for that. Quality bulletin service action: S89651 What can I do?
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.
Rear passenger doors would get locked stuck, and can not get unlocked from inside or outside. This issue would remain even after locking/unlocking car multiple times or enabling/disabling child lock multiple times. Dealer suggested this is common issue in this model of the car, and needs an expensive repair of the latch mechanism. This is a safety hazard as this would would trap the passengers inside the car in case of accident or any other emergency. Please look in to this matter, this should not be happening in a relatively new(5 years), low mileage, always garaged car like Volvo.
Frequently asked questions
Which Volvo XC90 years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2016 (23), 2004 (14), 2017 (7) and 2003 (6) model years. Body complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2016.
Is there a recall for Volvo XC90 body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for any Volvo XC90 model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Volvo XC90 body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles; 38% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (52 mentions), followed by the body › door (5).
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.