2016 Volvo XC90 problems & reliability
196 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Volvo XC90, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Volvo XC90 vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 85 | 43% |
| Electrical System | 56 | 29% |
| Unknown OR Other | 36 | 18% |
| Structure | 23 | 12% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 6% |
| Power Train | 10 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% |
| Steering | 7 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 25,000 miles (middle 50% between 7,000 and 65,000 miles), based on 81 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Piston rings inside the engine failed due to a known oil consumption issue with this model vehicle. The engine failed while the car was driving 85 mph and consequently slowed down to 15mph on the highway, leaving the owner of the car stranded alone on the highway. Volvo has a known fix for this issue and there was a…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 17, 2026
“The AC evaporator has a leak. I am reporting as this is a well known issue on the Volvo's, especially the 2016 XC90 which has a large amount of issues that cause issues of safety and undue amount of financial burden on owners who operate the vehicle in normal conditions. I have been told by the dealer after they…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 8, 2026
“My 2016 Volvo XC90 suddenly lost power while I was driving, requiring me to pull over and have the vehicle towed. This is a documented safety issue associated with a known piston ring defect in 2013-2016 Volvo vehicles equipped with 2.0L and 2.5L engines, which was the subject of a federal class action lawsuit ([XXX]…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Jun 26, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
721 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Volvo XC90. The 10 most recent:
This is a Technical Journal: Plus 2 attachments 1- TJI-497587-1 and 1 MP4 Speaker Grill -It may be possible for the rear door lock switch to get stuck in the speaker grille. This can lead to a drained battery. Applies…
32010.3.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 10, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 1 .jpg attachment - If remote control key is not detected by the car and shows message in DIM "Car key not found" or if functions such as lock/unlock are not working, please follow…
33031.6.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 23, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Intermittent knocking noise during acceleration. If the sound corresponds to attached sound file, change front drive shafts to the below part numbers.
36496.10.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Headlamp condensation inside lens - information/leak test. If the result is not ok (air leak), it is ok to replace the headlamp
34521.11.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 7, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Panoramic sunroof, sealing strip has a gap
35503.4.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 6, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 2 PDFs and 1 .PNG Oil Consumption test. Perform the test. Follow service procedure Description and Service sections updated to clarify that vehicle reports are not…
35526.1.8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 23, 2026
This is a TJ text only - The purpose of this TJ is to be a master reference list to easily identify any components that are on prior approval. This TJ will be regularily updated as items are added or removed from prior…
37809.1.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Headlamp condensation inside lens - information/leak test. If the result is not ok (air leak), it is ok to replace the headlamp
34521.10.0 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: If a vehicle with panorama roof shows symptom of a rattling noise when opening, follow the description under Service. If the analysis shows that the rattling noise comes from the roller…
33183.9.1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 7, 2026
This is a Technical Journal: Text plus 1 jpg and 1 mp4 file -- If there is a strange chafing or creaking noise when turning the steering wheel, follow the advice under Service.
35842 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 13, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Volvo XC90 has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Volvo XC90?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 25,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.