2021 Volvo XC90
This year drew an ordinary 51 complaints for a Volvo XC90 — the model's median is 53. What they were about is the unusual part: 35.3% of them mention said, against 6.4% across the other years of this generation.
Generation 2 of the Volvo XC90, which began in 2016. Everything below compares this year against the others in that generation, not against a different car wearing the same name.
| Complaints filed | 51 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 53 |
| Recalls | 6 |
| EPA combined | 24 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- said — 35.3% of this year's complaints, against 6.4% across the other years of this generation (5.5×).
- because — 41.2% of this year's complaints, against 10.7% across the other years of this generation (3.9×).
- warranty — 29.4% of this year's complaints, against 6.6% across the other years of this generation (4.4×).
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
What owners wrote
The infotainment system has locked up and has shut completely off while driving. When it shuts down (screen goes black) or glitches, the car actually loses power. Luckily it powered right back on but it was scary and could happen again and be much worse. The s…
Heat does not work in Hybrid Vehicle. Prevents windshield from being able to be defrosted in winter. Should be covered under warranty, however when I took it to the dealer they report that multiple Volvo have this problem and there is a part shortage. Because…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 21V682000 SEAT BELTS Fixed free of charge.
- 21V716000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Fixed free of charge.
- 21V001000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 23V001000 STEERING Fixed free of charge.
- 23V827000 SEAT BELTS Fixed free of charge.
- 25V179000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Volvo XC90 was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2021 Volvo XC90? What happened to yours?
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