2006 Volvo XC90 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report tires that wear out early or fail, and where mileage is stated it falls between about 12,000 and 23,000 miles; several complaints name the Pirelli tires fitted to the vehicle. Other frequent reports describe the engine stalling or losing power while driving, often at highway speeds, and steering or suspension joints such as tie rods wearing out. Less often, complaints describe water getting into the cabin and causing electrical faults, and headlamps that fail intermittently.

1. 1
   Tires

   Early tire wear and tread failures

   • 10 complaints (19%)
   • median 15,459 mi at 1.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2010

   Owners describe tires wearing out fast, with tread worn down or bald at relatively low mileage. Several complaints involve the Pirelli tires that came with the vehicle, including tread separation, a tire blowout, and failed inspections. Some complaints say dealers offered prorated or partial-cost replacements, and others say the vehicle maker and tire maker blamed each other. Every complaint in this group that states mileage reports tire problems between about 12,000 and 23,000 miles.

   What to check: Check tread depth on all four tires and their date codes, and ask whether any prorated or tread-wear warranty adjustment applies.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On january 29, 2007 I took my 2006 Volvo XC90 2wd to the Volvo dealer for the 15,000 mile scheduled service to include the scheduled tire rotation and balance. The car had 14,764 miles. The service advisor called later in the day to state that (1) I needed front brake pads, and (2) needed four new tires because the original equipment tires were completely worn out. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10185567, filed 2007-03, 14,764 miles

   “We own a 2006 Volvo XC90. It came with pirelli tires which lasted less than 17,000 miles. Tires were replaced, partly by Volvo, but lasted only 20,000 miles. So, two complete sets of tires and the car has only 37,000 miles. I have no choice but to replace them.”

   NHTSA complaint #10327639, filed 2010-04, 22,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Stalling or power loss while driving

   • 9 complaints (17%)
   • median 122,500 mi at 9.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe the vehicle stalling or losing power while driving, sometimes without warning, and in some cases the engine restarted after a short wait. In some complaints a reduced-engine-performance warning came on after the speed dropped, and power steering and brakes were reported as harder to use when power was lost. According to complaints, a dealer visit sometimes found no problem, while other visits replaced the fuel pump, a fuel injector module, or electronic parts without ending the stalling. Stated mileage ranges from about 8,000 to 186,000 miles, and many events were reported at highway speeds.

   What to check: Ask for any stored trouble codes and the repair records for stalling, and check whether the fuel pump or fuel injector module was already replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Volvo XC90 (2006) abruptly stalls and dies on freeway when using cruise control (typically at 70-75 MPH). Have had two repeated incidents, so far lucky have not been hit. Dealership found no problem., car died again. First incident was at about 59,000 miles, second was next time I used cruise on freeway. I always use premium fuel, regular service.”

   NHTSA complaint #10296427, filed 2009-12, 59,900 miles

   “Without any warning, the motor suddenly dropped from 60-65 MPH to 35-40 and would not accelerate beyond this- I got a warning message after this happened reduced engine performance . Research on this later told me that this was limp mode. I was on an expressway and other vehicles around me, including many large semi trucks, were driving at high speeds. Fortunately, I had just come out of a toll plaza and was in the right lane so I was able to get out of the way quickly enough to avoid a collision. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10702283, filed 2015-03, 186,000 miles
3. 3
   Other or unknown

   Steering and suspension joint wear

   • 8 complaints (15%)
   • median 130,000 mi at 8.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2025

   Owners describe steering and suspension parts wearing or failing, including outer tie rods, ball joints and rear wheel bearings, sometimes with a loud noise, pulling to one side, or front-end shaking. Some complaints describe repeated suspension repairs as mileage increased, and a complaint says the shaking returned after the steering column was replaced. According to complaints, the dealer said the tie rods were under recall and replaced them, while another complaint notes the vehicle was not included in a steering recall campaign. Stated mileage ranges from about 23,000 to 130,000 miles, and some complaints do not list mileage.

   Recall 06V155000

   What to check: Ask whether the tie rods and ball joints were checked for play, and ask the dealer whether any steering recall applies to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have had multiple issues with the suspension of this car in the past two years.- up until recently, these were the only problems I had with the car. First the strut engine mount brace and torque rods needed replacing, then at 155,000 I needed to have the front ball joint,control arms and bushings replaced. At 158,000 I had to replace the right rear knuckle and wheel bearings. Now at 189,000 I have a problem with my outer tie rods. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10702290, filed 2015-03, 130,000 miles

   “Vehicle is slightly off-balance no matter if I do an alignment ball joints seem to always get affected. I’m not sure if the hydraulics are working correctly. Yesterday I just started leaking antifreeze fluid.”

   NHTSA complaint #11648529, filed 2025-03
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Water intrusion linked to electrical faults

   • 6 complaints (11%)
   • median 45,500 mi at 5.2 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2007–2024

   Owners describe water collecting inside the vehicle, sometimes under the passenger floor carpet or below the driver side dash, followed by electrical faults such as flashing lights, horn or wiper activity, and blower or air conditioning shorts. A complaint links the water to a clogged sunroof drain, while other complaints do not identify the source. A complaint describes a module that shorted out and needed dealer replacement, and an owner reported that the vehicle would not restart after it was shut off. Stated mileage in these complaints ranges from about 48,000 to 100,000 miles, and some entries do not list mileage.

   What to check: Check the carpets and the area under the dash for dampness or odor, and ask whether the sunroof drains and any electrical module repairs have been documented.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Owned car 2nd hand for 2 years now. The past 2 weeks my turning signal, drivers side mirrors, interior lights, display counsel flashes on and off. Especially when I use turning signal. Being told ECM box water gets into system. Volvo does not support their product. So disappointed. I was ready to buy a new xc60. Not a chance.”

   NHTSA complaint #10482456, filed 2012-10, 100,000 miles

   “Water leaking from an unknown place gathering in passenger side floor ! Causing many electrical problems! Vehicle was in idol and cut off will not restart leaving my young daughter and I stranded! While investigating and removing carpet came to realize they were 30 gallons of water under carpet!! Looking into it more online noticed many many many others have expressed this same problem! Why is not an important issue to Volvo to want to fix this problem?? Why wasn't this problem issued for recall???? …”

   NHTSA complaint #11320450, filed 2020-04
5. 5
   Exterior lighting

   Headlamps or low beams fail intermittently

   • 5 complaints (9%)
   • median 43,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2010–2012

   Owners describe headlamps that fail or go out intermittently, sometimes while the vehicle is being driven, and a complaint says the low beams stopped working along with other warnings. A complaint says the owner cannot drive at dusk or at night because of the problem, and other complaints say repeated dealer repairs have not corrected it. According to complaints, a dealer advised replacing the comfort electronic module. Stated mileage in these complaints ranges from about 40,000 to 95,000 miles, and a complaint mentions failures at dusk or night.

   What to check: Test the headlamps and low beams at night on both settings, and ask the dealer whether the comfort electronic module has been checked or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Intermittent lighting failure in the Volvo XC90 2006 model. The headlamps just fail. Volvos are supposed to be safe. My family and I could have been seriously injured or worse. I have spent thousands of dollars to fix the issue and I still have the problem. I can not drive at dusk or at night because of this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10355968, filed 2010-09, 40,000 miles

   “I drove home from work and messages started to appear warning me of the engine not working properly, low beams not working. Drove it home. Turned it off & wipers would not stop. We unhooked the battery cable using the manual. Took it to have battery tested, bad cell. Replaced battery & wipers quit working, air bag light warning came on. Took to mechanic to have wiper motor tested, it was fine. Took to Volvo, they wanted to replace wiper motor, told them that was not the only problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10464528, filed 2012-07, 95,000 miles

Buying note. A buyer considering this model year may want to check tire condition and tread depth, look for dampness under the carpets and dash, and ask for service records covering any stalling, steering, or headlamp repairs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 48 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.