2016 Volvo XC90 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2016 XC90 most often describe the car losing power or cutting out unexpectedly — the instrument panel going blank, the vehicle slowing or stalling, and the engine or electronics need attention afterwards. Many of these reports come at low mileage, and second helpings of trouble involve oil consumption and water getting into the cabin through the sunroof or A-pillar area. Reports also include doors that will not open or latch, brakes that apply on their own, and fluid leaks from under the hood.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Car loses power, instrument panel blanks, or stalls while

   • 56 complaints (28%)
   • median 10,500 mi at 1.1 yrs old (38 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Complaints describe the dashboard going blank or rebooting while driving, the vehicle dropping to a crawl (often around 10 mph) and the accelerator becoming unresponsive. Some say the car shut off completely or would not restart properly, and a few were told the fault traced to the electronic control module or to software. Owners report the problem returning after a software update or module replacement, and some vehicles had to be towed. Mostly reported under about 35,000 miles, often at highway speed and sometimes shortly after a cold start or stop-start event.

   Recall 21V2730002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether any software updates or control module replacements have been done, and take a long test drive that includes a stop-start cycle. Note whether the dashboard flickers or warnings appear.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The start-stop function malfunctioned on my vehicle at a busy stop light/intersection. My wife and I felt we needed to push the car to side to keep from getting hit, despite flashers on. We had it towed to a Volvo dealer who was very helpful. They had car fixed next day. Said the computers or sensors not communicating. I asked Volvo if they were fixing all cars. They said moly said my car was now okay”

   NHTSA complaint #11317984, filed 2020-03, 44,000 miles

   “On today, I was driving with my young children in our 2016 Volvo XC90 when suddenly the instrumentation panel went blank and the car slowed down dramatically in the middle of rush hour traffic. The car started to crawl at approximately 5-10 MPH. We pulled over to the side of the road, powered off the car, restarted it and the problem still persisted. While depressing the accelerator pedal from a stop, the vehicle failed to respond and the vehicle stalled without warning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10899873, filed 2016-08, 11,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Water leaking into the cabin from the sunroof or A-pillar

   • 12 complaints (6%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2017–2025

   Complaints describe rain water entering through the sunroof area or near the rearview mirror and dripping onto the console, carpet and even into the rear quarter panel where electrical components sit. Owners report moldy smells, warning lights and electrical faults following the leaks, and dealers diagnosed clogged or corroded sunroof drains, seals or the sunroof motor. In some cases water was found in the spare tire well or trunk. Reported from about 10,000 miles upward, usually after rain or while driving downhill.

   Recall 16V690000Recall 16V2680002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look for water stains, damp carpet, musty odor or corrosion around the headliner, A-pillars and spare tire well, and ask whether the sunroof drains have been cleaned or repaired.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When driving my Volvo after it has rained and I begin to break, while on a road with a minimal decline, rain water pours into the cabin. I was told by Volvo service technicians the water is not able to channel through the sunroof channels correctly due to corrosion or clogging in the drainage tubes/sunroof tray assembly. The water pours into the cabin near the intellisafe/rearview mirror area. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11413653, filed 2021-04, 117,000 miles

   “My roof is leaking, it was coming out the front cabin light. This problem can be found noted on many websites with pictures for my year/model. Then we started getting errors with suspension and my wife got a warning she should stop the car. She got it home and we found the water had now leaked into the rear right quarter panel where at least 1 computer is stored. That area had at least 1' of water in it. I had to pull a drain plug to drain it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11416043, filed 2021-05, 140,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Excessive oil consumption and low oil level

   • 50 complaints (25%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $7,707 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the engine using oil faster than expected, sometimes with no warning light before the level drops very low. Dealers reportedly ran an oil consumption test and in several cases concluded the piston rings or the engine itself needed replacement. Some complaints also describe rough running or misfires alongside the oil use. Reports cluster from roughly 45,000 to 140,000 miles, with several in the 75,000-90,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the oil level and condition at purchase and ask for service records showing oil top-offs or an oil consumption test. A service bulletin describes an oil consumption test procedure.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car was driving about 35 MPH when this happen. Engine started to have multiple miss fire. Took it to a professional shop and cylinder 1, 2 and 3 have a wet spark plug. They did more testing and found that the cylinder oil ring has failed. Car only has 81k miles and needs a new engine or engine rebuild this is beloved to be to the type of the oil ring they used on this cars.”

   NHTSA complaint #11398852, filed 2021-03, 81,000 miles

   “The pulley on the alternator failed so the serpentine belt fell lose and ended up behind the engine where the timing belt is located. This caused the engine to lose timing and damaged all the valves, cylinders, and engine block. Now the Volvo dealer is telling me the engine can't be repaired and will need to be replaced with a new one that will cost $16,000.00. This happened while the vehicle was being driven on the freeway and arterial streets. The damage to the engine was caused by the failure of the alternator pulley. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11318396, filed 2020-03, 82,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brakes apply on their own or with grinding and a warning

   • 18 complaints (9%)
   • median 13,000 mi at 1.3 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2024

   Owners describe the brakes engaging without any obstacle ahead, sometimes at highway speed, slowing the car sharply and prompting them to pull over. Others report grinding or clicking noises near the brake pedal and repeated brake component replacement. Dealers are said to have applied software updates or replaced pads and rotors without resolving the complaint in every case. Mostly reported under about 7,000 miles, often at 30-65 mph with no vehicle in front.

   What to check: Ask about any brake-related software updates or repairs, and test the car at moderate speed on an open road to see whether the automatic braking system behaves normally.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased a 2016 XC90 in july15. Shortly after the purchase, I started to notice issues with the brakes and various other issues. I have taken the car into service 14 times since purchase with on a few for regular maintenance. Brake pads and both front and rear roters have been replaced, but the brake issue has not been resolved. I still frequently but randomly hear clicking sounds near to the brake paddle. I am mostly concerned that it happens when I am driving high speed while trying to slow down. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11112753, filed 2018-07, 2,500 miles

   “Brakes/grinding noise happened automatically without any reason or object near. Car was traveling 50mph and I had to pull over to the shoulder. Restarting the car, it was able to drive away. Definitely not safe to have the brakes come on like that.”

   NHTSA complaint #10949183, filed 2017-02, 6,400 miles
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Doors will not open, latch, or lock

   • 34 complaints (17%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2025

   Complaints describe door handles and latches failing so the door will not open from inside or outside, and in one case a rear door opened while the car was moving. Others report water entering the rear door locking mechanism and leaving the locks frozen or inoperable. Owners also mention the painted interior door handles chipping and cutting fingers. Reported from roughly 25,000 to 80,000 miles, with several complaints noting cold or wet weather.

   Recall 16V7980001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Open and close every door several times from both inside and outside, check that the latches hold firmly, and inspect the interior door handles for chipped finish.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Have had two door latch mechanisms fail at 60k miles which make the door inoperable and could potentially trap occupants in the vehicle. This has happened with the doors closed in both cases.”

   NHTSA complaint #11302216, filed 2020-01, 60,000 miles

   “Inside and outside handle cease to work effectively resulting in door not opening. Has happened a handful of times with repair required. Occupants are not able to exit the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11397355, filed 2021-02, 40,000 miles

Buying note. Check the service history for software updates and oil consumption work, and inspect the cabin and trunk for water intrusion before buying. A thorough test drive that includes stop-start, braking and a highway stretch helps reveal the power-loss and brake symptoms owners describe most.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.