2016 VOLVO XC90 Engine Problems

*the engine is the part that failed due to excessive oil consumption. *it became a safety risk once it started selecting its own driving speed after dropping driving speed to 31mph on [XXX in Raleigh. *the problem was confirmed by the dealer, Volvo of Cary *it has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others *upon a service visit our technician, Ray Rancell of Volvo of Cary advised that the engine was leaking oil and engine failure would occur if we didn't take care of it so we did to a total of $2879.74 which would keep the engine from seizing. That means we paid to prevent exactly what happened anyway and as I found out later he did not perform an oil consumption test so he had no way of knowing the shape the engine was in but charged for this work anyway. The repair invoice...

My vehicle was signaling me to add oil every 600 - 1000 miles around 85,000 miles. The dealership charged me for a chemical treatment to stop the oil burning around 90,000 miles. At about 95,000 miles, my engine failed while driving on the interstate. There was no warning light or degradation of power. Suddenly, the engine lost power, went into limp mode and I could not maintain highway speed. The display flashes "Engine Performance Reduced." My SUV is now parked in my yard. I have paid two Volvo dealerships and a Volvo repair shop to inspect it. They reported oil burning, cylinder scoring and spark plug failure. There is scoring in the #3 cylinder and there is also no compression in the #3 cylinder. They further advised me that ALL engines that fit in my vehicle will experience this oil burning issue and the subsequent pathway to failure. I see...

On September 30, 2025, a 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 experienced sudden engine failure while driving westbound on I-75 (Alligator Alley) at highway speed. The vehicle abruptly went into reduced power mode (“turtle mode”) without warning. This forced the driver to stop on the roadside, creating a serious safety hazard in fast-moving traffic. Component/system that failed: Engine / Power Train. An independent repair facility performed diagnostics on October 6, 2025, including a compression test. Results confirmed that one cylinder had lost compression due to a failed cylinder head. The mechanic attributed this to excessive oil consumption from defective piston rings, a condition documented in Volvo technical bulletins. Inspection: The vehicle was inspected by an independent service center. Photos and test results are available for inspection upon request. The manufacturer was contacted and denied assistance, citing mileage, despite known oil consumption defects in this engine family. Safety risk: The sudden loss of...

This car is consuming oil and has the potential to catastrophically fail, or catch fire.

Piston ring failure, excessive oil consumption. There was an extended warranty regarding the issue, but it has since been closed. I know there have been multiple lawsuits regarding this issue.

The contact owned a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, white smoke began to emit from the vehicle as fellow motorists alerted her daughter that a fire had started underneath the vehicle. The contact's daughter immediately pulled over as all occupants exited the vehicle. The contact called the authorities as the vehicle was quickly incinerated by the fire. The contact stated that her youngest grandson suffered emotional distress as a result of the fire. No physical injuries were reported and a police report was filed(police report unavailable). The fire department extinguished the fire once they arrived. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard; the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

I have a 2016 XC90 T6 Inscription. The issue started after refill the engine oil and led to malfunction in engine system. The engine list the power and slowed down the car while driving. I brought the car to the dealer 2 times already and had been fine for 3 months. However, the engine oil light showed up to refill after 3 months. I am aware that other Volvo owners are facing the same issue and it is due to defect of piston and piston ring.

Started getting high coolant temperature warning, indicating to slow down and then after a short while to stop the vehicle. The vehicle now cannot be driven without the warning showing up after several minutes of driving after sitting. Of course comes on much sooner if it's been running before that. We had to pull over and wait several times during interstate travel. No codes are present using a code reader. It reads the temp at around 215 degrees when warning comes on to slow down. Continues to increase until warning to stop vehicle. I inspected the engine. A lot of symptoms were inline with a bad thermostat. Changed that with no luck. I again inspected the engine and found the broken tube. It was inline with where it's supposed to be attached, so it was missed the first time. I researched online and found recall 19V308 related to a previous...

There is a engine coolant leak from the plastic coolant line connector going into the motor

The exhaust manifold and supercharger on my 2016 Volvo XC90 have malfunctioned. The exhaust manifold has a visible crack, and the supercharger has seals that are leaking exhaust gases. Both components are available for inspection upon request and have been diagnosed by an independent mechanic who conducted a smoke test revealing these issues. The malfunction poses a significant safety risk as exhaust gases are leaking into the cabin, creating a dangerous environment that could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. This condition represents a serious health hazard to anyone in the vehicle. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. They diagnosed the issue with the P0171 code indicating the engine is running lean due to a vacuum leak. They also conducted a smoke test that identified the cracked manifold and leaking supercharger seals. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives....

The hybrid motor periodical will hesitate when accelerating from a stop, specifically it'll start accelerating then lose power for up to a couple of seconds before regaining power. This poses a safety risk if you start pulling out into traffic and suddenly and unpredictably lose power while there's oncoming vehicles. The problem just occurred for the first time about a week ago and coincidentally just a few days after taking the car in for its annual service, since then it has happened more frequently and I can't find any rhyme or reason as to why it happens. The vehicle will be going in to be checked out shortly. There have been no warning lights any time this has happened.

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 15 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that a turtle warning symbol appeared on the instrument panel along with an "Engine System Reduced Performance" message displayed. The contact called the dealer and had the vehicle towed to the dealer location. After two days of diagnostic testing, the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced due to engine failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

Excessive Oil consumption. Volvo knowingly allows for the sale and resale of their 2013-2016 vehicles all makes and models even though they know there is an engine issue causing excessive oil consumption due to bad pistons and o rings in the engine. They’ve tried to hide this for years and since has covered a limited number of vehicles to be repaired based on stringent requirements eliminating most of the vehicles that actually should be covered. This oil consumption issue is dangerously causing vehicle to over consumption oil possibly causing the engine to seize or costly repairs up to but not limited to $13,000. This issue has cost me excessive oil changes and oil purchases in just a matter of months since its purchase date. A warranty was issued for this issue but Grubbs Volvo of Grapevine Texas has stated that due to the requirements my vehicle does not qualify to...

We are a repair facility and the vehicle arrived for a concern with a weak battery and a battery warning light. The battery was testing bad and was replaced but the other issues persisted. The vehicle was scanned for codes and the codes present in the computer were B139F11, P26DC00 & P059700. After researching these codes we discovered a technical service bulletin related to the same issue and codes (Ref. No: TJ 30268.6.0). The bulletin states "If any of above DTC´s are set in the ECM or CEM for the pre-heated thermostat in the cooling system, and/or if the customer complains of a charging system warning message in the Driver’s Information Module (DIM), follow advice under SERVICE". The bulletin then describes the required service "Replace the thermostat according to instructions in VIDA and erase DTC. Not replacing the thermostat can cause consequential damages". After reading this we followed the service...

The vehicle exhibits excessive oil consumption due to defective oil control rings, as highlighted by Quality Bulletin P10186. Additionally, the sunroof leaks, as noted in Technical Journal 31272 and TJ 35503.3.0, and there are further issues with the windshield wiper/turn signal system, the parking brake system, and the steering wheel module. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The excessive oil consumption and related engine issues can lead to engine damage and potential failure while driving, posing a serious safety risk. The sunroof leakage could impair visibility and cause electrical failures. The persistent dashboard warning messages and system malfunctions further distract and endanger the driver and others on the road. Yes, the problem has been reproduced and confirmed by various dealers and independent service centers, as indicated by numerous customer cases, court rulings, and a class-action lawsuit. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer and documented...

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that both oil and coolant would frequently be added to the engine as both the check engine and oil warning lights would appear on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on multiple occasions where the crank shaft seal and fuel injectors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. One day while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal as the turtle warning light appeared on the instrument panel which indicated that there was reduced engine performance. The contact managed to drive the vehicle to Herb Chambers Volvo Cars of Norwood(1120 Providence Hwy #1, Norwood, MA 02062) where they were informed that contact that the fourth engine chamber had burned out which lead to engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired....

The engine is burning oil due to a factory design defect in the piston ring design, as verified by Volvo through a technical bulletin. In the bulletin, Volvo states that there is a free oil consumption test available for up to 100k miles. However, once I brought the car in for the test, they denied doing it for free and did not send any notice by mail. Burning oil can lead to a fire risk and loss of power while driving on the highway, which can cause serious accidents. Their published bulletin confirms the issue. The car has not been inspected, and there are no warning lights.

This Volvo was bought in Worcester, Massachusetts. We used to live in USA before moving to our home country The Netherlands. Taking the Volvo with us. For many months the car consumes extreme amounts of oil. Indicating low oil every time. We need to refill every 1200-2000 km. We notified our Volvo dealer over and over again when having scheduled maintenance. No thorough inspection was done. We felt unsafe when traveling long distances, afraid the engine would break down or insecure about the oil consumption and what was causing it. We had an independent Volvo specialist inspect the car and he knew there is a design flaw in the cylinder pistons. The full problem was described by Volvo in technical journal [XXX]. Due to the fact that the Volvo dealer did not take the problem seriously, we had been driving with this problem way too long causing extreme cylinder defects...

I have a 2016 XC90, been letting Volvo know of my oil consumption since Feb 2022 when I noticed more oil being used before changes were due! My vehicle failed the oil test performed on 12/6/23 at Volvo on Manchester in St Louis, and now this Volvo extended warranty won’t cover it. Why? Well, I never received anything from Volvo and wasn’t even aware until the service advisor told me to call. A “ticket” was put in with Volvo headquarters on 12/8/23 and they state that I’m out of the extended warranty, yet I NEVER had any opportunity to even get it since I didn’t receive anything! They want to replace where the current leak is, which is $2600, then do another test! This was my first actual oil consumption test! Despite bringing it to my advisor at the time, which I was well within these “extended warranty parameters” such...

What seems to be a plastic coolant line cracked and is leaking antifreeze everywhere. Found a recall that mentions this but my vehicle is not listed. NHTSA campaign number: 19V308. Volvo's own number for this recall is R29936.

Main Cooling system hose burst while driving down the road. Volvo Dealer said extremely rare for this to occur. Car overheated, all warning lights appeared and coolant exploded under hood all while driving.Had to have repaired $1000. Also a water leak inside 3rd row & leaks from rear view mirror area. Caused electrical damage to main system computer module, had to have replaced $2000+. All work done at volvo dealer. No frame damage,no missing parts, dealer stated unknown reason. Same thing is now happening a 2nd time and warranty will not cover water damage. Have spoken with others experiencing the same problem with roof leak. No alarms came on prior to combustion/main hose top engine area before break. Happend immediately, unexpectedly

The low coolant warning went off and the turn off engine notification came on. I turned off my vehicle and noticed all the coolant leaking out the bottom underneath the car. I had the vehicle towed to the nearest mechanic and I was given this diagnosis: Found cooling system low, pressure tested and located a slip line that runs from the coolant crossover tube to under the intake manifold. Coolant pipe runs from the crossover pipe down to the engine oil cooler. Volvo has an updated part number due to high failure rate of the component.

I own a 2016 XC90 that was regularly serviced by the Volvo dealer we bought the car from. My son and I were in my car on 08/02/2023 and we were at a stop light and something smelt a little off so my son put his window down to get fresh air. Then, we accelerated when the light turned green. Within 100 yds of accelerating my check engine light when on and simultaneously I lost acceleration. It was clear that something was wrong. I told my son we needed to unbuckle our seat belts and jump out of the car when I could get us safely stopped. We coasted into a parking lot where I found a safe spot to stop. While coasting I looked at my car screen to see if there was oil or other fluid that was low, but there was no indicator of a problem other...

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced high oil consumption. After adding oil to the engine, the message "Oil Level Low" was display within three weeks. Additionally, while operating the vehicle the message "low engine function" had displayed and the vehicle would not properly accelerate and was jerking. The contact also discovered puddles of water inside the rear trunk of the vehicle with electrical wires and components submerged in the water. The vehicle had experienced various electrical failures with the back-up camera malfunctioning. In addition, there was mold inside the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted regarding the failures. The failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not included.

Previous issues with brakes, suspension, leaking sunroof, electrical and gauges. Vehicle became disabled due to defect with coolant system, smoke from engine compartment, towed to Monterery Volvo (dealership/service center identified issues with coolant leak present turbo & cooling Plastic pipe. Cruise control-Vacuum Pump: Found vacuum pump leaking oil. Estimated repair $5,414.38

for last 2 years, my 2016 xc90 has kept request to add oil every 1 or 2 month. In May, 2023, my car speed suddenly reduced the speed to 25 miles and the turtle sign popped up. It was very dangerous when I drove it on the highway, it was almost get hit by the car after me. After I sent to dealer, I was told that the the cylinder of the engine did not work. The engine light has been on and off many times. I sent my car to the dealer regularly for the maintenance

My 2016 Volvo XC90's engine has suffered from high oil consumption that has required excessive servicing and additions of motor oil. These issues began several years ago when the XC90's low oil warning message appeared. The local Volvo dealership said my XC90 had an oil leak and it would cost over $10,000 to determine the source of the leak. So the Volvo dealership suggested that I regularly put 2 quarts of oil in the engine every couple hundred miles, which I have done. Despite the Volvo dealership's speculative guess, no oil leakage was ever seen and there was never any oil pooling under the vehicle. Then on Sunday, June 25, 2023, out of nowhere a "reduced engine performance" message popped up. The XC90 swerved, almost causing a wreck, while greatly decreasing speed in traffic on the interstate. I was barely able to get to the next exit where the engine...

My XC90 had the oil consumption issue that I started reporting at 50K miles and Volvo finally performed a piston ring replacement at 80K miles under a service action. Fuel injectors were also replaced by the Dealer. On our first long distance trip from Tallahassee to Atlanta, the car lost all power and stopped on I-75, almost killing us. It had to be towed and the dealer says that the engine was flooded by fuel due to fuel pump module failure causing fuel injectors to stay activated and engine needs to be replaced. I believe that the issue was caused by the repair not being done correctly or the time it took Volvo to take responsibility for the oil consumption issue and subsequent repair.

Vehicle caught fire after exiting freeway. Warning light turned on to check oil, immediately followed by smoke and flames from engine bay. Driver exited vehicle, call 911, fire was dispatched and extinguished fire. Vehicle suffered extensive fire/smoke damage and is a total loss.

Like you know now most 2016 volvo xc90 are burning oil 2-3 quarts every 1500 miles car is smoking blue smoke most of the xc90 2016 with 2.0 liter engine volvo has like extended warranty up to 100k on some cars but cars where burning oil from 2016 year most cars are over 100k volvo will not help fix issue . No check engine light on cars ! You stay behind the muffler can’t breath how bad it stinks no check engine passing emission like that !!! I don’t have money to pay $11000 to replace pistons rings volvo will not help so guess this car will smoke and can pass emission

Our car has shut down in the middle of traffic due to the oil going from full to empty in a few hundred miles. Oil change was recently done with synthetic oil and only had driven a few hundred miles when it went to empty. I had to buy a quart of oil at the gas station. I need to put an extra quart of oil every few hundred miles due to excessive oil consumption.

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated the vehicle was leaking and consuming engine oil. The contact checked and became aware that there was no oil in the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed an oil consumption test and determined that the piston rings and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

engine consuming lots of oil. sometimes it fails to accelerate when I press the accelerator pedal.

The contact owns a 2016 Volvo XC90. The contact stated that she became aware the engine oil level was lower than needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.

Engine oil consumption issue. Engine is consuming a quart of oil every 1,500 miles.

Engine coolant line leaking from a faulty coolant pipe. Which can potentially cause fire.

Warning to add a quart of oil. Dealer investigated and found loss of compression in 2/4 cylinders. Dealer indicates that a ring and piston job will have to be done for all cylinders. Dealer also indicated they were aware of such problems with the rings wearing improperly. Therefore car burns oil. We are currently awaiting the extended warranty company to agree to pay for the repairs. The car has < 50000 miles and has received all recommended service at the dealer. I understand this is a problem with these cars. As failure of the cylinders could cause an accident, why is there no recall and if Volvo knew of the problem why did they not warn us.

Every 1500 miles or less, engine looses oil. Adding a quart of oil each week once it passes the 1500 trip mile. Also SRS warning light has come on, was told it was the seat harness that has a airbag module in which the airbag possibly won’t deploy in an accident. Dealer indicated it is not covered nor will the manufacturer repair it. These two issues can cause the engine to get on fire and the airbags not deploy in an accident which I believe are safety related.

Driving on the far left lane of the freeway and the engine needs coolant light came on. I started to change lanes, and by the time I got all the way to the right the car said turn off engine. The car started to smoke and I had to stop on the freeway in the right shoulder. Called a tow truck they picked up the car. and towed it to a local shop. This car had just been in for regular maitance at Rusnak Pasadena Volvo dealership. The car was taken to Bertone Motorsport and they discovered a coolant hose failure. They replaced the hose and bleed the cooling system.

Driving at highway speed and a sudden loss of power. Vehicle has a history oil consumption. Seems that engine has a major defect. Waiting on a second estimate, seems a known catastrophic issue with pistons issue causing major engine work or possible replacement.

The engine was losing almost a quart of oil every thousand miles. It did not always notify me when it was low on oil. No one's safety was put at risk. I ended up refilling a total of 3 quarts before taking it to the dealer. The dealer said that the front crankshaft seal was leaking, and the oil was dripping down it and onto the side and bottom of the oil pan.

Oil consumption issue every 1500 miles engine requires top off oil 1 qt other wise piston rings can ignite damage engine result in loss of power.

The issue began in April 2021, the engine burns oil and empties out every 1,500 or less. Contacted Volvo corp & dealership several times. Have gotten two things repaired by Volvo indicating those were the root issue of the oil consumption, not the case, continues to burn oil. Was told by the dealer that I have to continue to drive the vehicle until the low oil comes on for them to re-check the engine. Not sure if they want me to crack the engine while I drive for them to realize this is a serious issue.

There is an open recall for certain 2016 XC 90s related to cracks in the coolant pipes. My vin doesn’t have a recall attached but in the last 2.5 years I have owned the vehicle I have had to change this part 2 times. I feel my vin/vehicle should be part of the recall. My local dealer is not willing to assist nor Volvo Customer Service.

Engine oil Level decreases rapidly, this can cause the engine to burn up and possibly catch file or lock the engine. Dealer has started oil consumption test.

Leaking Coolant @44,804 miles: I was told it's not covered by the warranty and I had to pay out of pocket for the repair at the dealership. Now I just learned Volvo recalled 34,600 of the 2016 Volvo XC90 with the same problem in Year 2019, and my car's VIN is not on the list even though it's the same model, year and the same problem. Burning Excessive Engine Oil started @ 48,000 miles. I want to know if the problem is covered under the extended warranty I bought. There are a lot of similar complaints online. Refer to https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/2016-xc90-burning-massive-amounts-of-oil.639838/ Leaking Coolant @ 50,000 miles again.

My car has begun to burn excessive oil. I am having to use 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles. This is in addition to getting a routine oil change. Took vehicle to Volvo dealership for an oil consumption test, cost around $550, and had to drive 1245 miles and then bring car back. Brought car back and dealership confirmed car is using/burning excessive oil. Issue is with the o rings and gaskets needing to be replaced. Employee at dealership said this is known issue with the 2016 model burning excessive oil. Many threads online relating/reporting the same issue about oil consumption and believe a recall is warranted to fix this know issue with Volvo. Mileage is around 89k.

I purchased my vehicle used in February 2021. On the morning of December 14, 2021 we got a low coolant warning, please pull over safely message on the way to work. We just so happened to be near a gas station and was able to put half a container of 50/50 coolant and continue driving. On our return home we got the same message but noticed a major leak once we made it home. We had Volvo tow the vehicle to Northpoint Volvo in Alpharetta, GA and it appears to be having the exact same issue as what was previously preparing under recall 19V-308. I tried reporting this to the dealer and Volvo Customer Service but both tell me the recall was fixed in 2019 for my vehicle. If the issue is "fixed" how can I be facing the EXACT same issue just two years later.

We just purchased this 2016 Volvo XC90 last week from an out of town dealer and it suddenly sprung a major coolant leak this morning while driving and isn’t safely drivable without fire hazard as it’s getting so hot. This model was part of recall on coolant hoses, but is listed as having 0 pending recalls on the nhtsa website.

The attached file outlines details - 1.After a recent car wash at a Shell Service Station…..April 5,2021, upon starting the vehicle – the computerized dashboard displayed erratic and incomplete information. It attempted to indicate multiple system failures – eg brakes, suspension, and others too garbled to understand. The entire driver’s console and information center display which were designed to show all of the vehicle operating modes and driver information were compromised and not functioning correctly. The Start/Stop Switch would no longer shut the engine down. I could not get the vehicle to shift out of Park. I found myself quite concerned about a highly computerized vehicle now running with no apparent operator control. I could not be certain whether the engine was being cooled properly from its electrical fans because the cabin was becoming uncomfortably hot. None of the environmental controls worked. Even the electric windows were affected. There were...