2020 VOLVO XC90 — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

Vehicle: 2020 Volvo XC90 Mileage at first incident: ~60,000 miles Mileage at second incident: ~70,000 miles In July 2025, while my wife was driving our 2020 Volvo XC90 the vehicle experienced a sudden and complete loss of braking. The brake pedal did not provide stopping power, and the vehicle had to be steered off the roadway in order to come to a stop and avoid a serious accident. The incident created a serious safety risk. The vehicle was taken to an Wynn Volvo PA dealer and the brake booster and master cylinder were replaced at our expense (approximately $2,500). After the repair, the brake pedal initially felt abnormally soft and required a return visit for correct repair. Approximately six months later, in January 2026, while my teenage son was driving the same vehicle, the vehicle again experienced a complete loss of braking. Braking performance was lost without warning. He narrowly avoided a serious accident. The vehicle was brought to Wynn Volvo in PA and the hydraulic control unit (brake control module) was diagnosed as failed. Repair cost is approximately $3,000. This vehicle has now experienced two separate complete brake failures involving different hydraulic braking components within six months -- with both my wife and son narrowly avoiding serious accidents. Given that this is a safety-critical braking system failure with repeat occurrence, I am filing this complaint for investigation.

In early December (2025), I experienced Hybrid System Failure, with the vehicle showing this fault in the dashboard and the check engine light coming on. I took it to the dealership, as the hybrid system is still within warranty, and they diagnosed a failed hybrid battery module. They said I could continue to drive the care in combustion-only mode and would order the module. Having heard nothing, I checked in early January and was told the module would not be available until May or June of 2026. I escalated to Volvo corporate. They opened a case and keep promising to have a manager reach out to update me, but they have failed to follow-through for almost a month. I am now faced with the prospect of operating an impaired vehicle that can't pass an emissions test (and which is under warranty) for more than half a year.

In early December (2025), I experienced Hybrid System Failure, with the vehicle showing this fault in the dashboard and the check engine light coming on. I took it to the dealership, as the hybrid system is still within warranty, and they diagnosed a failed hybrid battery module. They said I could continue to drive the care in combustion-only mode and would order the module. Having heard nothing, I checked in early January and was told the module would not be available until May or June of 2026. I escalated to Volvo corporate. They opened a case and keep promising to have a manager reach out to update me, but they have failed to follow-through for almost a month. I am now faced with the prospect of operating an impaired vehicle that can't pass an emissions test (and which is under warranty) for more than half a year.

If a passenger or child in the second row attempts to open a door before/while the doors are unlocked, the interior AND exterior handles no longer function. This can be temporarily fixed by doing a complicated and long random series of enabling/disabling electronic child locks and unlocking and re-locking the doors, but in an emergency situation it would not be possible. Passengers would be trapped in the case of a car fire or submerging event. This needs to be addressed by the manufacturer with a properly engineered lock that does not prevent the door handles from working if the handles are operated while locks are actuated! Here are two threads full of people with this issue: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

If a passenger or child in the second row attempts to open a door before/while the doors are unlocked, the interior AND exterior handles no longer function. This can be temporarily fixed by doing a complicated and long random series of enabling/disabling electronic child locks and unlocking and re-locking the doors, but in an emergency situation it would not be possible. Passengers would be trapped in the case of a car fire or submerging event. This needs to be addressed by the manufacturer with a properly engineered lock that does not prevent the door handles from working if the handles are operated while locks are actuated! Here are two threads full of people with this issue: [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)