2003 Volvo XC90 problems
NHTSA has received 149 complaints about the 2003 Volvo XC90, and 26% of them involve transmission. Next are electrical system (12%) and drivetrain & axles (7%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 149 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Transmission 26% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 3 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 10 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 78,000 miles 128 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 21 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 7 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 19 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 27 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 16 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 27 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 2 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 6 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 3 |
What the data shows
Of the 128 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 78,000 miles. For transmission specifically, the median reported mileage is about 76,000 miles (37 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 3 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 10 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2003 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 17 model years of the Volvo XC90 with enough data (80 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 5 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
While backing put of a parking lot power steering failed, vehicle smoked then caught on fire. Driver suffered from smoke inhalation. Prior to the vehicle catching on fire the consumer was involved in an accident the year before (july 12, 2003). The consumer was pressing on the horn when the crash occurred. The consumers hand was on the when the air bag deployed. The driver sustained several broken ones in her right hand which required 2 surgeries, extensive physical therapy and many other medical procedures.
I was involved in a rear-end collision with my 2 children in a volvo xc90. My seat back failed during the accident and I am not referring to the whips system. I sustained multiple injuries including a whiplash injury as well as injuries of my back and left shoulder that I believe were exacerbated by the seat back assuming a fairly reclined position.
Leaving a parking lot and heard loud sound car wouldn't move. Volvo says the following is broken: lower control arm, cv axle, rotor and damaged rim. We had been parked and were attempting to leaving parking lot(.barely moving) could have been killed if this happened at higher speed. We have constantly spent money on this vehicle and I feel it is unsafe and that when the recalls were made there could have already been a fracture. This car is only driven to work and home on a regular basis. No rough roads.