2008 Volvo XC90 problems
NHTSA has received 44 complaints about the 2008 Volvo XC90, and 18% of them involve electrical system. Next are engine (18%) and seat belts (9%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 44 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 18% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 1 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 73,000 miles 36 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 | 3 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 10 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 5 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 5 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 36 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 73,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 1 complaint mentions a crash; 2 complaints mention a fire.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2008 ranks 16th most-complained-about out of 17 model years of the Volvo XC90 with enough data (15 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 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.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 volvo xc90. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle seized without any warning light illuminated. The driver attempted to depress the accelerator pedal which failed to respond. The driver veered off to the shoulder of the road. No warning lights came onto dash prior to or after vehicle lost power. Noticed under the hood was smoking. The driver got out the vehicle and called for help, within minutes the vehicle was engulfed in flames.
My 4 year old son was in an accident with our brand new volvo xc90. I got out of car to take a picture (leaving the engine on for air conditioning) and he shifted the car out of park, crashing thank goodness into a fence that slowly stopped him. Knowing he cannot reach the break I immediately tested the gear shift and found that it easily shifts out of park without your foot on the brake. We have returned the car to the dealer who has admitted "the car's shifter is broken".
Tl*the contact owns a 2008 volvo xc90. The contact took her vehicle to the dealer at least three times because a seat in the rear row failed. The seat continues to fail after each repair. In the back of the seat is a latch, but it does not remain fastened. The seat is under warranty, but the dealer will not replace the seat. The dealer stated that they only install new parts on vehicles. The failure mileage was 24,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 volvo xc90. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the temperature gauge displayed that the vehicle was overheated. The dealer diagnosed that cylinder three and six needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 93,000.